Agenda item

The Director of Community and Children’s Services to be heard.

Members heard an oral update of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

All schools remained open for face-to-face teaching, although some had experienced outbreaks of COVID within their staff teams, with Highbury Grove school experiencing a significant level of staff sickness. Members heard that there was an escalating number of student absences and expressed concern at the report that families were allowing students to take time off despite being well enough to attend school. There had also been a national reduction in school attendance dropping from 95% to 88% as evidenced by data received in January 2022. There wasn’t sufficient data on persistent absence available on a national basis to permit wider conclusions to be extrapolated; however, another Member was able to advise that City Schools had not seen a similar fall in attendance.  The Board was advised that measures were being taken to increase attendance, with local authorities being pressured to push for higher-level interventions. Relevant safeguarding concerns were being communicated and elective home education was being reported where necessary.

A Member asked what the financial impact had been on schools during the current phase of the pandemic. In response, Officers advised that there had been a very significant financial impact, despite a degree of government support, which would be available for further analysis once budget evaluation meetings had taken place, as well as planning and forecasting meetings at the beginning of the next term.

The Chair extended the Board’s grateful thanks to all staff working in schools during this difficult time and discussed the possibility of using strategic funding from September 2022 to provide assistance where it was most needed.

RESOLVED, that:

the report be noted.