The Children and Young People Select Committee met to discuss tackling race inequality in schools, the council's approach to kinship and foster care, and to review the administration's work programme. Key decisions included noting the progress made in addressing race inequality in schools and agreeing to a whole-council approach to improving the foster carer offer. The committee also identified priority areas for the incoming committee's work programme, including the SEND white paper and the mental health and post-16 destinations of the COVID cohort.

Tackling Race Inequality in Schools

The committee reviewed the findings and future strategy for tackling race inequality in schools, a commitment that began in 2021 with the Tackling Race Inequality in Education (TRIE) pledge, now adopted by 100% of Lewisham schools. Angela Scattergood, Director of Education, and Anthony Doudle, Head of Lewisham Learning, presented the report, highlighting improvements in leadership diversity, curriculum development, and community engagement.

Key achievements include:

• A rise in the representation of ethnically diverse individuals on governing bodies, with focused training for governors on inclusive governance and racial literacy.
• The decolonisation of school curricula to better reflect the identities and experiences of Lewisham's communities.
• A significant increase in the number of schools accredited as Rights Respecting Schools, fostering respectful relationships and embedding student voice.
• The successful engagement of over 500 parents in community conversations and the training of 41 parents in leadership and community organising practices.

The report detailed the impact on attendance and exclusions, noting overall attendance improvements across all ethnic groups. While persistent absence remains a challenge for White and Black Caribbean pupils, multiple ethnic minority groups now have lower exclusion and suspension rates than national averages. This is attributed to behaviour policy reviews, trauma-informed practices, and community engagement.

In terms of academic outcomes, the report highlighted accelerated progress among Black Caribbean and Mixed White & Black Caribbean pupils in phonics and maths at primary level. However, disparities persist at Key Stage 4, particularly for Caribbean and White & Black Caribbean pupils in English and Maths. The committee was informed that an external evaluation of the TRIE pledge will commence in May 2026, with a report due in October 2026. The committee noted the report and its recommendations, including a renewed focus on Key Stage 4 outcomes and targeted interventions for specific ethnic groups.

Strengthening Lewisham's Kinship and Foster Carer Offer

The committee received a data monitoring report on strengthening Lewisham's kinship and foster carer offer, focusing on recruitment, retention, and sufficiency. Steve Chaplin, Head of Service for Care Resources, and Leemya McKeown, Director of Family Help and Care, presented the findings.

The report highlighted significant challenges, including a high reliance on expensive residential placements and independent fostering agencies (IFAs), with many children placed outside the borough. Lewisham's projected placement spend shows a disproportionate cost for residential care, which has risen significantly over the past five years. The national picture reflects a severe shortage of foster carers, with many considering resignation due to insufficient allowances.

Key points from the discussion included:

• The need to increase in-house fostering capacity to keep children local, improve stability, and reduce costs.
• The average weekly cost per child varies significantly across London boroughs, with Lewisham facing higher unit costs, partly due to its reliance on residential care.
• External fostering is typically two to three times more expensive than in-house fostering.
• The report proposed a whole-Council approach to developing a sector-leading foster carer offer, with each directorate contributing practical benefits as part of Lewisham's corporate parenting responsibility.
• A cross-Council working group is to be established to develop recommendations for improving recruitment and retention.

The committee endorsed the development of this whole-Council foster carer offer and noted the work being done to address these challenges.

End of Administration Work Programme Report

The committee reviewed the completed work programmes for the 2022-2026 administration and identified priority topics for the incoming committee. Councillor Luke Warner, Chair, highlighted the significance of the SEND white paper and the need to prepare schools for its implementation. Other suggested priorities included:

• Monitoring the mental health and post-16 destinations of the COVID cohort, given their unique educational experiences.
• Reviewing the youth services now that they are managed in-house.
• Continuing to monitor economic opportunities and outcomes for young people, particularly in light of the post-pandemic environment.
• Ensuring continued scrutiny of race equality in education, specifically for Black Caribbean and Mixed White & Black Caribbean pupils, to maintain improvements.
• Gathering qualitative data from foster carers to understand their challenges and how the council can better support them.
• Investigating school places planning, particularly in relation to birth rates and housing.

The committee agreed to note the completed work programmes and to forward these suggested priority items to the incoming committee for consideration.