My report to the Council.

Posted By: Irene Davidson
Date Posted: 13/02/2008

Thank you Mr Mayor for the opportunity to report to the Council the latest developments on various matters relating to the Children, Schools & Families Portfolio.

SCHOOLS SERVICE
Academic Results 
The published academic performance tables show that Rochdale continues to improve outcomes for children, for example the results for achievements at 16 show that over 55% of our young people achieved at least 5 good GCSE’s (A*-C grades) – a significant improvement of 5 points from last year – and a greater increase than National.  Congratulations and well done to all.  The hard work involved from students, staff and parents has helped Rochdale reach these very important achievements.
Very sincere congratulations to two of our primary schools. Furrow who came 1st and Lowerplace who came 10th. They are in the top 10 of most improved schools nationally between 2004 and 2007 at Key Stage 2. 

OFSTED Outcomes
Although the majority of schools continue to receive a ‘Good’ judgement in OFSTED Inspections, the new short inspection framework sees two of our schools where improvements are needed:  Heap Bridge Primary School has been given a ‘Notice to Improve’ and Balderstone Technology College has been placed in ‘Special Measures’.   Improvement plans are in place so that resources and support, both from the LA and External Partners, will bring about a rapid improvement to educational provision.
Building Schools for the Future
The BSF project is progressing well and we expect our Outline Business Case to be submitted before Easter, in line with expected timescales.  The target date for commencement of our first schemes, at Hollingworth Business and Enterprise College and Siddal Moor Sports College, is January 2010, and we are currently well on track to achieve that. 

Recent developments include the approval by the Schools Adjudicator of our statutory proposal to close Balderstone and Springhill, and to replace them with a new school on the existing Springhill site.  The Adjudicator’s view was that amalgamation offers a good solution to the issues being faced by the schools and the wider area. 
Partnerships for Schools, the Government’s BSF delivery agent, has also now confirmed that ICT funding for BSF projects will be entirely provided through direct grant to the Council.  This significantly strengthens the affordability position.

Primary Capital Programme
This is an exciting time for Rochdale primary schools, following on from the good news on BSF for secondary schools. The Primary Capital Programme announced by the Government is a long term strategic approach to transforming the primary school estate.   A Primary Capital Strategy is being prepared in consultation with stakeholders to access significant capital investment. 
LEARNERS & YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICE
The investment of an additional £250,000 in the Borough’s Youth Service is bringing dividends. The new Volunteering Officer, working in partnership with Rochdale Council for Voluntary Services has led a successful bid for £520,000 over the next three years to provide more youth volunteering opportunities.

Positive activities – diverting young people away from crime and antisocial behaviour have developed across the Borough – from the environmental clean up in Sudden and Brimrod to Pitstop in Heywood where young people can experience Go-Karting and learn about engine maintenance and problem solving.

Our teenage pregnancy strategy has been successful in reducing the under-18s conception rate by 18% since the starting in 1998 – higher than the 11% England as a whole and the third highest reduction in Greater Manchester.

Youth Offending Team
The Youth Offending Team continued to make an impact on the numbers of first time entrants to the criminal justice system and begun to deliver a restorative justice training programme across the Borough, working in partnership with the Police and staff in schools.

Autumn 2007 saw the culmination of some six years work to bring our special schools into the 21st century. The formal opening, by Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, was a fitting climax to the programme as a whole. We now have brand new co-located primary and mainstream schools at Hamer and Springside and in Rochdale and at Hollin and Newlands in Middleton. The new secondary special school, Redwood shares its site with the refurbished Oulder Hill with the stunning space of The Street linking them and providing a place where pupils from both schools can meet. We now have the best of both worlds – specialist provision and inclusion – for our young people.

Attendance at school is fundamental to success for children and young people and we have increased the numbers of cases taken to Court for non-attendance. The final attendance figures for the 2006/07 school year have not yet been released but our initial assessment suggests that we are on target in reducing absence from school.

Even before school starts, we are making sure that children get the best possible start in life through the programme of investment in children’s centres. The opening of the Langley Children’s Centre brought together childcare, multi-agency support for children and parents and a new library in one new building.

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL CARE
We have been successful in our application to Government for funding under the “Remodelling Social work” pilot projects.  We have won an allocation of over £600K, spread over three years (2008-2011) to improve direct provision to children in care and also support our strategies to reduce the number of over 11’s coming into care.  This is really good news.

Sickness absence across the service has reduced significantly over the last two quarters (July-December 2007) and we are confident that we will meet our target for 2007/08.