Issue - meetings

6.1       This is a six month monitoring report of the scrutiny review that reported to the Committee on 15 September 2014.   The Assistant Director for Education and Inclusion Special Educational Needs and Disability (ISEND) introduced the item by drawing the Committee’s attention to the many positive outcomes contained within the report and to ask the Committee to note this progress.   The report contains an action plan which is divided into seven sections.   The Committee were then provided with a summary of the some of the key outcomes within these seven recommendations, these points included:

·         Recommendation 1.   This recommendation relates to Home Learning and Children’s Centres.  The Committee were informed levels of co-ordination between different teams working within early years has improved and that the de-designation of children’s centres was incorporated into the department’s plan for the most vulnerable 2 year olds.  

·         Recommendation 3.   This target focused on improving communication with parents and making it easier for them to identify high quality pre-school provision.    The Department undertook a number of strategies to improve this area.  Although one aspect of this work is in abeyance because of a wider website update that is programmed to happen in the autumn.  A communication marketing campaign aimed at 2 year old entitlement was also undertaken.   Uptake in this area is now above the national average, and this has had the benefit of increasing 3 year old uptake. 

·         Recommendation 4.  This target focused on the quality of transitions, assessment and early years teaching practice.   The Village project which is now moving into its 4^th phase has been key to improving transitions and has had a very positive impact.   For example, the outcomes for children within the project have increased at a rate above the rest of the local authority.  The increased level of interest and engagement from schools and their commitment to early years is also viewed as very encouraging.   Increasing numbers of schools are coming forward to take over the early years provision which is on their site.  Similarly, a number of schools have also indicated they wish to lower the age range of their school to take in this early years group.   There is also increased interest from Head-teachers looking to work together in this area – as evidenced by the fact that there are now 10 early years hubs across East Sussex.   With regard to the quality of early years provision, there is very strong improvement as recorded in Ofsted outcomes.

·         Recommendation 7.   With regard to funding, the scrutiny review board recognised that it would not be possible to bring additional resources to this area.   However a question was raised by the review board as to whether resources could be reprioritised.  As a result of this, reports were taken to the Schools Forum which approved allowing some funding that sits within the ‘school’s block’ to be transferred across to the ‘early years block’.  This meant that the higher level of payment for a highly vulnerable two year old  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6