The Children and Young People Select Committee met to discuss school standards, race inequalities in education, and elective home education. Councillors were also scheduled to review the committee's work programme.

School Standards

The committee was scheduled to receive a report on the validated 2024 results for Lewisham schools. The report, titled [School Standards Validated Outcomes 2024](https://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/documents/s119735/School+Standards+Validated+Outcomes+2024.pdf), was intended to provide a headline analysis and outline actions to address issues highlighted within it.

The report included the outcomes of all schools in the borough, including academies.

Key points from the report included:

• 73% of pupils achieved a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception, an increase of 3% since 2023. This ranked Lewisham 11th highest of all England local authorities.
• Year 1 phonics remained a challenge.
• 63% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined at Key Stage 2¹, 2% above the England average.
• The average Attainment 8² score for Lewisham pupils increased by 0.5 points to 45.9.
• 65% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, an increase of 4% since 2023, equalling the England average.
• Progress 8 scores improved since 2023 and consistently outperformed England averages.
• Lewisham pupils' English Baccalaureate³ average point score increased slightly from 2023 to 2024.
• A-Level results saw an increase in the proportion of grades awarded (A* - A, A* - B, A* - C) compared to both 2023 and 2019.

Priorities for improvement included:

• Reception (GLD): Narrowing the gap for Black pupils achieving the GLD so that it is in line with London and national averages.
• Phonics (Year 1): Narrowing the gap of the Expected Standard to 3% to be in line with London by 2025, with a focus on pupils eligible for free school meals and those of Black and Mixed ethnic backgrounds.
• Key Stage 2 Combined: Increasing the number of pupils achieving the expected standard in maths, with a focus on reasoning and problem solving, and reducing the gender gap in writing and the gap in free school meal achievement.
• Key Stage 4 and 5: Reducing variability across secondary school provision by sharing effective practice.

Tackling Race Inequalities in Education

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the work schools and the council are doing to address race inequality and improve educational outcomes for Black Caribbean heritage pupils.

The report, titled [Tackling Race Inequalities in Education(TRIIE)](https://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/documents/s119738/Tackling+Race+Inequalities+in+Education+TRIIE+2024.pdf), noted a council-wide commitment to tackling race inequalities, including work in schools. A steering group of head teachers, stakeholders and local authority officers has been working to drive this work forward, funded by Lewisham Learning.

The main aims of the approach are to:

• Close the historic attainment gap and improve life chances.
• Tackle systemic bias and racism.
• Address and reduce disproportionately high rates of exclusions.
• Support parents and communities.

The report stated that young people with a Black Caribbean heritage constitute nearly a quarter of the school population in Lewisham.

Key points from the report included:

• White and Black African, alongside White and Black Caribbean pupils, perform better at the end of Reception than all pupils in Lewisham and England.
• Any Other Black pupils have the lowest outcomes at the end of Reception.
• Phonics at the end of Year 1 shows little variation across all ethnic groups.
• At KS2, the most significant variation is the outcomes for Black African and Black Caribbean pupils.
• 64% of KS2 Black African pupils achieved the expected or higher standard in reading, writing and maths, slightly higher than the England average.
• 47% of KS2 Black Caribbean pupils achieved the expected or higher standard in reading, writing and maths, well below the England average.
• In 2024, Lewisham’s Attainment 8 score was in line with, and the Progress 8 score was slightly above the England averages.
• Lewisham’s Black pupils consistently performed less well than England averages, although there were differences between Black African and Black Caribbean pupils.
• Black Caribbean pupils had a Progress 8 score of -0.36, while Black African pupils had a Progress 8 score of +0.29.

Priorities for improvement included:

• Reception (GLD): Narrowing the gap for Black pupils achieving the GLD so that it is in line with national averages.
• Phonics (Year 1): Narrowing the gap of the Expected Standard to 3% to be in line with London by 2025.
• Key Stage 2 Combined: Increasing the number of pupils achieving the expected standard in maths and writing.
• Key Stage 4: Reducing the variability of outcomes across Lewisham Secondary Schools for pupils of ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Elective Home Education

The committee was scheduled to receive an annual report on Elective Home Education (EHE) for 2023/24.

The report, titled [Elective Home Education](https://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/documents/s119730/Elective+Home+Education.pdf), set out the context, legal framework and position in relation to EHE in Lewisham. It also provided an analysis of Lewisham performance indicators and the actions that the local authority and Lewisham education providers are taking to effect progress.

The report noted that Lewisham Council has no formal powers or duty to monitor the provision of education at home, but has a statutory duty to identify children and young people in Lewisham who are not receiving a suitable education.

Key points from the report included:

• At the end of the academic year 2023/24, there were 540 children and young people on the EHE list, 118 more than at the end of the last academic year.
• During the year, 570 children and young people were registered EHE at some point.
• There were a further 121 children and young people whose parents and/or schools contacted the EHE Team with a view to declaring them EHE.
• Altogether, the EHE Team managed cases for a total of 691 children and young people in 2023-24.
• Reasons for EHE included mental health, health concerns relating to Covid-19, dissatisfaction with the school, bullying, and philosophical or preferential reasons.
• There have been 27 occasions in 2023/24 when a School Attendance Order has been served when EHE has been deemed unsuitable and the child or young person needs to return to a Lewisham school.
• There are currently no children and young people in Lewisham known to the local authority as being flexi schooled⁴.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its completed work programme and consider priorities for the 2025/26 work programme.

The report, titled [Select Committee Work Programme Report](https://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/documents/s119731/Select+Committee+Work+Programme+Report.pdf), noted that the committee met five times in 2024/25 and considered key topics such as family hubs, pathfinder, youth services, youth justice service inspection findings, budget savings, special educational needs and disabilities inspection and strategy, children’s social care improvement, post-16 destinations, options and information, advice and guidance, tackling race inequality in Lewisham Schools, and the post-pandemic environment in schools, including validated school standards data.

The committee was scheduled to consider themes or topics for inclusion in the 2025/26 work programme, considering no more than two substantive items per meeting.