The Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel were scheduled to meet on 16 April 2025 to discuss early years provision, educational performance, and the support offered to vulnerable children. The agenda included consideration of reports on elective home education, children missing education, and suspensions and exclusions from schools. The panel was also expected to note Councillor's memberships on outside bodies and any declarations of interest.

Suspensions, Exclusions and Fair Access Protocols

The panel were scheduled to discuss a report on suspensions, exclusions and fair access protocols. The report included information about:

• The different types of exclusions schools can enforce, including suspensions and permanent exclusions.
• The responsibilities of Royal Greenwich schools to provide high-quality education and to ensure that exclusions are rational, reasonable, fair and proportionate.
• The requirement for schools to notify the local authority of all suspensions and exclusions, and to inform the Head of Virtual School and the social worker for children known to social care or in care, and the local authority SEND department if the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
• The participation of inclusion officers in the Fair Access Panel (FAP) and Pre-Multi Agency Child Exploitation (Pre-MACE) meetings to share intelligence and strengthen safeguarding and support for vulnerable children.

The report also provided data on suspensions and exclusions in Royal Greenwich, comparing them with national and London averages. Key points included:

• The primary exclusion rate in Royal Greenwich is zero, which is better than the national rate.
• Primary suspension rates saw a slight increase in 2022/23.
• Male children receiving SEN support in primary schools are disproportionately more likely to be suspended.
• Secondary school exclusion rates in Royal Greenwich are significantly lower than the national rate.
• The secondary suspension rate in Royal Greenwich is lower than the national rate but higher than the London rate.
• Male children and those registered for SEN support in secondary schools are more likely to face suspension.

The report outlined actions taken to prevent exclusions, including:

• Supportive conversations with schools to ensure timely notifications of suspensions.
• Inclusion officers working with schools to identify and support those most at risk of exclusion.
• Exploring and quality assuring the circumstances surrounding exclusions to ensure fairness and proportionality.
• The Virtual School attending various meetings to have better oversight of children who may have additional vulnerabilities.
• The Virtual School and Inclusive Services promoting training and opportunities for schools and colleagues in Children Services to have knowledge in being trauma aware as well as trauma responsive.

The report detailed the role of the Fair Access Protocol (FAP) in ensuring that children and young people who are at risk of exclusion or without a school place get the education they need quickly. The report also noted that a managed move, which is an arrangement between two schools that gives a child the opportunity to be educated at a new school for a trial period, has now been removed from the FAP process, but Royal Greenwich schools have requested that it continue to be monitored by the local authority for statistical purposes only.

The report also provided information on Primary Inclusion focused support, including Behaviour Support Practitioners (BSPs), Pastoral Support Plans (PSPs) and Observations (OMS).

Finally, the report outlined future actions for 2024/25, including:

• Reviewing the process of getting parents and schools to consider the exclusion being rescinded when there is enough evidence from the school of support and intervention prior to the exclusion.
• Working alongside Lewisham Inclusion to do some joint monitoring visits to ensure quality of provision and capacity to monitor number of providers children attend.
• Reviewing Primary Alternative Provision including outreach services to further meet needs of children with presenting SEMH needs¹.
• Developing the offer available for good quality alternative provision by working with providers and local colleges to see what vocational options are available.
• Continuing to develop the support from the Chill Hub and create provision for primary aged children, and working with schools and Educational Psychology Services to develop a strategy to combat some of the growing need of children facing Emotionally Based School Avoidance.

Elective Home Education (EHE) Annual Report

The panel were scheduled to consider the Elective Home Education (EHE) Annual Report, which provided an update on the borough’s arrangements for children educated at home.

The report noted that parents have a right to educate their children at home, as long as the education is efficient and suitable according to the Education Act 1996. It also noted that local authorities have a duty to identify children in their area who are not receiving a suitable education.

According to government census data, there were an estimated 92,000 children in home education in England in Autumn 2023, up by around 11,100 on Autumn 2022. The census suggested that while the biggest known reason for moving to home education was still philosophical beliefs, mental health was the biggest factor in the recent rise.

The report provided a breakdown of Royal Borough of Greenwich data on EHE, including:

• EHE referrals by academic year
• Month-by-month breakdown of open EHE cases by academic year
• Total number of pupils registered as EHE in the Key Stages by academic year
• Total number of primary school-aged pupils registered as EHE during the academic year over the past five academic years
• Total number of secondary school-aged pupils registered as EHE during the academic year over the past five academic years
• Numbers of EHE pupils with Special Educational Needs
• EHE cohort by ethnicity
• Number of EHE pupils by gender
• Reasons given for new EHE referrals

The report also outlined the processes and procedures for EHE in Royal Greenwich, including safeguarding checks, review of provision, and support for families. It noted that the Royal Borough of Greenwich has traditionally employed a single EHE Officer, based within the Attendance Advisory Service, but in the 2023/24 academic year, a new EHE Officer was appointed, along with a Business Administration Apprentice.

The report detailed partnership working with other agencies, such as Careers Practitioners, school nurses, and the Immunisation Team.

Finally, the report outlined future actions for 2024/25, including:

• Continuing to consolidate and extend partnership working.
• Developing EHE family network meetings to deliver termly presentations and workshops.
• Continuing to work with Shooters Hill College, as well as Lewisham College, to develop their EHE GCSE courses.

Children Missing Education Annual Report

The panel were scheduled to consider the Children Missing Education Annual Report for the academic year 2023-2024. The report noted that Royal Greenwich has a statutory responsibility for ensuring that, as far as possible, all statutory school-age children who are not receiving suitable education are accounted for and appropriate action is taken.

The report referenced the Children Missing Education Guidance 2016, which states that children and young people missing from education are at significant risk of underachieving, being victims of abuse, and becoming NEET² later in life.

The report outlined the referral process for children missing education, including:

• The responsibilities of education providers to follow school absence procedures and make reasonable enquiries to establish the whereabouts of the child.
• The pre-referral stage, where the education provider consults with the school’s Attendance Advisory Officer and/or the CME Officer.
• The referral stage, where all resources available are used for investigative purposes and casework.
• The process for closing referrals, either when a child has been located and returned to suitable education, or when, despite exhaustive efforts, the CME Officer has been unable to locate the child.

The report also detailed the partner agencies that the CME Officer engages with for investigative purposes, including:

• Corporate & Anti-Fraud
• Children’s Services
• Performance Analysis Service
• Housing Services
• MASH Education Officer
• School Admissions Service
• Schools and other education settings
• Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Service
• Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
• Youth Justice Service

The report provided data on CME referrals, including:

• A breakdown of CME Referrals by Academic Year
• CME Referral Sources
• CME referrals by gender
• CME referrals by year group
• CME referrals by ethnicity

The report also referenced the Ofsted Area SEND inspection of the Greenwich Local Area Partnership in May 2023, which noted that professionals link effectively with other agencies to investigate fully, remove barriers to attendance and encourage children and young people to return to education.

Finally, the report outlined future actions for 2024/25, including:

• Ensuring the local authority, all schools, academies and partner agencies comply with the Children Missing Education statutory guidance 2024.
• Reviewing and updating all local policies and procedures in line with the statutory guidance and ensure dissemination and training opportunity for all.
• Extending data collection, to establish as far as possible, contributory factors to a child or young person, becoming a child missing education.
• Continuing to consolidate and extend the multi-agency and partnership working which already exists, so that information and expertise are shared efficiently and effectively to ensure children and young people, missing from education are located and returned to education.

Early Years Provision

The panel were scheduled to consider a report on early years provision in the borough. The report was commissioned as part of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel’s 2024-2025 work programme, and aimed to provide a review on the early year’s provision including whether it would be sufficient in the borough in the coming years.

