Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Becky Haggar OBE.

None.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed

Members asked about any reasons for reductions in projections, especially in the primary range, since the previous School Organisation Plan.

Officers noted that a range various formula were used for creating projections. This was reviewed on an annual basis. Projections had been accurate over recent years, and officers were confident in their accuracy. There had been a slight change in the birth rate, which would impact projections. Other considerations included migration to the borough and changes in the demographic with the authority.

The methodology for secondary places using two education planning areas was discussed. Issues such as fewer first preferences in secondary schools, mismatches between children going north and south, and the unintended consequences of children spending more time travelling to school were raised. Use of the Fair Access Panel was also noted. Whilst discussions had taken place on reverting to three planning areas, the number of planning areas remained at two, and the peak for Year 7s had passed. Surplus places were expected to appear after September 2026. Bulge classes had been requested over the last five to six years as the new free school had not come online as planned. These bulge classes were unlikely to be needed moving forward.

Members raised concerns about the potential future lack of space in secondary schools due to the current bulge problem. Members asked how secondary schools would be supported. The School Organisation Plan helped with conversations with primary and secondary leads that were ongoing, and PAN reductions were part of the strategy to avoid financial difficulties for schools. Termly monitoring would also help. It was noted that parental preference was key.

Members asked about the retention of teachers and the quality of teaching provision across the borough. Officers noted that it was a competitive market but currently there were no major challenges being reported by schools. Vacancies were staffed by fully qualified teachers. There was a healthy initial teacher training programme. Recruitment from overseas was also common. Hillingdon was an attractive place for teachers, and the outer London weighting was noted.

Members noted the inner and outer London weighting, and suggested best practices such as relaxed working days and PPA time from home. Officers noted that there were more challenges around recruiting special needs teachers. Schools were encouraged to create supportive mechanisms for recruitment, but local decisions varied. There was a longer term plan to work with schools on these types of strategies.

Members addressed the issue of providing enough places for children with special needs within the borough. The number of special school places currently exceeded the national average, and efforts were being made to support children with EHCPs accessing mainstream education. Officers had been doing a lot of work around banding and identifying different needs, and would then create admissions guidance to support this. It was noted that the complexity of needs was increasing, but there were more places than the national average. A new free special school was due to come online in the next few years,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

Members considered the report on the proposed amalgamation of Grange Park Infant and Nursery School and Grange Park Junior School.

Members noted that the amalgamated schools would be in the same building, and it was acknowledged that there were some concerns from parents. However, it was noted that this was a good fit.

Officers noted that 87% of respondents through the consultation were in support of the proposal, and of the respondents, more than half were parents at the school.

RESOLVED: That the Children, Families & Education Select Committee:

1. Reviewed the proposal to amalgamate Grange Park Infant and Nursery School and Grange Park Junior School, by closing Grange Park Infant and Nursery School, and extending the age range of the Junior School from 7-11-year-olds, to 3-11-year-olds;

2. Noted the 84 responses from the consultation in response to both proposals; and

3. Delegated comments for inclusion in the Cabinet report to the Democratic Services Officer in conjunction with the Chair and in consultation with the Opposition Lead

Members raised concerns about the gap between non-disadvantaged and disadvantaged students in Hillingdon, compared to statistical neighbours, and asked about bridging the gap. Officers acknowledged the issue and noted the launch of a program in November to address this gap. The program involved collaboration with the Education Endowment Foundation in partnership with schools and aimed to improve standards for vulnerable groups, including those on the pupil premium and special educational needs registers. This would also involve looking at what can be learned from other boroughs. It was noted that a number of schools, both primary and secondary, were doing excellently.

Members pointed out discrepancies in the report regarding Hillingdon's performance compared to statistical neighbours. The report stated that Hillingdon was generally in line with national and statistical benchmarks for Key Stage 2 outcomes, but the data showed otherwise. Officers agreed to ensure this would be more clear in future.

Members highlighted concerns about early years outcomes, noting that Hillingdon children were underperforming compared to national and London averages. Officers explained that efforts were being made to improve early years outcomes through collaboration with schools and the Education Endowment Foundation. The focus was on language and communication, with a heavy emphasis on early years education.

