Agenda item
Use of Pupil Premium Grant Scrutiny Task group
The purpose of the Pupil Premium Scrutiny task group is to focus on analysing the current use of the Pupil Premium Grant, Understanding the attainment gaps, the outcomes which are being achieved in comparison with national performance and to promote best practice among Brent schools.
Minutes:
Councillor Southwood (Task Group Chair) presented the report of the Task Group on the Use of the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG), highlighted the key findings and drew the committee’s attention to the sixteen recommendations detailed in the report. It was explained that the task group had been requested by Scrutiny Committee members in response to the borough priority to improve attainment for disadvantaged pupils. The task group had focussed on analysing the current use of the PPG, understanding attainment gaps, identifying outcomes achieved against national performance and exploring how best practice was shared amongst Brent Schools. Councillor Southwood emphasised that usage of PPG had varied from school to school and it had been recognised that there was no uniform usage that was appropriate for all schools and circumstances. In particular, the Task Group had found a number of innovative and creative usages of the PPG, some of which focussed on non-academic activities and which had instead sought to build confidence or improve social skills. The Task Group had not therefore attempted to specify how PPG should be used but instead had sought to ensure that there was robust decision making being applied and that best practice could be shared. The recommendations of the task group envisioned a key role for the council and the Brent Schools Partnership in aiding the development of a borough-wide, proactive approach to the use PPG, supported by co-ordinated efforts of Brent’s community of schools and Early Years Settings, including children’s centres. In concluding her presentation, Councillor Southwood reiterated her thanks to the organisations and individuals that had contributed to the work undertaken by the Task Group, including children and young people, schools and officers of the council.
The committee congratulated the Task Group on the work undertaken and the detailed report produced. During the discussion, further information was sought regarding the use of PPG and whether schools were using it to its best advantage. It was queried whether the scope of the task group had encompassed all of Brent’s schools, including academies and how the efforts of the task group had been received by those schools. A member asked whether the opinions of parents and foster carers had been sought. A view was expressed that Brent’s schools were failing to address the attainment gaps and the potential contribution that could be made by supplementary schools was highlighted; it was subsequently questioned whether supplementary schools received the PPG.
Councillor Southwood explained that the range of initiatives funded using the PPG had been impressive and the task group had sought to understand how schools were identifying attainment gaps and measuring outcomes and how that had fed into robust decision making. A key issue that had been highlighted by young people who had provided their views to the task group was that of career advice. Students had felt that there needed to be more career advice and guidance available and that this should include specific information on qualifications needed and employment opportunities available. All of Brent’s schools had been supportive of the work undertaken by the task group. Brent’s children’s centres had also been approached and the opportunity had been taken at this point to engage with parents. When exploring issues concerning Looked After Children, the task group had worked with the council as the corporate parent and liaised directly with the Virtual Head. It was explained that supplementary schools did not receive the PPG and rather this was a grant that followed a pupil through their main schooling, including in alternative provision. Councillor Southwood agreed that it was important that the use of PPG in Brent result in more than good examples and that she was confident that the recommendations proposed by the task group would help to create more consistent approach and that this would be reflected in attainment.
The committee thanked Councillor Southwood for her presentation and emphasised the importance of ensuring that appropriate timescales were set for the implementation of the task group’s recommendations, subject to their approval by the Cabinet.
RESOLVED:
(i) that the recommendations of the Pupil Premium Task Group be endorsed;
(ii) that subject to Cabinet approval, the committee receive an update on the implementation of the Task Group’s recommendations at a future meeting of the committee.
Supporting documents: