The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee of East Riding of Yorkshire Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 4 November 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the Annual Education Report for 2025-26, an update on the Sub-Committee's work programme, and a look at the Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Annual Education Report 2025-26

A significant item scheduled for discussion is the Annual Education Report for the academic year 2025-26. This report, prepared by the Executive Director of Children, Families and Schools, is expected to provide a comprehensive overview of the council's education functions, including the experiences of pupils and their families through universal and targeted education services. It will cover statutory and non-statutory activities and review the support and challenge provided to educational settings. The report is anticipated to highlight areas where the East Riding performs well compared to regional and national benchmarks, such as school place allocations and attendance, as well as areas presenting challenges, including a high number of surplus school places and exclusions. The report will also address system-level challenges such as increasing requests for special educational needs assessments and a rise in electively home-educated pupils, noting that these are not unique to the East Riding and are often less pronounced than national trends. The document is expected to detail national policy changes, including those outlined in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act, the Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper, and the SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation, which were published during the 2025-26 academic year.

The report will delve into various aspects of the local education system, including school organisation, with no further academy conversions noted in 2025-26, and the continued presence of both council-maintained schools and academies. It will also cover the Local Area SEND Inspection undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, detailing progress made in strengthening support for learners with Special Educational Need (SEN) Support within mainstream settings and improving the consistency of inclusive provision. The report is expected to outline the local area partnership's SEND Reform Plan, which aims to deliver a more inclusive system through stronger mainstream practice, more effective early intervention, and improved access to local support.

Furthermore, the report will address the sufficiency of school places, detailing the management of mainstream, early years, and specialist provision. It will discuss the challenges of undersubscription in rural areas due to falling birth rates and lower cohort sizes, and the financial implications for schools. The report is also set to cover access to education, including early years provision, mainstream school admissions, and the processes for SEND assessment and review. It will provide data on post-16 participation and preparation for adulthood, as well as engagement in education, including attendance and elective home education. The report will also touch upon support for pupils, including financial support, educational psychology services, specialist teaching, behaviour support, tuition, and alternative provision. It will also detail the support provided to schools, covering school finances, traded services, safeguarding, and governance. Finally, the report will examine enrichment activities, such as outdoor education and music education, and discuss quality and outcomes, including primary and secondary attainment, and post-16 attainment and preparation for adulthood.

Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee Work Programme

An update on the Sub-Committee's work programme for 2026/27 is scheduled to be presented.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Sub-Committee will also receive a report on the Forward Plan of Key Decisions. This plan outlines key decisions that the Cabinet and the Council are expected to make within the next six months, specifically for the period of October 2026 to March 2027. Any decisions falling under the Sub-Committee's terms of reference will be highlighted for their consideration. Two key decisions are noted for discussion: the approval of the Care Leaver Corporate Rent Guarantor Scheme Policy, aimed at supporting eligible care leavers to access and sustain suitable accommodation, and the approval of a new Supported Lodgings Admission, Licence Agreement and Living Together Agreement Policy for the council's 16+ Supported Living Service, designed to ensure safe and appropriate placements for young people.