Members inquired about the review process for who the statistical neighbours were, and whether the benchmarks were still relevant. Officersexplained that the focus was primarily on London neighbours (i.e. Brent and Harrow), as they provide a more accurate comparison. Officers emphasised the importance of looking at what worked in other boroughs and applying those strategies in Hillingdon. It was not just about teaching and learning, all schools had flagged attendance as an issue. For example, there were currently 1,000 children with a known social worker, and their attendance rates varied but were generally not high enough to have significant achievement.

Members requested more detailed information on subject performance across the borough, particularly for children with SEND and especially in secondary schools. Officers noted that this information was available and it was suggested that the report could be revamped to include this information in future.

Members raised concerns about the number of secondary schools on the at-risk register. Officers clarified that the number of schools on the at-risk register had decreased since 2023-24 from seven. The register was used to track and support schools in need. Officers emphasised the importance of providing targeted support to these schools. Some schools were on the register as a caution.

Members asked about the communication and implementation of the five-year priorities outlined in the report. Officers explained that the priorities had been shared with all schools and stakeholders. Discussions were being held with schools before the draft education strategy was published. A data dashboard was being created to track progress and ensure effective implementation.

Members inquired about culturally specific interventions for underachieving disadvantaged groups, such as white British, black Caribbean, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller students. Members also asked about how pupil premium funding was used to narrow the achievement gap.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

This item was deferred from the agenda.

RESOLVED: That the item be deferred

On 07 March, Councillor Makwana and Councillor Sweeting had met with officers to discuss a draft set of recommendations for the review. Following this, an updated set of draft recommendations had been circulated to Members. The Committee were now looking to move towards finalising the recommendations.

Members noted that in the witness session with parents, a number of witnesses had noted educational benefits outside of school. Members noted that as school was not quite compulsory, there was no advocate for the benefits of education. It was suggested that the Local Authority should play this role. Theme 1 of the revised draft recommendations referred to informing people of the impact of absence, however a more positive message should be given of the benefits of education and attending school, to include social benefits as well as educational. Whilst it was noted that draft recommendation 1 was trying to capture collaboration between parties, there should be more explicit reference to the positive value of education in the final set of recommendations, and the role of the authority in promoting this value.

Members cited the witness session with schools and referred to draft recommendation 8 and suggested a poster campaign to put out the message of the benefits of school, and to get this message across as early as possible. It was suggested that such posters could be put up in schools, libraries, Council venues and Hillingdon People, as it was important to get this message across as the earliest possible point.

Members highlighted the issue of getting children the right help, whether this be mental health or special educational needs assistance, noting that these young people were often worst affected by absence. It was suggested that the draft recommendations did not draw attention to the appropriate officers or to CAMHS, or highlight the necessity of meeting deadlines and getting young people the help they need as fast as was practicable. Such delays could lead to unnecessary additional absence. It was suggested the draft recommendation 4 (theme 2) be amended to reflect this.

Members referred to the witness session with young people, who had spoken about gang culture and gang violence. This was not reflected in the draft recommendations. Members noted the importance of parents but also of external stakeholders in providing training around the impact of gang culture. Members further noted the impact of mental health, and difficulties parents may experience in facing this. A common theme from the young people had been schools not picking up on such issues early enough, and so Members suggested a need to review internal policies and processes to better identify mental health needs.

Members suggested referring to Government funding for mental health training and the possibility of mental health mentors in all schools. It was also suggested that there be a whole Council approach to absenteeism, not just one department tackling the issue. It was suggested that other authorities could be researched to see how they were tackling the issue. It was also suggested that information  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

Members considered the Forward Plan.

RESOLVED: That the Committee noted the Forward Plan

Members considered the Work Programme.

Members noted that the next meeting was scheduled to have an update on school admissions. Members asked if this could include a map of Year 7 placements. Members also noted that it would be useful to have an audit of unfilled secondary school places.

Members noted that there were due to be regular budget and spending reports to future meetings. It was confirmed that the Corporate Directors were due to attend future Select Committees for this item.

Members further noted that importance of the relevant Corporate Director attending, if not the Corporate Director of Finance, for these items.

RESOLVED: That the Children, Families & Education Select Committee considered the report and agreed any amendments