Agenda item

Report by the Chair of the Review Board

4.1            Following a request from Councillor Michael Ensor (Chair of the Review Board), Councillor Alan Shuttleworth introduced the report.  The Review Board consisted of Councillors Michael Ensor, Claire Dowling, Alan Shuttleworth, Angharad Davies, and Johanna Howell (Borough and District Representative). 

4.2     The scrutiny review of educational attainment in Key Stage 1 was established by the Committee to build on the work and recommendations made by the Early Years Attainment Review Board (September 2014).  However, it quickly became apparent to the Key Stage 1 Review Board that a review of this area was impractical because of recent changes to the National Curriculum and the introduction of a new assessment framework that replaced national curriculum levels with a process of ‘Assessment Without Levels’ (AWL).   These changes made effective comparison of year on year data across the key stage very difficult.   The Review Board also decided that the new National Curriculum and AWL were fundamental changes that impact on all the key stages and therefore were beyond its remit.

4.3       With the above in mind, the Review Board decided to conduct a focused, ‘table top’ review on Phonics testing as, amongst other factors, only Key Stage 1 pupils sit these tests and it remains possible therefore to compare educational attainment year on year (table top reviews are shortened scrutiny reviews which might only need a few evidence-gathering meetings, with the resultant report and recommendations usually only being presented to the parent scrutiny committee).  The Board accepted there are different views about the degree to which schools should focus on phonics and that there are other methods for teaching reading which produce positive outcomes.   However, the Board decided there is clear evidence of the benefits of phonics.  As a result it was felt important, in the context of reduced resources, to try and find ways of keeping the momentum behind the teaching of phonics.  The recommendations of the Board were therefore developed with these factors in mind. In support of this, a key recommendation is that each school should identify a ‘Phonics Champion’, whose role would be to promote phonics and to help sustain the improvements this method of teaching has produced. With regard to the introduction of AWL, the Board decided a key issue was to ensure that all relevant stake holders (such as Members, governors and parents) were made more aware of the new assessment framework and its implications.    Councillor Shuttleworth also explained that the Review Board felt it was important that the Committee be given the opportunity to review progress on the implementation of AWL across all the Key Stages.

4.4     The Committee then discussed the report and the Board’s recommendations, with their comments including the following points:

·                   Clarification was sought as to whether the recommendations of the Board would be implemented, given the review was a ‘table top’ process.   Councillor Field also stated that the Education Performance Panel should have the opportunity to consider AWL and its impact on attainment;

·                   Given the challenging nature of the subject and so as to increase their understanding of the wide-ranging changes AWL is introducing, the Committee asked for a clear and succinct overview of the assessment framework and its implications.    To help understand the context within which phonics teaching is delivered, the Committee also asked for an explanatory note on the alternative methods mentioned in the report for teaching children to learn to read;

·                   It was noted that the report compares phonics results in East Sussex with results at a national level.   In this context, reassurance was sought that the Department’s goal remains to exceed the national average in this field.

4.5    In response to these comments, Fiona Wright, Assistant Director, welcomed the Review Board’s decision to focus on phonics and the resultant recommendations in the report.  It was confirmed that the recommendations would be taken forward.  It was also agreed that if it was felt appropriate to do so, a report on AWL would be submitted to the Education Performance Panel.  The proposed additional recommendation regarding monitoring the implementation of AWL, to include a report for the September 2017 meeting of the Committee was also welcomed.   It was confirmed that the requested additional information regarding AWL and alternate teaching methods would also be provided to the Committee.   With regard to the comparison of the outcomes for phonics in East Sussex with national outcomes, the Committee were assured that the Department’s ambition is to exceed the national average.   Claire Roberts, Senior Manager: Improvement and Intervention, also clarified that as the Government identified synthetic phonics as the approach children would be tested on in Year 1, schools tend to employ the associated phonics teaching method (so as to ensure the best chance of success).   Having said this, there are a wide range of different methods for helping children to learn to read and on occasion some of these other methods will be used by schools as appropriate. 

4.6       RESOLVED:- It was resolved to: 

1)         agree the report of the Review Board;

2)         request that the Committee are provided with briefing notes which set out for Members an overview of both of the Assessment Without Levels framework and the alternative methods mentioned in the report for teaching children to learn to read; and

3)         to add to the Scrutiny Work Programme monitoring of the implementation of the Assessment Without Levels assessment framework.  This will include a report being brought to the Committee by September 2017.