Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Annual Education Standards Report 2023/2024
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II Ext: 0692 DDI: 01895 250692 CMD No: 1435 To: COUNCILLOR SUSAN O’BRIEN CABINET MEMBER FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES & EDUCATION c.c. All Members of th e Children, Families & Education Select Committee c.c. Michael Hawkins, Education & SEND c.c. Julie Kelly, Corporate Director of Children, Services Date: 29 May 2025 Non-Key Decision request Form D ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2023-24 Dear Cabinet Members, Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply. You should take a decision on or after Friday 06 June 2025 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied and return it to me when yo u have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Ryan Dell Democratic Services Title of Report: Annual Education Standards Report 2023-24 Decision made: Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report) Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report) Signed ……………………………………………………… Date…………………….. Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education Cabinet Member Report – 29 May 2025 Page 1 Part I – Public ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2023-24 Cabinet Member & Portfolio Councillor Susan O’ Brien, Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education Responsible Officer Julie Kelly, Corporate Director of Children’s Services Report Author & Directorate Michael Hawkins, Education & SEND Papers with report Annual Education Standards report 2023-24 HEADLINES Summary This report provides an analysis of the education outcomes of Hillingdon education settings 2023-24. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents/ the Council of: An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents A Digital-Enabled, Modern, Well-Run Council Financial Cost NIL Select Committee Children, Families & Education Select Committee. Ward All wards RECOMMENDATION That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education approves this report on the annual education standards 2023-24 for publication. Reasons for recommendation This report provides an overview of the standards and quality of education across Hillingdon schools and settings for Hillingdon’s children, young people and adults. The report focuses primarily on attainment, progress and achievement for the preceding academic year along with references to wider measures of educational success. Select Committee comments The Children, Families & Education Select Committee note the attainment gap between non- disadvantaged and disadvantaged young people in Hillingdon but is reassured that steps are being taken to address this. Furthermore, the Committee acknowledges KS4 outcomes were above the national average but behind regional and statistical neighbours. Equally at KS2, Hillingdon outcomes continue to be better than the national average, but behind regional Cabinet Member Report – 29 May 2025 Page 2 Part I – Public outcomes. Within Early Years and KS5, Hillingdon performs slightly behind national and regional outcomes. Despite this, the Committee notes the need for close monitoring and are reassured that steps are being taken to address these attainment gaps. SUPPORTING INFORMATION 1. The Annual Standards of Education in Hillingdon Report for 2023-24 provides an overview of the standards and quality of education across Hillingdon schools and settings for Hillingdon’s children, young people and adults. To support further improvement of standards in Hillingdon, the report identifies specific areas for action with schools, settings and partners and is divided into three sections: 2. Part 1 – Education Improvement and Impact The Education Priorities for the next five years were identified in 2023-24. These are: • No Early Years setting was OFSTED rated below ‘Good’ by the end of the academic year. • Only 0.7% of PVIs and childminders were rated below ‘Good’ in OFSTED inspections. • Only 6% of our schools were rated by OFSTED as below ‘Good’. • For school places, Hillingdon was ranked the top London local authority on Primary National Offer Day, with 95.68 per cent of children being awarded their first-choice primary school place. Cabinet Member Report – 29 May 2025 Page 3 Part I – Public • On National Offer Day every Hillingdon child or young person was offered a secondary school place. 3. Part 2 – Vulnerable Children and Young People’s Outcomes • Looked After Children’s attainment and progress in Key Stages 2, 4 and 5 continue to improve from previous years. Since the pandemic ended, there has been a notable drop in their school attendance with many of our children reluctant to attend school and displaying traits of Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). There has been a significant drop in the number of LAC pupils receiving a suspension compared to previous years. • For SEND children, there has been a decrease in growth of Education Health Care Plans (EHCP) in 2024, largely due to successfully ceasing EHCPs for post 16 and 19 years old who go on to university or find employment. The gap in attainment between SEND and non-SEND children has either been static or has widened from the previous year. • During 2023-24, 615 children were electively home educated, a significant increase on previous years. • During 2023- 24, Hillingdon processed a total of 991 referrals for children missing education. 523 of these were referred by primary schools and 468 were referred by secondary schools. • Attendance rates in schools improved in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. • The number of permanent exclusions issued decreased by 22% compared to the previous year and is the lowest rate Hillingdon has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, down to 40 exclusions. • NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rates remained consistently low, between 0.8% and 2.6%, with early -year increases linked to transition challenges but stabilising after February 2024. • The gap in achievement between non- disadvantaged and disadvantaged young people remains significant within Hillingdon, although positive compared to national figures. The gap in Early Years increases until the end of p rimary schools and reduces by the end of Ket Stage 4, but remains significant. 