Agenda item

Children & Young People - Resetting the Education Service in Bury

Report attached.

Minutes:

 

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills presented a report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the work being undertaken to reset the education service in Bury.

 

The recovery of learning, skills and life opportunities for children and young people, sit within the wider Bury Recovery Programme. Whilst some children have flourished during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown, others including the most vulnerable children (those Children who have an allocated social worker, those children who are looked after by the local authority, those children in receipt of free school meals or in receipt of and EHCP) have lost valuable learning and a focus on their needs was required.

 

The report focusses on vulnerable young people in Bury; and within their family context. It highlighted the key issues and concerns which had been identified and proposed strategies to secure safe school return. It plans to recover well-being and lost educational opportunities and it sets a strategic longer term agenda for the ambition that education in Bury should become, one of the best both regionally and nationally.

 

The report provided a further update on the progress being made during the Covid-19 pandemic to reset the education service.

It also reviewed the latest national guidance on pupil return to schools and proposed a local response to resetting education.

The report also highlighted mitigation to secure safe practices, whilst the service was being recovered over the coming weeks and months.

 

Councillor Vernon referred to section 5.8 of the report which detailed a summer school activity programme was available.

 

It was reported that this would be seen by Cabinet first and Scrutiny could view it soon. Whilst a letter had been sent to Gavin Williamson about the planned programme some of the items were being finalised with activities being put together which would also focus on mental health and emotional wellbeing.

 

Julian Kramer added that other information in the report provided the current position and included:-

·         Phase one: Preparing for Children to return to school

·         Phase Two: Medium Term Recovery Work, for at least the next academic year.

·         Phase Three: The Strategic Reset which was concurrent with phases one and two.

 

Councillor Walsh again placed on record her thanks to all staff who work in the education sector and they would deserve their break over the summer.

 

Councillor Susan Southworth stated that she had spoken to a head teacher and they reported on how lots of details had been required by the local authority such as risk assessments. They felt that the network of experienced heads and deputies had supported other schools.

 

Councillor Smith enquired if less summer provision was being delivered this summer and would schools be provided with extra finances in September.

 

Councillor Harris asked what measures were in place to track catch up funding.

 

It was reported that National COVID-19 Catch Up was a one-off funding grant, to schools and not the local authority, this would be available during the next academic year to support ‘catch up’ due to lost teaching time.

 

Headteachers would be able to use this funding flexibly against need however, there is an expectation that this will include one to one and small group tuition.

 

It was agreed:

 

That the contents of the report be noted and an update be provided for a future meeting in the autumn period.

 

Supporting documents: