Issue - meetings

[To approve the Education Excellence Strategy which outlines how the Council will work with education providers to support and challenge in order to strive for an excellent education system]

That the Education Excellence Strategy (EES) 2021-2024 be approved and its use from September 2021 be endorsed.

Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre informed Cabinet that the Education Excellence Strategy 2021-2024 had been taken to the Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Panel for pre-decision scrutiny and was not therefore subject to scrutiny call-in under the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules.

The Strategy, which replaced the School Improvement Strategy 2018-2021, aimed to drive further improvements in Wolverhampton’s schools and early years settings. It made provision for the Council to carry out its functions to monitor the performance of schools in the city and ensure that, where improvements are necessary, these are carried out effectively and expeditiously.  In reporting on the salient points of the Strategy, Councillor Dr Hardacre highlighted that previous iterations of the Strategy had led to positives impacts on pupil outcomes, with Wolverhampton now at national standards with 86% of its schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. He also reported that the last 18 months had been incredibly challenging for schools, particularly the children with disruptions to their education.  The Education service through its relations with schools was already working with the city’s schools to ensure that the effects of this disruption are minimised. The Strategy was key in how the service would work with educational providers right across the sector. He also informed Cabinet that in future an annual report would be produced on the impact of the Strategy.

Cabinet members welcomed the Strategy that spoke to the Council’s number one priority, to give children in the city the best start in life. They also commended all those involved in its development and welcomed the challenge and endorsement of the Strategy from the scrutiny panel.

Resolved:

That the Education Excellence Strategy 2021-2024 be approved and its use from September 2021 be endorsed.