4. Part 3 – Educational Performance • Early Years – 66.7% of children achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD), slightly behind national, regional and statistical neighbour outcomes. • Phonics – Hillingdon children continue to achieve above national, but outcomes are lower than other London boroughs. • Key Stage 2 Reading, Writing and Maths combined – Hillingdon outcomes continue to perform above national but are behind regional outcomes. • Key Stage 4 – GCSE outcomes were similar to the previous year (49.3%), ahead of national (46.2%), but behind regional (50.9%) and statistical neighbours (52.7%). GCSE Cabinet Member Report – 29 May 2025 Page 4 Part I – Public outcomes with English and Maths combined at Grade 5+ followed a similar national and regional pattern 53.3%, 46.6%, 55.3% and 58.3% respectively. • Key Stage 5 – A Level results were slightly behind national and regional outcomes. The average A Level grade for Hillingdon was C, compared to B - and C+ regionally and nationally. The Average Point Score for the best 3 A Level entries was C+ for Hillingdon and B- for national and regional. Statistical neighbour data was not available at the time of creation of the report. Financial Implications There are no financial implications arising from this report. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities The report will inform residents on the education performance outcomes 2023- 24 across all phases of education. Residents will be able to see Hillingdon’s performance compared to national, regional and statistical neighbour outcomes. The Children, Families & Education Select Committee were consulted for their opinions and feedback with comments included in this report. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concurs with the Financial Implications set out above, noting there are no direct financial implications associated with the recommendation within this report. Legal There are no legal impediments to the recommendation within the report. BACKGROUND PAPERS NIL. APPENDICES Annual Education Standards report 2023-24 Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 1 Annual Standards of Education in Hillingdon Report 2023/24 Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 2 Contents Page Number Acronyms 3 Executive Summary 4 Part 1 Education Improvement and Impact 5 Part 2 Vulnerable Children and Young People’s Outcomes 19 Part 3 Educational Performance 45 Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 3 Acronyms Used in Report AP Alternative Provision CI Critical Incident CME Children Missing Education CYP Children or Young Person DfE Department for Education DU Designated Unit ESBA Emotional Based School Avoidance EBSNA Emotional Based School Non-Attendance EET Education, Employment or Training EHCP Education Health Care Plan EHCNA Education Health Care Needs Assessment EHE Elective Home Education EHN Early Health Notification ELSA Emotional Literacy Support Assistant EPS Education Psychology Service ESF Early Support Funding ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages EYs Early Years EYFS Early Years Foundation Stage EYQIT Early Years Quality Improvement Team FAP Fair Access Panel FSM Free School Meals GLD Good Level of Development HLP Hillingdon Learning Partnership IC Inclusion Commitment IYFAP In Year Fair Access Panel LAIT Local Authority Interactive Tool LAC Looked After Child MAT Multi Academy Trust MSP My Support Plan NASEN National Association for Special Educational Needs NEET Not in Employment, Education or Training OAP Ordinarily Available Provision PAN Pupil Admission Numbers PEP Personal Education Plan PVI Private, Voluntary, or Independent RI Requires Improvement SAO School Attendance Order SARR Schools At Risk Register SAS SEND Advisory Service SC Studio College SCERTS Social, Communication, Emotional Regulation, Transitional Support SEF Self-Evaluation Framework SEMH Social, Emotional & Mental Health SEND Special Educational Needs & Disabilities SENDIASS Special Educational Needs Disabilities Information Advice & Support Service SN Statistical Neighbours SRP Specialist Resource Unit SSP School Place Planning UASC Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children UTC University Technical College Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 4 Executive Summary The Annual Standards of Education in Hillingdon Report for 2023-24 provides an overview of the standards and quality of education across Hillingdon schools and settings for Hillingdon’s children, young people and adults. To support further improvement of standards in Hillingdon the report identifies specific areas for action with schools, settings and partners and is divided into three sections: Part 1 – Education Improvement and Impact The Education Priorities for the next five years were identified in 2023-24. These are: • No Early Years setting was OFSTED rated below ‘Good’ by the end of the academic year. • Only 0.7% of PVIs and childminders were rated below ‘Good’ in OFSTED inspections. • Only 6% of our schools were rated by OFSTED as below ‘Good’. • For school places, Hillingdon was ranked the top London local authority on Primary National Offer Day, with 95.68 per cent of children being awarded their first-choice primary school place. • On National Offer Day every Hillingdon child or young person was offered a secondary school place. Part 2 – Vulnerable Children and Young People’s Outcomes • Looked After Children’s attainment and progress in Key Stages 2, 4 and 5 continue to improve from previous years. Since the pandemic ended, there has been a notable drop in their school attendance with many of our children reluctant to attend school and displaying traits of Emotionally Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 5 Based School Avoidance (EBSA). There has been a significant drop in the number of LAC pupils receiving a suspension compared to previous years. • For SEND children, there has been a decrease in growth of Education Health Care Plans (EHCP) in 2024, largely due to successfully ceasing EHCPs for post 16 and 19 years old who go on to university or find employment. The gap in attainment between SEND and non-SEND children has either been static or has widened from the previous year. • During 2023-24, 615 children were electively home educated, a significant increase on previous years. • During 2023-24, Hillingdon processed a total of 991 referrals for children missing education. 