Agenda item

To receive the report of the Director, Education and Inclusion Services, which considers the impact and potential extension of the Family Engagement Officer (FEO) pilot currently in six secondary/through schools to help tackle school attendance.

The Director, Education and Inclusion Services presented the report to Cabinet which sought to consider the impact and potential extension of the Family Engagement Officer (FEO) pilot currently in six secondary/through schools to help tackle barriers to engagement in education.

The Director advised that following Cabinet’s approval on 13^th February 2020 to fund a pilot across six secondary/through schools, the role of the Family Engagement Officer had been invaluable and had supported improvement in a number of key areas such as attendance and learner and family wellbeing. The Director advised that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was difficult to acquire data in respect of the role’s impact on attendance and therefore a full rollout of the role was not requested but the Director felt it would be beneficial to consider the impact of the roles in some of the primary settings with pupils from high deprivation areas and with low historic attendance.

Based on a simple ranking/scoring system of those with the highest percentage of pupils living within the top 20% of deprived communities as identified in the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation and the ranking of overall attendance in the last complete academic year in 2018/19, the Director proposed that the following primary schools were included within the pilot:

·       Pontygwaith Primary School;

• Penywaun Primary School;
• Perthcelyn Community Primary School;
• Trealaw Primary School;
• Maerdy Primary School;
• Penrhys Primary School;
• Pontrhondda Primary School;
• Tref-y-Rhyg Primary School;
• Tylorstown Primary School;
• Heol y Celyn Primary School;
• Pengeulan Primary School;
• Penpych Primary School; and
• Penrhiwceibr Primary School.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Inclusion took the opportunity to thank officers for the detailed report. The Cabinet Member was pleased with the initiative and acknowledged that despite the inability to fully measure or gauge improvements in school attendance due to the pandemic, all six secondary schools reported some improvement in attendance and in engaging learners. 

The Cabinet Member was in support of the rationale detailed within the report and commented that there was a need to continue with the roles in the secondary sector, in order to improve attendance levels and to support wellbeing. Referring to Appendix 2 of the report, the Cabinet Member was of the view that there was justification in piloting the roles in primary schools where, particularly in the most deprived areas, the pandemic had had a significant impact on attendance.

The Deputy Leader was in support of the proposals and subject to Cabinet approval, questioned when the additional schools would be informed of the pilot. The Director informed the Cabinet that contact had been made with the schools and agreement of the match funding had been made in principle, pending Cabinet’s decision.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services noted that non-attendance was often linked with vulnerable families and emphasised the importance of the role in addressing the different scenarios experienced by families which may then affect attendance and wellbeing.

The Cabinet RESOLVED:

1.    To note the information contained in the report;

2.    To agree to the extension of the Family Engagement Officer pilot programme in six secondary/through schools for an additional 12-month period until August 2021; and

3.    To agree to the introduction of a primary phase pilot for 24-months within thirteen primary schools.