To undertake the six-monthly review of exclusions and absence.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services – Councillor Bye and the Divisional Director – Education – Hannah Baker outlined the submitted report which provided an update on exclusions and absence and responded to questions.  The key points highlighted included:

·                Improvements in attendance and exclusions across Torbay schools.

·                EAOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) programme had been streamlined from 72 bespoke programmes to 36 high-quality offers.

·                Over 500 children were currently in EAOTAS, with more than half returning to mainstream or specialist settings.

·                Concerns raised about off-rolling practices and the rise in elected home education (EHE), particularly in secondary schools.

·                Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) locality pilot underway with speech therapists and educational psychologists supporting schools.

Members asked questions in relation to the following:

·                How were college places for children EOTAS funded?

·                Was there any evidence that Year 11 children were being off rolled to protect exam results?

·                Of the 501 children in EHE, 183 were secondary age.  How many of the 160 attending college were Torbay children? (A written response would be provided.)

·                Were children being excluded or suspended due to uniform issues, and what support was in place for them?

·                Was there sufficient capacity within the EHE Team to ensure children were safe?

·                Play Torbay was working with universities on forest school models.  Could this be an alternative for EHE children?  (Note: Hannah Baker agreed to meet with Play Torbay to explore this further and maximise outcomes for children.)

·                Were families of children in EOTAS being informed that they were prioritised for specialist placements?

The following responses were received:

·                The college places for children EOTAS were not overseen by the local authority.  South Devon College offers a re-engagement programme for Key Stage 4 students, funded through general grant allocations.  The students were not on the college roll and do not attend full-time courses.  The programme was designed to encourage post-16 enrolment.

·                Anecdotal evidence suggested that some parents feel they had no choice in elected home education for their children.  One example involved a child being sent home due to wearing the wrong blazer.  The Council was working with schools to understand the narrative and ensure that EHE was genuinely a parental choice.

·                There were instances where children were sent home due to non-conforming uniforms.  Support varies, and future reports will detail what provisions were in place during suspensions or exclusions.

·                There was no legal framework that allows services to enforce visits or monitor education quality for EHE.  This remains a challenge.

·                Families of children in EOTAS were being consulted on specialist provision.  Annual reviews were used to assess readiness for reintegration.  The Council now has greater sufficiency in specialist provision and is committed to re-engaging children in formal education.

Resolved (unanimously):

1.       that the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board note the contents of the submitted report on exclusions and absence; and

2.       that the next exclusions and absence report includes:

·       breakdown by gender and age of primary school children in EHE;

·       identification of children who have not started school in EHE;

·       number of pupils on free school meals who are excluded or suspended;

·       number of suspensions due to uniform issues;

·       support available during exclusions/suspensions and whether children are actually at home;

·       detailed information on Year 11 pupils and actions to reduce school changes; and

·       whether EHE children are known to the Exploitation Team.