The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee will meet to discuss Islington Council's performance on targets related to children and young people, including school attendance, the Child Friendly Islington initiative, and alternative provision for students not attending mainstream schools. The meeting pack also includes the minutes from the Committee's previous meeting on 7 January 2025.

Attendance at School

The Committee will receive an update on school attendance in Islington, which remains a significant concern for the Council. A report in the meeting pack states that across the combined Autumn and Spring 2023/24 school terms, 81% of children educated in alternative provision nationally were persistently absent. That report defines persistent absence as missing at least 10% of sessions. It also includes attendance figures for the current academic year, up to 5 February 2025, for Islington residents placed in alternative provision.

The Committee will also discuss flexi-schooling¹. The report pack notes that flexi-schooling is a legal arrangement, at the discretion of a school's headteacher, in which children... are registered as full-time students at their school but are marked as 'authorised absent' on the days they are home-educated. It describes flexi-schooling as a better alternative than Elective Home Education, in which there is no school attendance at all.

Child Friendly Islington

The Committee will discuss the progress of the Child Friendly Islington initiative. According to an update report, Islington Council's Child Friendly Islington initiative seeks to ensure the child was at the centre of every decision. Councillor Diarmaid Ward, the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, presented the report to the Committee at its previous meeting in January 2025. It also states that the initiative's framework will be presented to the Committee at this meeting in February 2025. A separate document in the report pack outlines the Child Friendly Islington mission and lists a number of related deliverables for which the council is responsible, including a review into the delivery of services to families.

Alternative Provision in Islington

The Committee will discuss alternative provision in Islington, which the report pack describes as playing a crucial role in the education system by providing tailored educational opportunities for students who are unable to thrive in mainstream schools.

The report pack includes a detailed report on the subject, explaining that alternative provision aims to offer a supportive and nurturing environment where students can continue their education, develop essential skills, and prepare for future opportunities. It lists a number of possible reasons why a student might be placed in alternative provision, including: permanent exclusion from school, a managed move to prevent exclusion, a referral, a medical condition, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or a parental request. The report lists a number of organisations that provide alternative provision to Islington residents, including the Boxing Academy in Hackney, CONEL in Haringey, and Academy 21, which provides online tutoring. It includes a summary of attendance rates at those organisations.

Performance Report

The report pack includes a report on Islington Council's performance in Quarter 2 of 2024/25 on targets related to children and young people. The report is structured around the six missions of the council's Islington Together 2030 Plan. It states that [p]rogress on key performance measures is reported through the council’s Scrutiny Committees on a quarterly basis to ensure accountability to residents and to enable challenge where necessary.

The report lists a number of performance indicators across a range of areas. In particular, it focuses on school suspensions, the performance of students from different ethnic groups, and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP). It states that [t]he proportion of Islington pupils achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception year decreased compared to 2023. The report lists the performance of specific groups of pupils in the EYFSP, including FSM eligible pupils, SEN Support pupils, and pupils with Education, Health & Care Plans. The report also notes that the council has been invited to submit a bid to the Violence Reduction Unit and are drafting a proposal to develop a borough-wide approach to restorative practice in secondary schools.

It also lists a number of children's health indicators, including those related to smoking during pregnancy, vaccination, and obesity, stating that Islington has the least number of children with dental caries in North Central London.