The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel were scheduled to meet to discuss education achievement outcomes for all key stages in 2025, as well as the overview and scrutiny work plan, and the council's forward plan of key decisions. The meeting was also scheduled to include a period for public statements.

Education Achievement Outcomes for all Key Stages

The panel were scheduled to review and note the overall achievement across Doncaster in 2025 for:

• Consistently good outcomes at Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
• Consistent outcomes in Year 1 Phonics.
• Significantly improved and above average outcomes at Key Stage 2 (KS2).
• Consolidated results at Key Stage 4.
• Consolidated results at Key Stage 5.

The report pack included data showing the population numbers for the 2025 results:

• EYFS 3,496
• Y1 Phonics 3,628
• KS2 3,700
• KS4 3,429
• KS5 1,771

The panel were also scheduled to review and note the outcomes for vulnerable groups of pupils including those who are disadvantaged, require SEN Support, have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), those for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL) and those children and young people who are looked after (CLA).

The report noted that:

Overall, Doncaster's position reflects consistency, consolidation, improvement over time whereby performance gaps to national averages, in the majority, are closed, aligned or exceeding.

The report also noted that the available data for KS2, KS4 and KS5 had been published on a provisional basis, and was subject to further checking and validation, which could lead to small changes in some figures when the finalised results are subsequently published.

Specifically, the panel were scheduled to note the KS2 key published metrics for Read, Write, Maths (RWM) which, excepting Reading, are now above the national average for the first time.

• RWM Combined had improved by 4 percentage points (pp) and now exceeds national by 1pp for the first time.
• Reading had improved by 4pp and the gap to national average had narrowed by 3pp and is now at 1pp below.
• Writing had improved by 3pp and now exceeds national average by 2pp.
• Maths had improved by 3pp and now exceeds national average by 1pp.

The report pack noted that Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS), reading and working at greater depth are the areas for development.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan and Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Panel were scheduled to review the Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan 2025/26 and Forward Plan for the period 1 December 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan included items such as:

• Statement of Licensing
• Youth Justice Plan
• Dementia
• Priorities for the forthcoming year including local authority statutory responsibilities for children and young people.
• Youth Council and Young Advisors – priorities.
• Tenancy Strategy
• Community Safety Strategy
• Families First Programme – social care reforms, policy change and impact
• Education: Educational outcomes, Elective Home Education and SEND

The Forward Plan set out details of all Key Decisions expected to be taken during the next four months by either the Cabinet collectively, The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holders or Officers and is updated and republished each month.

A Key Decision is an executive decision which is likely to result in the Local Authority incurring expenditure which is, or the making of savings which are, significant having regard to the Local Authority's budget for the service or function to which the decision relates; or to be significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in an area comprising two or more wards or electoral divisions in the area of the Local Authority; or any decision related to the approval or variation of the Policy and budget Framework that is reserved to the Full Council.