Agenda item

The purpose of the annual report is to outline the activity and impact of the Brent Virtual School during the academic year 2018-2019.Data contained in this report is for looked after children who were in the care of Brent Council for the academic year 2018-2019, and includes outcomes for all children who have been in care for a year or more as at 31st March 2019, (“eligible cohort”). The final DfE data sets for eligible cohorts were published in April 2020.

This report outlined the activity and impact of the Brent Virtual School (BVS) during the academic year 2018-19.

Gail Tolley (Strategic Director Children and Young People, Brent Council) informed the Committee that Sarah Miller (Head of Inclusion, Brent Council) would be moving on from Brent and they would be sorry to lose her. Michaela Richards (Deputy Head Teacher Brent Virtual School, Virtual School) was present to introduce the report.

The Committee heard the positives and areas for improvement for the academic year 2018-19. Some positives included good outcomes for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and there had been no permanent exclusions that academic year. The overall attendance had increased from the previous year and multiple residential trips had taken place. Some of the challenges had been outcomes and attainment at Key Stage 4, which was a focus for the current year.

It was noted that young people often came into care late and in their teens therefore it was common to find some young people coming into care at Key Stage 4 with already complex behaviours to address and a disrupted education. To improve those outcomes the BVS had a full-time post-16 worker the previous year and another member of staff therefore they had been able to split the year groups and have more face to face involvement with the young people. While the BVS did not get any financial support for post-16 education they would support the areas they felt there was a need.

Regarding contact rate and engagement, the Committee were informed that up until June attendance had been 88% which had dropped to 80% in July which was believed to be due to the way data was being collected rather than an 8% drop. In relation to attainment outcomes as a result of COVID-19 the biggest concern was year 5s and year 10s. A package of support had been put together for when lockdown was eased involving more intensive tuition and mental health programs.  Gail Tolley reminded members that all vulnerable children in the Borough had access to school throughout the lockdown and social workers and schools had been working closely together to have looked after children in schools. The responsibility for predicted grades and online learning lay with the actual schools and not BVS, which was there to provide additional support and supplement the work of schools.

Two initiatives had been arranged to ensure children were getting access to the internet. The initial initiative was for vulnerable children in year 10 and care leavers to be given access to 4G dongles and the allocation BVS was given had allowed them to spread them wider than the initial group. The second initiative was to increase Wi-Fi and broadband access to all young people in Brent schools in conjunction with BT. This was in the process of being rolled out and BVS hoped to disseminate passwords and licenses the following week.

Councillor McLennan (Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources, Brent Council) informed the committee of a new digital inclusion initiative due to be presented to Cabinet that would include setting up a credit union to give industry loans to residents and provide training and programs for people to access.

RESOLVED:

i)              To note the content of the report.