523 of these were referred by primary schools and 468 were referred by secondary schools. • Attendance rates in schools improved in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. • The number of permanent exclusions issued decreased by 22% compared to the previous year and is the lowest rate Hillingdon has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, down to 40 exclusions. • NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rates remained consistently low, between 0.8% and 2.6%, with early -year increases linked to transition challenges but stabilising after February 2024. • The gap in achievement between non- disadvantaged and disadvantaged young people remains significant within Hillingdon, although positive compared to national figures. The gap in Early Years increases until the end of Primary schools and reduces by the end of Ket Stage 4 , but remains significant. Part 3 – Educational Performance • Early Years – 66.7% of children achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD), behind slightly national, regional and statistical neighbour outcomes. • Phonics – Hillingdon children continue to achieve better than nationally, but worse than other London boroughs. • Key Stage 2 Reading, Writing and Maths combined – Hillingdon outcomes continue to be better than national but are behind regional outcomes. • Key Stage 4 – GCSE outcomes were similar to the previous year (49.3%), ahead of national (46.2%), but behind regional (50.9%) and statistical neighbours (52.7%). GCSE outcomes with English and Maths combined at Grade 5+ followed a similar national and regional pattern 53.3%, 46.6%, 55.3% and 58.3% respectively. • Key Stage 5 – A Level results were slightly behind national and regional outcomes. The Average A Level grade for Hillingdon was C, compared to B- and C+ regionally and nationally. The Average Point Score for the best 3 A Level entries was C+ for Hillingdon and B- for national and regional. Statistical neighbour data was not available at the time of creation of the report. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 6 Part 1 Education Improvement and Impact Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 7 Resetting Our Priorities – Building on Our Strengths Together to Tackle the Issues We Face 1. In 2023-24, we identified Hillingdon’s Education Priorities for the next 5 years, 2025-30. These were based on a combination of hard and soft data: education outcome data; other data such as attendance and exclusions figures and feedback from young people about their education. Our education priorities are set out in the graphic below. Our priorities are also national issues across education. The priorities also align to the direction of travel from central government and His Majesty’s Inspectors in the coming years. 2. Hillingdon’s schools, settings, academies and further education providers have many strengths , evidenced by some excellent outcomes for our young people. Our results are regularly above the national average and some of our settings have some of the best outcomes nationally. However, when we compare ourselves with other boroughs across London and with our statistical neighbours , our results are not as strong. 3. The reason for this can be seen in Priority 3, especially the educational achievement of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is to say young people: a. Eligible for Pupil Premium funding, due to receiving Free School Meals or because they are a Looked After Child. Children of armed forces personnel. b. White British and Black Caribbean young people, who have been persistently underachieving before the pandemic and subsequently. c. Other disadvantaged groups, such as those of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller heritage. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 8 d. Young people with SEND needs, including those on the SEN register and those with an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP). 4. Our non-disadvantaged young people are generally performing very well , but the gap between the disadvantaged groups is large and starts at Early Years and continues into post-16 education. If we can improve this situation, Hillingdon’s overall outcomes will increase, something which other London boroughs have been doing successfully. Putting Our Residents First - Raising Standards in Education 5. Putting residents first is central to the work of the Council. This includes fulfilling its duty to ensure that its statutory education functions are discharged with a view to promoting high standards, ensuring fair access to opportunity for education and learning and promoting the fulfilment of learning potential for all learners. 6. The national education and employment landscape is going through a period of great change and the Council is working to ensure its residents have access to the very best education, employment and training opportunities. 7. The Council continues to invest in education capacity and quality through the provision of school support and monitoring and the expansion of schools where needed to meet demand for school places across the primary and secondary sectors. The mixed economy of Council maintained and academy/free schools in the Borough mean that the Council acknowledges its dynamic but central role in securing the best outcomes for children and young people educated in the Borough. Working in partnership with autonomous school leaders, multi -academy trusts and other relevant responsible authorities, the Council continues to promote high standards for all learners and to challenge underperformance where this occurs, no matter where learners are educated. 8. The Council accepts that it has an important role to play in promoting high standards for all learners , and particularly those children, young people and adults vulnerable to underachievement, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. To undertake this role effectively, the Council uses its resources to monitor, support, challenge, and intervene in schools where concerns arise. 9. It does this by: a. Collating and analysing the performance of all state funded schools in Hillingdon to identify those at risk and those in need of additional support or intervention. b. Monitoring and challenging the performance of individual schools for all pupils, specific groups of pupils and individual pupils. c. Working effectively with services for vulnerable children both within the Council and beyond to access support swiftly where concerns are noted or where opportunities for learners are not to a good standard. d. Brokering support for schools from other schools and national organisations where needed. e. Where necessary, exercising formal powers of intervention where there are concerns in our maintained schools or notifying the Regional Director of concerns in Academy schools to drive up standards. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 9 Priority 1: Every Young Person Benefits from a High Quality, Inclusive Education in a Good School or Setting Ofsted Inspection of Early Years & Foundation Stage (EYFS) 10. Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) Childcare Providers - Ofsted Outcomes We currently have a total of 93 PVI settings Not yet inspected Outstanding Good Requires Improvement Inadequate 10 11 72 0 0 The following table demonstrates the percentage of Hillingdon's PVI Ofsted outcomes over the past 3 years in relation to national Ofsted data (published in August 2024): Summary (Good or better) Outstanding Good Requires Improvement (RI) Inadequate National LBH National LBH National LBH National LBH National LBH 2021/22 78% 93% 17% 16% 61% 77% 7% 3.5% 14% 3.5% 2022/23 96% 95% 18% 15% 78% 80% 3% 3% 1% 2% 2023/24 96% 100% 16% 11% 80% 89% 2% 0 2% 0 Source Childcare_providers_and_inspections_charts_and_tables_as_at_31_August_2024_Accessible 11. No setting was graded less than good by the end of the academic year. 12. Settings receive a range of support from the Early Years team. This includes: a. Targeted support for settings graded as Requires Improvement or Inadequate b. E ncouraging settings to sign up to Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPD), access DfE training online and attend EY training offered by the Education services at the Council or by the Hillingdon Learning Partnership (HLP). c. F ocussing training and support for both schools and PVI’s on meeting the needs of two- year- olds to support the expansion of early years entitlements. 13. Childminders a. We currently have 181 childminders in Hillingdon. Of these 149 cares for EYFS children. b. Those who do not have EYFS children are graded as met or not met at their Ofsted inspection. We currently have 25 Met and 3 Not met. c. We currently have 19 childminders awaiting their first inspection. 15 of whom care for EYFS children. d. The data for those childminders that have EYFS children in their provision is as follows: Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 10 Outstanding Good Requires Improvement Inadequate 17 116 1 0 e. For childminders who receive an Inadequate or RI judgement they receive one to one support from an EY adviser and support is given to work on the recommendations and actions. f. Newly registered Childminders are supported through our funded childminder buddy programme until their 1st inspection Ofsted Outcomes from Childminder Inspections August 2024 Summary (Good or better) Outstanding Good Requires Improvement Inadequate National LBH National LBH National LBH National LBH National LBH 2021/22 89% 99.5% 15% 10% 74% 89.5% 5% 0% 6% 0.5% 2022/23 96% 100% 12% 14% 84% 86% 2% 0% 1% 0% 2023/24 98% 99.3% 12% 12.7% 86% 86.6% 2% 0.7% 1% 0% Source Childcare_providers_and_inspections_charts_and_tables_as_at_31_August_2024_Accessible 14. Bespoke training is provided in the evenings and at weekends for childminders. These have included: • Preparing for your Ofsted inspection. • Planning and assessment with the new EYFS • Making the most of the outdoors • Meeting the Safeguarding and Welfare requirements • Understanding Prevent • Supporting parent partnership • Recognising patterns in play (schemas) • Cross-curricular learning opportunities • 5 to thrive – healthy brain development for young children We also commission Learn Hillingdon to train and support initial childminder training. 15. Key Challenges a. The single most challenging issue in Early Years currently is recruitment and retention of high- quality staff. Staff turnover in settings is higher than ever before and this has a huge impact in supporting quality improvement. Added to this, with the changes to funding and uncertainty that these changes bring, staff morale and confidence is very low and reigniting a passion for young children’s learning and supporting staff development remains a high priority. b. Within both PVI’s and childminding, it has been recognised that a considerably higher number of children are starting their EY provision with SEND needs than before the pandemic. It is unclear if these are general delay or wider SEND needs. The main areas of concern are in Communication and Language and Personal, Social and Emotional development. We are hoping that our Inclusion Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 11 Pathways project will have a positive impact upon supporting these children. These two areas for development will remain a focus for staff development. Ofsted Inspections of Schools 16. Ofsted continued their full inspection programme which have been a mixture of Section 8 and 5 inspections throughout 2023/24 academic year . Hillingdon received 38 inspections in the academic year 2023/24. Hillingdon's inspection data demonstrates an improvement when compared with the previous year, with 94% of schools overall now judged Good or better by the end of the 2023 /24 academic year, compared to 92% of schools judged Good or better in 2022/23. The Council is working with all schools requiring improvement, including academies when requested. 