The report noted that each year, local authorities are required to produce a Childcare Sufficiency Report (CSR). The current CSR report was carried out in late 2024 and published in January 2025. The assessment, as well as looking at current availability and projected demand, also seeks to identify issues childcare providers are facing which may impact on provision; costs; quality; how parents get information about childcare; feedback from service users and readiness to deliver the expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025.

The report included a recap of the early years entitlements:

• 9months – 2-year-olds in eligible working households: 15 funded hours per week (term time) currently, rising to 30 funded hours per week (term time) from September 2025
• Disadvantaged 2-year-olds (“Together for Twos”): 15 funded hours per week term time (no change)
• 3- and 4-year-olds: 15 funded hours per week term time (no change)
• 3- and 4-year-olds in eligible working households: 30 funded hours per week (term time) (no change)

The report noted that early years places are delivered across the sector, by childminders, maintained nursery school, private, voluntary and independent (PVI) group settings, and nursery classes within schools, and that most provision is delivered by childminders and PVI group settings who usually operate longer hours and all year round, therefore being better suited to the working patterns of many parents.

Key findings of the report included:

• Based on population, take up of provision, waiting lists, vacancies and feedback from providers, there is sufficient early years and wraparound childcare provision in Royal Greenwich.
• Demand for places is stable, with 30% reporting a waiting list and 60% reporting vacancies.
• Recruitment and retention remains a local, and national issue, but the quality of provision is high with 98% of inspected settings providing a compliant, met, good or outstanding early years and childcare service.
• Most providers (89%) noted they had at least one child with SEND³ in their provision.
• Approximately half of parents responding to the survey expected that the expanded entitlements would have an impact and their future take up of formal childcare is likely to change.
• 31% of parent/carers responding to the survey cited cost as a reason for not accessing formal childcare.

The report also included information on consultation with providers, children and parents.

Finally, the report outlined next steps for Royal Greenwich, including:

• Continuing to focus on clear communications on expanded early years entitlements aligned with enquiries received by providers demonstrating the need for more clarity around eligibility criteria and charging.
• Targeting support to the sector with relevant revenue and capital grant funding, business modelling and marketing for those expanding provisions for the youngest cohorts from September 2025 and wrapround provision.
• Continuing to raise awareness at a national level, the challenge of recruiting high quality and highly qualified staff.
• Continuing to plan, deliver and signpost to the relevant SEND information, courses and qualifications.
• Continuing to strategically lead support for early years and childcare providers to network and attend forums within and across sector types.

Quarter 3 Performance Monitor 2024-2025

The panel were scheduled to consider the Quarter 3 Performance Monitor 2024-2025. The report was commissioned as part of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel’s 2024-2025 work programme, and was expected to inform decisions on potential improvements and ensure accountability and transparency to stakeholders.

The performance monitor is focused primarily on core Children’s Services business rather than the wider priorities within the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP). The 2024-2025 monitor is framed around the following areas of focus:

• Children achieve throughout their education
• Supporting children with special educational needs
• Missing education / at risk of falling out of education, employment and training
• Risk outside the home
• Children at risk, suffering harm or in our care

The report included a RAG rating system to indicate performance levels.

Performance highlights included:

• Children achieve throughout their education: Ofsted no longer give an overall effectiveness judgement within a section 5 inspection, rather they grade schools for each of the following key judgement areas: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management.
• Supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities: Demand for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) assessments continues increase with 592 requests to assess in the period April 2024 to Dec 2024; this is a 28% increase on the same period last year.
• Missing education / risk of falling out of education, employment and training: The very small improvement seen between Q1 and Q2 with respect to young offenders has seen a marked improvement during Q3.
• Risk outside the home: The first time entrant rate to the Youth Justice System does continue to track high in comparative terms to London and England.
• Children at risk, suffering harm or in our care: Numbers of children and young people receiving social work support remain quite stable.