Education

Excellent progress reports for Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is recognised for its good schools and early years settings which excel against almost all national measures. 2007/8 was again a successful year with outcomes improving in most key stages. Schools did even better in their inspections; over half of planned children's centres were established and extended school provision was strengthened. Integrated practice is developing across agencies and in schools but we are impatient for even faster change.

Leadership in schools and other educational settings is key to achieving success and in our county the quality of educational leadership is strong. The county's schools offer choice and diversity with faith schools that are voluntary aided or voluntary controlled. Almost every secondary school (and 3 special schools) has a specialism, diversity is widening and 2 new academies will open soon, educational trust arrangements are also in development.

There is a remarkable consistency in the quality of teaching and this is testament to the drive of the headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure that all pupils receive the highest possible standard of education and develop the key skills and insights they will need in later life.
Ofsted, July 2008

138 primary schools were inspected during 2007/8 and outcomes were significantly improved in most aspects. The proportion of schools judged to be 'outstanding' that had been below the national figure in 2007, rose by 5%. For overall effectiveness, 16% were judged 'outstanding' against the national 13%. 59% were 'good' against the national 50%; 24% were satisfactory against the national 33%.

Hertfordshire is a high performing and innovative local authority; it is ambitious for its children and is focusing on narrowing the gap and raising standards for underperforming groups.
The National Strategies, Autumn 2008

31 secondary schools were inspected and 'good or better' judgements were higher than 2006/7 in almost every aspect. 22 secondary schools were 'good or outstanding overall' and 7 judged to be 'satisfactory'.

Indicator ED1 - GCSE Performance

Key Stage 4 results continued to show significant improvement with the percentage of students who achieved 5A*-C in any GCSE rising to 70.7%, against 66.9% in 2007. This compares to a national figure of 63.7%. The difference between girls and boys was 8.6%; nationally it was 9%. In terms of 5A*-C passes with GCSE English and Maths, 57.9% of students achieved the benchmark, an improvement of 2.1% over 2006/07. This is a full 10% above the national 47.9%. The proportion of students with no passes was 1.9%, a slight improvement on the 2% 2006/07 figure. Remarkably 6 schools improved by 10% or more on this measure.

Source: Herfordshire County Council, Information Management Unit (Schools) December 2008
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Hertfordshire County Council, Information Management Unit (Schools) December 2008
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Indicator ED2 - Adult Education

The proportion of working-age adults in the county with NVQs 2 and 4 rose above England as a whole in 2007, having fallen behind in 2006. The county's lead over England's rate of NVQ Level 2 adults was maintained in 2007; 70.9% gained the qualification compared with England's 70.6%. These are good results for the county since the government's recent initiatives were aimed at raising national NVQ rates.

Sources: a) www.nomisweb.co.uk b) http://www.dtistats.net/sd/rci2008/rcsor_20080530.xls (chart 9 b iii) c) http://www.dtistats.net/sd/rci2008/rcsor_20080530.xls (chart 9 b i)
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Indicator ED3 - Funded Early Education and Childcare²

2007/8 was again a year of continued improvement in these settings amongst both the maintained and non-maintained sectors and this is evident in their Ofsted reports. Hertfordshire's Early Years and Integrated Children's Services teams worked particularly hard to improve quality and achievement at foundation stages. Focused strategic management and identification of barriers to achievement was aimed at closing the gap for pupils in areas of deprivation whilst maintaining standards in other settings. Of the 124 foundation stage inspections carried out in maintained schools during 2008, 90% were good or outstanding, 8% satisfactory and 2% inadequate.

Standards & School Effectiveness SROB107, Children, Schools and Families, Hertfordshire County Council, 2008
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Indicator ED4 - Attendance: Half Days Missed Due To Absence In Local Authority Schools

School attendance in the county remained good in 2007/08, maximising the progress, attainment and wellbeing amongst children and young people. Absence was below the national average, comparing well with similar local authorities with Ofsted judging the schools it inspected as “very good”.

school children

Hertfordshire achieved another year of continued improvement during 2007/8 in its Funded Early Education and Childcare settings.