17. The new Free School, rated as inadequate in 2021/22, is still awaiting its first inspection. 18. Summary of Schools in Hillingdon by Ofsted Judgement Final inspection overview 2023/24 (by 31st August 2024) Type of School No. % Outstanding No. Outstanding % Good No. Good % Requiring Improvem ent No. Requiring Improvem ent % Inadequate No. Inadequate Primary All 68 12% 8 84% 57 4% 3 0% 0 Academy 23 9% 2 87% 20 4% 1 0% 0 Maintained 45 13% 6 82% 37 4% 2 0% 0 Nursery 1 0% 0 100% 1 0% 0 0% 0 Maintained 1 0% 0 100% 1 0% 0 0% 0 Secondary All 18 22% 4 61% 11 17% 3 0% 0 Academy 16 25% 4 56% 9 19% 3 0% 0 Maintained 2 0% 0 100% 2 0% 0 0% 0 UTC/SC 4 0% 0 100% 4 0% 0 0% 0 Academy 4 0% 0 100% 4 0% 0 0% 0 Special All 7 14% 1 86% 6 0% 0 0% 0 Academy 5 20% 1 80% 4 0% 0 0% 0 Maintained 2 0% 0 100% 2 0% 0 0% 0 AP/PRU 1 0% 0 100% 1 0% 0 0% 0 Academy 1 0% 0 100% 1 0% 0 0% 0 Maintained 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 All State funded schools in Hillingdon 99 13% 13 81% 80 6% 6 0% 0 Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 12 End of 2023-24 Inspection Summary - Hillingdon verses England 2023-24 2022-23 Judgement Hillingdon England Hillingdon England Outstanding 13% 13% 14% 16% Good 81% 77% 77% 72% Requires Improvement 6% 8% 8% 9% Inadequate 0% 2% 1% 3% Monitoring and Challenging the Performance and Outcomes of Individual Schools 19. The schools' landscape in Hillingdon consists of 99 state-funded settings which include a mixture of Council maintained schools and other settings which have an alternative status - these settings including academies, University Technical Colleges (UTCs) and Studio Colleges (SCs). Approximately 30% of all primaries in Hillingdon are academies, with 70% remaining as maintained schools. In the secondary sector, 90% of all schools are academies with only 10% remaining as maintained settings. In the special school sector, 80% of schools are academies whilst 20% are maintained by the Council. 20. The Local Authority retains the overarching statutory duty regarding the promotion of high standards of education which includes regular interface with all stakeholders in a local area and the sharing of intelligence with national partners including Ofsted and the full range of Department for Education teams. Councils retain responsibility for intervention in maintained settings where standards decline or there adverse Ofsted judgements. The Regional Director in the Department for Education (DfE) retains responsibility for intervention in academies where there is underperformance. 21. The Council monitors the standards and quality of all schools in Hillingdon through: a. T ermly analysis of published data b. I nformation gathered from Council services supporting children and families, c. Ofsted liaison and feedback from Hillingdon’s Regional Director’s office and DfE d. Education Advisor visits to maintained schools e. The early identification of schools facing challenges and the brokering of support for school leaders and governors f. Working with the Hillingdon Schools’ Strategic Partnership Board to deliver improvement events and briefings for Head Teachers g. Working in partnership with the Hillingdon Learning Partnership (HLP) Performance Outcomes 22. There were 13 schools on the Council’s ‘Schools At Risk Register’ (SARR) at the end of 2023/24. This is an increase of 4 on the previous year. The reasons schools could be at risk cover a range from: poor Ofsted judgements, poor pupil outcomes, leadership concerns (including governance), finance pressures, stakeholder complaints amongst others. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 13 Overall - all schools • 6/13 schools are primary phase • 7/13 schools are secondary phase Primary schools • 5/6 schools are maintained (2 are judged Good but at risk and 3 Requiring Improvement) • 1/6 school is an academy (1 Requiring Improvement) Secondary / Studio Colleges / UTCs schools • 3/7 schools are maintained (all judged Good but at risk) • 4/7 schools are academies (3 Requiring Improvement and 1 a new Free School converter previously rated Inadequate and still to be inspected) There is regular and robust information sharing between the Council Education Improvement and Partnerships Service (EIP) and the Regional Director at the D epartment for Education. Evidence based confidence ratings are discussed for schools requiring improvement. The quality of information shared regarding all aspects of maintained or academy schools is strong. 23. In 2023/24 a Three-Tier Support Model for categorising schools for prioritising education improvement support continued: • Universal - schools with an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ with no key areas of concern. • Targeted - schools with some key focus areas of improvement required, including schools which are ‘Good’ but at risk. • Intensive - schools with an Ofsted rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ and/or where significant support is required. This enabled the EIP Service to focus their time supporting schools effectively with a package of support appropriately matched to the needs of the various settings in Hillingdon. Each maintained school is offered a range of universal support, including an annual education advisor visit, professional development opportunities led by the HLP or by the Education teams at the Council. Targeted and Intensive support schools receive regular, practical , school improvement visits to ensure there is swift progress on their improvement plans. This may involve brokering support or direct education adviser support. Good Practice from London Councils 24. The Council works closely within our West London Partnership. Various Council services are part of service level boards where they undertake joint working, reciprocal agreements, share good practice, initiatives, performance, and outcomes data. Throughout this report you will note where data has been sourced via the West London Partnership or London wide. Mental Health and Wellbeing 25. Addressing mental health and resilience for young people and for school staff continues to be a high priority. Education services work closely with health professions, social care and third sector providers to ensure there is a range of effective wrap around support to young people, their families and the schools who support them. In 2023-24, the range of support offered to young people and staff included: a. Government funded Mental Health Lead training for senior leaders in school. