Agenda and minutes

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from the following Members of the Commission:

?  Soraya Adejare (Councillor)

?  Clare Joseph (Councillor)

?  Caroline Woodley (Councillor)

?  Liz Bosanquet (Co-optee)

?  Shuja Shaikh (Co-optee)

?  Jane Heffernan (Co-optee)

2.1 There were no new or urgent items and the agenda was as published. 

3.1 Cllr James Peters declared that he was a Governor at the Garden School but this was not a prejudicial interest.

4.1  The Chair welcomed all guests to the evidence session and explained that this was the first evidence session for the scrutiny review into outcomes of exclusions in Hackney. The Chair explained that terms of reference and many of the questions that would be asked by the Commission had been influenced by the ‘Forgotten Children: alternative provision and the scandal of ever increasing exclusions’ report recently published by the House of Commons Education Select Committee.

4.2 It was noted that this report was included in the agenda pack and had been circulated to Members and guests prior to the meeting.

4.3 The Chair further explained that the House of Commons Education Select Committee’s review sets out the current landscape in regards to school exclusions, much of which the Commission was already familiar with, for example that outcomes for excluded pupils are far worse than their peers in mainstream schools. It was also noted that the report made a number of recommendations around how schools, local authorities and alternative provision can improve their offer to pupils at risk of exclusions, excluded pupils and their parents.

The Difference – Kiran Gill

4.4 The Chair asked Kiran Gill to begin by briefly introduce the Difference including how this programme proposes to improve relations between mainstream schools and alternative provision as well as give the Commission an idea of the progress so far. In response Kiran Gill made the following substantive points;

·  The programme was borne out of research by IPPR into the cost of exclusions, highlighting both the economic and social imperatives to take action to upskill the teaching workforce, improve outcomes for multiply disadvantaged pupils and to stem the rising tide of exclusions.

·   The rising number of exclusions, with 6,685 permanent exclusions in 2016, was noted to be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ as there was a much larger cohort, approximately 50,000 vulnerable pupils nationally, being educated and that sit their exams in alternative settings which caters for excluded children despite not being officially excluded. Highlighting the disparity between the official numbers of excluded children and the actual number of children that are receiving their education in alternative provision.

·  Recent data analysis has further highlighted how hard it was to track children that are leaving mainstream school rolls and are for a period of time on roll at an alternative provision. However, in comparing the figures available around of children leaving mainstream for alternative provision has revealed an increasing trend of children and young pupil disappearing from the rolls altogether.

4.5 At this point Kiran Gill urged the Commission to as a part of their review compare the different rolls to get a better understanding of how this national trend of 20,000 pupils disappearing completely from school rolls a year, compare to Hackney as well as looking at which schools officially exclude more pupils and which schools exclude less pupils. While also taking a closer look at the actual school rolls in order to compare, share and broker best practice where it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1 The Commission agreed the minutes of the last meeting.

6.1 The Members of the Commission noted the last version of the work programme for the municipal year 2018/19.

6.2 The Members were informed that that there was flexibility in the work programme to include another 3-4 substantial discussion items. The Chair encouraged the Commission to put forward areas for scrutiny including context, objectives and desired outcomes and for this to be done outside of the meeting.

7.1 The Scrutiny officer informed the Members that this was her last meeting before joining the Integrated Commission Children, Young People and Maternity work-stream on a two year secondment.