New move to encourage more social mobility in Kent schools

Kent County Council’s Scrutiny Committee has established the Pupil Premium Select Committee.

The topic was proposed for consideration by Mrs Shellina Prendergast, Deputy Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education.

The Select Committee will be investigating the use of all types of Pupil Premium across the education sector in Kent.

The Committee is cross party and independent from the Council’s Executive.

It will gather information via a number of hearing sessions with relevant witnesses and the collection of written submissions from experts, interested stakeholders and the wider education sector.

“I firmly believe that no child – regardless of ability, special educational needs and disability or who is looked after should be left behind because of deprivation,” said Shellina Prendergast.

“It is my hope that the work of the Select Committee will identify best practice in how the £58 million per annum currently benefiting Kent’s most vulnerable learners is used, thereby giving Kent County Council a unique opportunity to enhance our Vulnerable Learners Strategy and its core principle of narrowing achievement gaps and promoting greater social mobility”.

The Terms of Reference were agreed at the Committee’s first formal meeting on 12 October:

Pupil Premium Select Committee – Terms of Reference

1. To contextualise the Pupil Premium (including Early Years Pupil Premium and Pupil Premium Plus) and to identify the groups of vulnerable learners who are currently supported by the Pupil Premium in Kent.
2. To assess the extent to which the Pupil Premium is currently effective in closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in Kent.
3. To identify best practice interventions and strategies where the Pupil Premium has been used successfully to narrow the attainment gap between vulnerable learners and their peers.
4. To recommend initiatives and strategies to improve the effectiveness of the Pupil Premium in raising the educational achievement of disadvantaged learners and in narrowing the attainment gap in Kent.

Chair of the committee, Councillor Lesley Game, said “Education is the greatest opportunity young people have to achieve life-long benefits but at present the life chances of some are greater than those open to others as social and economic conditions determine more than ever a child’s success in the education system and labour market.

“I feel honoured to chair this Committee whose aim is to inform policies aimed at narrowing the attainment gap and helping disadvantaged children and young people achieve the educational and life outcomes they deserve.”

To help the Committee gather as many views on this important issue as possible, KCC would welcome any written submissions on the subject of Pupil Premium.  If you would like to send information for the Committee to consider, please email [email protected] by 10^th November 2017.

Once all the information has been considered, the Committee will develop a report that puts forward recommendations to KCC’s Children, Young People and Education directorate to consider and implement where possible.

You find out more information about the Select Committee and read the published agendas here.