The meeting included reports on children's educational achievement in Doncaster, work experience opportunities, and the Committee's forward work plan.

Education Achievement Outcomes for all Key Stages 2024

This report included a summary of educational achievement outcomes for children in Doncaster. It noted the following:

• Doncaster's Good Levels of Development (GLD) in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) were in line with national averages at 68%.
• Year 1 phonics achievements in Doncaster were slightly above the national average, at 81% compared to 80% nationally.
• Doncaster saw an improvement in the combined Reading, Writing & Maths (RWM) measure at Key Stage 2, with 58% achieving the expected standard, compared to a national average of 61%.
• Outcomes for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) varied. While the report noted positive trends in some areas, outcomes at key stages 2 and 4 for pupils with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) declined. The report stated that:

Outcomes for pupils with SEN Support are consistently below the national average over time across all key stages, but in key stage 2, there is an improving trend over time and the gap has narrowed appreciably.

Work Experience

The Committee received a report about work experience in Doncaster.

The report explained that:

• There is no statutory requirement for schools to provide work experience for Key Stage 4 pupils, although the Department for Education encourages them to do so.
• Doncaster schools' performance against the eight Gatsby Benchmarks¹ of Good Career Guidance has significantly improved since 2018/19.
• Common challenges for schools and colleges in providing work experience included costs, resources, curriculum restrictions, and a lack of available employers.

The report noted the success of several local work experience initiatives, such as the Doncaster Primary Careers Hub and Supported Internships. It also highlighted that:

Doncaster (and South Yorkshire’s) current online CEIAG² offer is hosted on the START platform. This was originally commissioned under Doncaster’s DfE-funded Social Mobility Opportunity Area Programme.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan 2024-25 and Councils Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Committee received the work plan for the remainder of 2024-25 and the first quarter of 2025-26. The work plan included an update on the Doncaster Youth Council Work Plans and a report on eating disorders amongst children and young people.