The huge enjoyment of school is well reflected in excellent attendance.
Ofsted, April 2008

Unauthorised absence fell to 0.99% in 2007/08. In line with DCSF priorities, the county continued to focus on reducing levels of 'persistent absence' i.e. pupils with over 20% authorised or unauthorised absence. All local authorities must reduce levels of persistent absence from secondary schools to at least 5% by 2010/11. The 12 secondary schools identified as 'persistent absence schools' in 2007/08 made considerable progress in cutting their numbers of persistent absentees. Improvements ranged from 13% to 56% in schools. However, the threshold set for defining 'persistent absence schools' has changed and Hertfordshire now has 26 'persistent absence' schools against the new threshold.

Source: Hertfordshire County Council, Information Management Unit (Schools) October 2008
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The Hertfordshire Learning Partnership

Hertfordshire Learning Partnership 2007 was revised to reflect the new formal duty for schools to co-operate with agencies and organisations in the Hertfordshire Children's Trust Partnership (HCTP). Revised in April 2009 to coincide with new legislation, the document sets out the principles for schools working with the local authority, HCTP and other partners. It makes clear the key role schools play in children's trust arrangements as they work with other agencies to promote children's wellbeing and contribute to strategic decision making. It also sets out the support they can expect from other agencies to remove barriers to learning for vulnerable children and their families.

The local authority monitors and supports schools via a programme of school improvement partners and national challenge advisers. Categories of school visits effectiveness are then agreed and packages of support brokered. In 2007/08, 19% of schools were judged as outstanding, 55% good, 23.5% satisfactory and 2.5% inadequate.

Hertfordshire's Children and Young People's Plan¹ is the key document covering all services for children, young people and families and aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable children;

Achievement of children in care is better than nationally but is still unacceptably low. Stronger measures have to be taken to keep them in school and accelerate their progress.
Achievement between schools and some groups has narrowed but the gap is still too wide, particularly for some BME² groups, Travellers and children eligible for free school meals.
Ofsted reports showed 81% of LDD³ pupils made good or outstanding progress. 82% of schools were judged as having good or outstanding inclusive practice and provision. This is well above the national average.

Under the effective leadership of the headteacher and with considerable support from the local authority, the school has been transformed into a bright and welcoming establishment where teaching and learning are good and the pupils display positive attitudes to learning
Ofsted, March 2008

Building Schools for the Future (BSF)

Building Schools for the Future is the UK's biggest school buildings investment programme aimed at rebuilding or renewing every secondary school in the country. BSF offers every local authority the opportunity to not only renovate its secondary schools, but reform and redesign secondary education to best serve communities for decades to come. Local authorities, with their resources, organisational abilities and infrastructure, will lead the debate within their local communities and be responsible for ensuring their schools deliver the collective vision.

Building Schools for the Future in Stevenage

During 2007-8 the county council set out proposals for Stevenage. Prepared in consultation with its schools, parents and young people and due to be implemented between 2012 and 2015, the proposals will help schools improve outcomes, by facilitating changes in teaching, learning and by collaborating between schools.

Choice and quality of provision for children with SEN⁴ and LDD³ will be particularly enhanced. Two major proposals are to co-locate and integrate Lonsdale Special School with Marriotts and Greenside with Barnwell which also includes Valley Special School.

The greatest investment is directed schools with the lowest attainment e.g. Marriotts and Thomas Alleyne, which will be rebuilt. Wider community use and access will be integral to the new schools, providing extensive out-of-hours use. Schools sports and PE facilities will be improved, requiring the acquisition of playing fields beyond Stevenage schools' statutory entitlement. Joint use leisure provision is also being explored.

Provision for 14-19 year olds will be strengthened, supporting programmes for 16+ year olds to improve rates of pupils staying in education, their employability and economic wellbeing. A Stevenage-wide Trust arrangement is in development to create strong partnerships, collaboration and accountability across the schools.

BSF investment will improve the learning environment, flexibility of learning options, creative use of computer technology, choice of learning pathways and vocational options. This should improve behaviour, attendance, GCSE and A level results, reduce exclusions and teenage pregnancies and NEET⁵ figures whilst keeping young people far more engaged in education after 14 years old. These factors, combined with services built around learners and their families, children's centres and extended schools, should also help narrow the achievement gap between our most vulnerable groups and all children.

1 You can read the document at www.hertsdirect.org/childrenstrust
2 Black & Minority Ethnic Groups
3 Learning Difficulties and/or disabilities
4 Statement of Educational Needs
5 Not in Education Employment or Training