Agenda item

(To receive a report by Gavin Booth, Children's Services Manager – Education Strategy, which seeks to inform councillors of the role of the Local Authority in schools graded as Inadequate by Ofsted.

Consideration was given to a report from Debbie Barnes, Executive Director of Children's Services, which advise the Committee of the role of the Local Authority in schools graded as Inadequate by Ofsted.

Gavin Booth, Children's Services Manager – Education Strategy presented the report and highlighted to the Committee the stages relating to Ofsted inspections.  Particular reference was made to when a school was judged as requiring improvement at its last inspection.  The Committee was advised that the school would be subject to monitoring from inspectors to check its progress and would be inspected within a period of around two years.  If after this period the school was still judged as requiring improvement, further monitoring would take place; and another inspection would take place within a further two years.  If at this inspection the outcome was still not good, it would be highly likely that the school would be judged inadequate, and deemed to require special measures.

It was noted that a standard inspection usually lasted two days and that the number of inspectors on the inspection team would vary depending on the size of the school.  Full details of the areas the inspectors would make graded judgements on were detailed on page 110 of the report.

It was noted further that if a school was judged as being inadequate, it could be placed in special measures, which meant that the school was failing to provide pupils with an acceptable level of education, and was not showing improvement; or if a school was judged as having serious weaknesses, this meant that there would be one or more of the key areas of the school's performance requiring significant improvement, but leaders and managers had demonstrated the capacity to improve.

The Committee was advised that if a school was deemed by Ofsted as inadequate, it was required to become a sponsored academy, to which the Local Authority had a statutory role. The process could often leave maintained schools waiting for a sponsored conversion for quite a long period of time; and that the process of who supports the school, and to what degree following a special measures judgement was inconsistent.  As a result, the Committee was advised that Lincolnshire as a Local Authority had taken the decision to draft a protocol to clarify relationships between the Local Authority and the Regional School Commissioner (RSC) during the interim period and the expected timelines of the necessary support/monitoring.  The draft protocol was currently waiting for approval by regional colleagues before being shared with the RSC.

In conclusion, the Committee was advised that the Local Authority continued to work with schools graded as 'Inadequate' to facilitate their conversion to sponsored academy status; and to challenge any delays in the process due to the detrimental impact on pupils, families and the wider community.  The Education Team would continue to risk assess schools and broker support for the most vulnerable and high risks schools in order to try and mitigate the possibility of schools receiving a Grade 4 judgement in line with the Council's School Improvement Strategy.

A list of Lincolnshire schools graded as inadequate was detailed on page 112 of the report presented.

A short discussion ensued, from which some concerns was raised to the damage caused to pupils, families, and the community as a result of the delays arising from the conversion to sponsored academy status.  One member expressed thanks to officers for the support provided to Louth Monks Dyke Tennyson College; and reiterated the need for a protocol.

The Committee felt that the Executive Director of Children's Services should take up the concerns raised particularly in relation to Cherry Willingham Community School and Louth Monks Dyke Tennyson College; who the Department for Education had not yet identified an academy sponsor for.

RESOLVED

1.    That the report regarding the Local Authority Process regarding schools graded as inadequate be noted.

2.    That the Committee extend their support to Executive Director of Children's Services to raise concerns; and if necessary make a referral to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.