Agenda item

Report attached.

At the request of the Sub-Committee, officer provided Members with a report that detailed an overview of the statutory responsibilities of the Local Authority (LA) with regard to ensuring education excellence.

The report explained that the service recognised and respects the diverse educational landscape and models of governance that now exist within the borough, which currently included:

·       a range of early years settings;

·       infant, junior, primary, secondary, tertiary and special provisions;

·       LA-maintained, academies, free-schools, stand-alone/local/national MATs, federations and faith schools.

It was explained to Members that additional quality assurance processes are likely to be taking place right across the sector (eg Ofsted, the Regional Schools’ Commissioner, MATs) and the service was keen to ensure that its quality assurance processes are proportionate, work in synergy with other regulators, and minimise any burden of duplication.

The report detailed that the Education Act 2011 outlined that the role of Local Authority in relation to all children and young people under the following 3 headings:

·       champions of vulnerable children and young people;

·       ensuring fair access to services; and

·       ensuring educational excellence.

In keeping with these principles, the service improve the well-being of young children and ‘reduce inequalities between young children in the borough. It was stated that this also included young children’s physical and mental health and emotional well-being; protection from harm and neglect; education, training and recreation.

Officers informed that the duties and related powers of the service with regard to settings, schools and colleges in the area are set out in the London Borough of Havering Quality Assurance Framework: Education Providers.

The Sub-Committee was informed that the service provides, challenge and support through direct provision or brokerage where needed to all providers in order to improve educational performance.

Officers explained that all the quality assurance processes are compatible with the service statutory responsibilities and are aligned with the latest DfE Schools Causing Concern guidance.

The Sub-Committee was informed that the service operates a flexible programme of quality assurance, proportionate to the quality of provision within any given institution.  The service reserves the right to exercise its powers flexibly and with discretion, depending on changing circumstances and the picture emerging from a wide range of evidence.

The following quality assurance processes are administered by the service:

Desktop Risk Assessment 

A desktop risk assessment is applied to all provisions to determine the extent of quality assurance scrutiny, based on a range of factors including:

·       Outcomes (standards and progress) in statutory tests or examinations, including trajectory / direction of travel

·       Other data (eg attendance;  persistent absence;  exclusions; financial management, etc)

·       Previous Ofsted and likely proximity to next inspection

·       Trajectory / direction of travel in relation to outcomes

·       Local Intelligence (e.g. quality of leadership and governance; complaints; safeguarding concerns, admissions and popularity;  financial management, record with vulnerable children, etc)

Quality Assurance Visit(s)

All schools, irrespective of governance, are entitled to receive an on-site QA visit with an experienced and qualified Quality Assurance Inspector from the LA, once each year (academic cycle).  The LA is, however, mindful of the extent of scrutiny and accountability currently within the system (e.g. Ofsted, HMI, RSC, MAT quality assurance, etc). With this in mind, the following alternatives may be adopted via consultation between the LA and school(s):

·       The LA will not undertake a full QA visit within 6 months of an Ofsted inspection, to any school receiving a Good or Outstanding judgement.

·       The LA is willing to consider a request from a MAT or a Federation to ‘quality assure’ the MAT/Federation’s own quality assurance processes (this is likely to include joint on-site visits and discussions about each school in the MAT/Federation).

·       If the desktop risk assessment identifies minimal risk, the LA will be happy to accept any credible and comprehensive QA report undertaken by another source (e.g. DfE; independent audit, etc).    

It was explained that following the process, the service will assign its own categorisation to the school or academy and determine whether the school should receive additional quality assurance visits over the course of the year.

Officers explained that where there are concerns around an academy, free school or MAT, the service has a duty to relay its concerns to the Regional School Commissioner (RSC) who has regulatory responsibility for provision outside of the maintained sector. It was clarified that the service has no intervention powers over academies except for safeguarding or equalities reasons or if statutory processes are being breached.

The Sub-Committee noted the report.