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 14 b. A mapping of mental health provision across all schools alongside Health to identify where new support needs to be deployed. c. Sharing the mental health support available to young people and their families with schools, close liaison with Stronger Families and now the Family Hubs and close working with the Thrive Network lead by Health. This network will provide a holistic network of support across local authority SEND & Education services, health partners and third sector colleagues. Sharing of information enables effective collaboration and signposting for children, young people and their families. d. Training for staff on trauma informed practice, mental health support strategies, emotionally based school non-attendance. e. The SEND Advisory Service (SAS) works within the SCERTS framework (Social Communication, Emotion Regulation, Transactional Support). The SCERTS® Model. SCERTS is also integral to the Inclusion Commitment school development programmes (a 1 -year intensive package of CPD, provision review and support for settings). f. T he Inclusion Commitment offers a S ocial, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) pathway which will cover ‘trauma informed practice’ and ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)’. g. The use of an Educational Psychologist with an SEMH/Behaviour specialism who will work as an SEMH advisor supporting pre- statutory SEMH needs in strong collaboration with Health Partners and the existing Education Psychology service. School Place Planning Overview 26. The Council has a statutory responsibility to secure sufficient early years and school places for children resident in Hillingdon. These places need to be appropriate, sustainable, viable and meet local and specialist needs. Key Headlines for 2023-24 are: a. Primary rolls overall have experienced a continued decline each year since 2019, a total 1.3% decline from October 2023 to October 2024 . Reductions in primary schools Pupil Admission Numbers (PAN) have been actioned in multiple schools where there is a clear surplus of vacant places. b. At secondary, the number of children on roll has increased in line with projections, which predicted a peak in year 7 admissions in September 2023 followed by a gradual decline as smaller primary year groups age through. Temporary extra places above PAN have been offered by some schools for Year 7 each September since 2019 to ensure that all residents receive an offer of a place on National Offer Day . A planned permanent expansion opened at one school in Autumn 2023. Further expansions are not expected to be required due to the lower primary numbers coming through the system. c. To meet the growing demand for special school places, a programme of capital works to expand and create new special schools , mainstream Specialist Resource Provisions ( SRPs) and Designated Units (DUs) in the Borough had been agreed. 27. School Place Planning (SPP) is reported annually via the School Organisation Plan for Hillingdon which will present: • An overview of the education landscape in Hillingdon • A summary of current pupil numbers and projected demand in primary and secondary phases, including specialist provision Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 15 • Options in place for the Council to consider when determining the need to increase or reduce school places The following map shows the local authority schools in Hillingdon: School Placements & Admissions 28. Secondary School Places a. Hillingdon council received 3,573 applications for entry into secondary school for September 2024. b. On National Offer Day every Hillingdon child or young person was offered a secondary school place. c. From those, 95 per cent were offered one of their top schools, with 70 per cent of pupils receiving their first choice and 90 per cent offered one of their top three schools. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 16 29. Primary School Places a. Hillingdon was ranked the top London local authority on Primary National Offer Day, with 95.7 per cent of children being awarded their first-choice primary school place. b. Figures released by the PAN London Admissions Board show that the council has once again exceeded the London average of 89.1 per cent to give 3,212 pupils their first choice of primary school. c. Hillingdon also achieved best in west London for applicants being offered one of their top three preference schools at 99.3 per cent, compared to PAN London at 97.2 per cent. d. The council received 3,357 primary school applications, with 99. 5 per cent allocated a school of their preference, which is also higher than the London average of 98.2 per cent. 30. Fair Access The In Year Fair Access Panel (IYFAP) has continued to be effective in its duty to ensure that outside the normal admissions round - unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are found and offered a place quickly, so that the amount of time any child is out of school is kept to the minimum. We continue to see a minimal number of primary aged referrals considered by the Fair Access Panel (FAP). Key Statistics: a. 2 primary referrals to the IYFAP compared to 0 primary referral in 2022-2023 b. 63% decrease - 132 total number of placements by the IYFAP in comparison to the academic year 2022-2023 where there were 201 placements. c. 63 Year 11 aged children were referred to the panel and this was 47% of the total placements. d. IYFAP placements in 2023-2024 - 92% of placements were for children residing in the south of the borough e. 62% of the placements have been for ‘Children who have been out of education for four or more weeks where it can be demonstrated that there are no places available at any school within a reasonable distance of their home. This does not include circumstances where a suitable place has been offered to a child and this has not been accepted’. f. These statistics include July’s placements however the children will not start until the following academic year (2024/25). Year 11 The general expectation is that mainstream education will be inclusive and that pupils with a wide range of needs will be able to access a mainstream school place. However, in recognition of the greater challenges for pupils in Year 11 who were seeking a new school where they are nearing post-compulsory school age, pupils were offered a place at Hillingdon’s Interim Provision, subject to availability. If a school place was required, the case was considered against the eligibility list for referral as a Fair Access placement. If eligibility was met the applicant was allocated a placement through the Fair Access Panel. Placements The table below show the Fair Access placements from September 2023 - July 2024, it also indicates where in the borough pupils were residing. For secondary schools, the north of the borough is determined as above the A40, and south as below the A40, primary schools are determined by planning areas. These referrals reflect all pupils that were taken to the panel, some pupils were not placed but have been included Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 17 in the referrals. Secondary referrals Month/Year Group Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 North South Total per year 1 15 27 24 63 11 119 Total 130 130 Primary referrals Month/Year Group Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 North South Total per year 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 Total 2 2 The month of May will not appear in any statistics as no IYFAP meetings were scheduled in May. Referral Reason Below is a breakdown of the reasons each referral was made to the IYFAP: Referral Reason Total Number of Students Children in alternative provision who need to be reintegrated into mainstream education or who have been permanently excluded but are deemed suitable for mainstream education. 18 Children who have been out of education for four or more weeks where it can be demonstrated that there are no places available at any school within a reasonable distance of their home. 82 Children for whom a place has not been sought due to exceptional circumstances. 3 Children of Gypsies, Roma, Travellers, refugees & asylum seekers. 15 Children either subject to a CIN/a CP Plan/having had a CIN/a CP Plan within 12 months 9 Children from the criminal justice system 1 Children with SEN (without an EHCP) 4 Total 132 Place Planning Areas • Of the 130 secondary school placements made through Fair Access, 119 (92%) children lived in the South of the borough and 11 children lived in the North of the borough. • The panel are mindful of the volume of pupils residing in the south of the borough and will try to allocate a school in the north of the borough where a journey is deemed within a reasonable distance. • I f a parent has added a school as a preference which is within the north of the borough the panel will look to allocate this school. This assists with equal distribution and can justify the panel’s decision for allocating a school not within a reasonable distance. Comparison with Previous Academic Years Below is a comparison of the number of In Year Fair Access Panel placements made this year in comparison to the last three academic years. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 18 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 Month Primary Secondary Total Primary Secondary Total Primary Secondary Total September 1 43 44* 0 19 19 0 21 21 October 0 10 10 0 24 24 0 14 14 November 1 27 28 0 32 32 0 14 14 December 0 9 9 0 29 29 0 10 10 January 0 3 3 0 25 25 0 18 18 February 0 10 10 0 14 14 1 12 13 March 0 11 11 0 22 22 0 7 7 April 0 5 5 0 16 16 1 13 14 June 0 10 10 0 12 12 0 6 6 July 0 6 6 0 8 8 0 15 15 Total 2 134 136 0 201 201 2 130 132 *Three held in September 2021 Appeals Our current Fair Access Policy provides schools with 5 days to contact us and supply factual evidence, that to admit additional children would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources at their school. We will also consider information that we may not be aware of at the time of placement that may evidence the suitability of the placement and whether this would be in the best interests of the child. We received 7 appeals received in the academic year 2023/24 from schools against placements. Of the 7 appeals that we received; • 2 placements were pursued at the allocated school • 1 pupil was allocated an alternative school • 4 placements were withdrawn 31. Interim Provision The Interim provision moved to a permanent location at the new Skills Hub site in Yiewsley. The provision has 10 places available. • 41 pupils were referred to the Interim Provision in 2023/24. Of this cohort, pupils have come from 17 different countries, speaking 10 different languages. • Of the 41 pupils, 8 were Looked After Children and 7 were on Child Protection plans. This was 37% of the Interim cohort. • All of this year’s cohort, have been successfully placed at a school as an outcome of the FAP, moved on through the NTS program, accessing an alternative setting, left as they were no longer statutory school age or moved out of the country/borough. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 19 • The provision also provided extra support to pupils when a school was not allocated through the panel, or the pupil was at a point in year 11 where it was unreasonable to place them at a school. They supported a pupil who was going through an Education, Health and Care Plan Needs Assessment, and Post 16 support for a pupil with Special Educational Needs. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 20 Part 2 Vulnerable Children and Young People’s Outcomes Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 21 Outcomes for Vulnerable Children and Young People 32. Looked After Children Attainment and Progress Summary EYFS: The EYFS cohort consisted of ten children for this academic year, seven of whom count towards the national indicator. Of this national indicator group, 17 % made a G ood Level of Development across the prime areas and across all the E arly Learning Goals. Within this group, all children were indigenous, three had SEND and two resided in Hillingdon. Source: Internal data Key Stage 1: There were six children who completed Key Stage 1 in July 2024; within the cohort one of the children had a SEND, all were indigenous and four were residing in Hillingdon. Of the six children in this cohort, three were in the national indicator. Of these, the Virtual School had expected 33% to achieve Age Related Expectations (ARE) in Reading, Writing and Maths (RWM) based on their starting points from EYFS. Based on their SATs results, 33% met ARE in Reading, Writing and Maths. Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 22 Source: Internal data Key Stage 2: There were ten children who completed Key Stage 2 in July 2024. Within the cohort, four had an EHCP and one was receiving SEN Support, three were residing in Hillingdon and all were indigenous. Nine of the children were in the national indicator. The Virtual School had expected 29% of this cohort to achieve ARE in RWM at the end of the academic year. Based on their SATs results, 56% of this cohort met ARE in Reading, Writing and Maths. Source: Internal data Key Stage 4: 20 eligible children completed Year 11 in July 2024. Of this cohort , 50% had Special Educational Needs, 23% were unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) and 67% resided outside of Hillingdon. Of the 20 pupils, 18 were entered for level 2 examinations (GCSEs, BTEC) or equivalent at Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 23 the end of the academic year. The average attainment 8 score was 29, an increase from 2 1.7 in the previous year, and the average Progress 8 score was –0.49, also improved from the previous year (-1.4). Source: Internal data Key Stage 5: The Virtual School supported 188 Post 16 learners throughout the academic year 2023-24. Level 3 learners accounted for 12% of the cohort. The remainder of those in further education were primarily on ESOL pathways, Functional Skills, BTEC and GCSE qualifications ranging from Entry 1 to Level 2 and apprenticeships. English and Maths Progress: Among national indicator learners who had not achieved a grade 4 or above in English and Maths by the end of Year 11 , 8% successfully attained these qualifications by the end of Year 12. Improving outcomes in this area will be a key focus for the 2024/25 academic year, with targeted support initiatives planned to enhance learner progress. Year 13 Level 3 Outcomes: Among the 11 learners enrolled in the second year of their Level 3 course, eight (73%) successfully completed their final year. Of these , five (63%) have progressed to university, while the remaining three have opted for a gap year, pursuing full-time employment for various reasons. 33. Looked After Children Educational Engagement Summary Attendance & Exclusions Since the pandemic ended, there has been a notable drop in school attendance with many of our children reluctant to attend school and displaying traits of EBSA . The team continue to improve their knowledge and understanding of EBSA and the impact this has on our children. To address this, we provided training Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2023-24 Report Page 24 sessions for the team, schools, and foster carers. The chart below shows the average attendance of our statutory school age cohort across the academic year: Source: eGov Solutions During the last academic year, 11 children received a suspension during their time in care. The total number of learning days lost was 22.5 days. Overall, this means there has been a significant drop in the number of pupils receiving a suspension compared to previous years. Days lost to suspension Number LBH schools & days lost Number OOB schools & days lost Number SEND children 2020 - 2021 76.5 10 58.5 7 18 11 2021 - 2022 70.5 8 23.5 11 47 12 2022 - 2023 113.5 10 33.5 11 80 15 2023 - 2024 22.5 1 2 10 20.5 9 Source: Welfare Call Ltd / eGov Solutions 34. LAC Who are Not in Edu
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 06 June 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2023-24
Reference No. 1435
Date of decision Friday 06 June 2025
Call-in expiry date Friday 13 June 2025
Relevant Select
Committee
Children, Families & Education Select Committee
Relevant Wards All Wards
Decision made
Cabinet Members
making the decision
Councillor Susan O ’Brien, Cabinet Member for Children,
Families & Education
Decision Approved
That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families &
Education approved this report on the annual education
standards 2023-24 for publication.
Reason for decision This report provides an overview of the standards and quality
of education across Hillingdon schools and settings for
Hillingdon’s children, young people and adults. The report
focuses primarily on attainment, progress and achievement for
the preceding academic year along with references to wider
measures of educational success.
Alternative options
considered and
rejected
None.
Classification Part I – Public
Link to associated
report
Here
Relevant Officer
contact & Directorate
Michael Hawkins, Education & SEND
Any interest declared
by the Cabinet
Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Executive Decision Notice – 06 June 2025
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice only
from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Friday 13 June 2025
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise
the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold.
Councillor scrutiny
call-in of this
decision
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice
may request to call-in this decision. The request must be before the
expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above.
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Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The
Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access
to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive
decision, including links to the reports where applicable.
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