12. IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND LEARNING

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1 12. IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND LEARNING INTRODUCTION There is a positive link between educational attainment and health (1). Evidence suggests that increased time in the educational system and higher educational attainment is associated with better overall health status and healthier lifestyle behaviours (2). Education builds skills, confidence and learning, that are transferable when making healthrelated decisions and accessing preventative services. Education helps to promote and sustain healthy lifestyle choices; supports and nurtures human development and human relationships; and supports the development of personal, family and community wellbeing (2)(3)(4). Research demonstrates that socio-economic group and income have an impact on health status and educational achievement. However, the direct contribution of educational attainment towards health status is equal to, if not greater than, the impact of income. Thus, promoting educational attainment is crucial because it is a key determinant of future socio-economic opportunity, wellbeing and health across the population (2). Key features of the child population in Islington Approximately 40,500 children and young people (0-19 years) live in Islington (one fifth of the total population). 44% of children and young people are from BME groups, and this is expected to rise. 43% of children consider English as their second language. Approximately 120 languages are spoken in Islington s schoolchildren s homes. 43% of children live in households claiming benefits. 25% of children live in council housing. Of these approximately 40% live in overcrowded conditions. Over 40% of children live in workless households. 36% of children live in lone parent households. There are about 1,400 children with disabilities and over 400 with severe and complex needs. 1

2 29.7% of school children have been identified as having special educational needs (SEN) and 3.2% have a statement of SEN, slightly above the London average of 2.7%. Each year around 2,300 children needing some form of intervention to ensure they achieve a reasonable standard of health or development are referred to Children s Services. Of these children 28% have been exposed to domestic violence, 10% have parents with substance misuse problems, 11% have a parent with mental health problems and 7% have a parent with a history of violence. Islington has an average of 140 children at any one time in need of child protection because they are at risk of ongoing significant harm resulting from the care they receive. There is an average of 320 children looked after in care at any one time, predominantly for reasons associated with abuse or neglect. Children in care tend to have poorer educational and health outcomes compared to children who are not looked after and one in five are likely to have a mental health problem. THE ISLINGTON PICTURE The following presents data on the educational outcomes of children attending Islington schools. Many resident children attend local schools in neighbouring boroughs and similar numbers of non-islington residents attend Islington schools Foundation Stage (Assessment at 5 years old) Outcomes for Foundation Stage Islington children are lower than national averages. Thirty seven per cent achieved a benchmark score * compared to 52% nationally. Raising overall attainment levels is a priority. This may be achieved by considering the gap between the 20% lowest performing children and all children. In 2009 this gap was 38.2%, higher than the national gap of 33.9% (Table 12.1). * 78+ points plus six or more points for all Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication, Language and Literacy assessments. 2

3 Table 12.1: Outcomes of pupils at Foundation Stage in 2008 and 2009 Benchmark score * Gap between 20% lowest performers and all children Islington Statistical Neighbours National Figures are the median value of Islington s statistical neighbours 2. Figures show the difference between the mean of the bottom quintile and the median of the total cohort Source: DCSF: Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Results in England, 2008/09 Key Stage 1 (Assessment at 7 years old) In 2009, the proportion of Islington s children achieving Level 2 or above (benchmark score for comparisons) was higher in Reading, Writing and Maths (Table 12.2). In addition, Islington s rank position rose across almost all measures. Table 12.2: rate of pupils attaining Level 2+ at KS1 (2004 & 2009) in reading, writing and maths Reading Writing Maths Change Change Change Islington National Source: Cambridge Education: Summary of results KS Key Stage 2 (Assessment at 11 years old) The provisional proportion of pupils achieving Level 4 or above (benchmark score for comparisons) in 2009 was 70%, similar to Over the same period, the figures for England and London fell by one percentage point over the same period, which means that Islington s rank position among all local authorities in England rose by nine places. Table 12.3 shows that Islington has improved much faster than the national position and children are now attaining close to the national average overall. 3

4 Table 12.3: of pupils attaining Level 4+ at Key Stage 2 in English, Maths and Science, 2004 and 2009 English Maths Science Change Change Change Islington Statistical Neighbours National Statistical neighbours figures are median of each local authority results Source: DCSF Key Stage 2 results 2008/2009 Key Stage 4 (Assessment at 16 years old) The percentage of children achieving 5 A* to C GCSEs and 5 A* to G GCSEs or equivalent grades has increased over the past five years, but is below national averages (Tables 12.4a and 12.4b). The proportion of students achieving 5 A* to C grades including English and Maths has risen from 28.9 in 2004 (first year of measurement of this indicator) to 45. Table 12.4a: of pupils attaining 5+ A* to C grades at KS4 (GCSE & equivalent) 2004 and 2009 (provisional) 5+ A* to C GCSEs or equivalent qualifications including a C or higher in both English and Maths 5+ A* to C GCSEs or equivalent qualifications Change Change Islington Statistical Neighbours National Figures are the median value of Islington s statistical neighbours figures use the number of 15 year olds as the denominator, the 2009 use the number of year 11 pupils. Source: DCSF: GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2008/09 Final 4

5 Table 12.4b: of pupils attaining 5+ A*to G grades at KS4 (GCSE & equivalent) 2004 and 2009 (provisional) 5+ A* to G GCSEs or equivalent qualifications including a C pass or higher in both English and Maths 5+ A* to G GCSEs or equivalent qualifications Change Change Islington Statistical Neighbours National Figures are the median value of Islington s statistical neighbours figures use the number of 15 year olds as the denominator, the 2009 use the number of year 11 pupils. Source: DCSF: GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2008/09 Final Attainment at 19 years old Attainment at 19 is assessed by tracking young people in attendance in Islington schools at the end of Year 9 (i.e. age 14). This includes some non-resident Islington young people and others who continue education outside Islington at 16. Table 12.5 shows the destinations of school leavers in attendance at Islington schools at the end of Year 9. Table 12.5: Main destination of 2008 Year 11 school leavers (number and percentage), Islington and Central London Employment In learning NEET* Unknown Number % Number % Number % Number % Survey Total Islington Islington Central London *NEET= Not in employment, education or training Source: Islington School Leavers Activity Survey 2008, I&P Team, Children s Services Table 12.6 shows attainment of Level 2 qualification (e.g. GCSE grade A* to C, BTEC 1 st Diploma or Certificate, NVQ Level 2) of 19 year olds in attendance at Islington schools at the end of Year 9. This represents how well schools prepared their students for further education rather than how well local young people are doing. Increasing numbers of resident young people are staying on in education after 16. 5

6 Table 12.6: of pupils achieving a Level 2 qualification by age 19, who were previously in Islington secondary schools, Change Islington Greater London Central London Statistical Neighbours National Average Source: DCSF Statistical First Release March 2009 In 2008, 34.2% of young people attained Level 3 qualification (A levels and equivalents) by the age of 19 (table 12.7): an increase of 9 percentage points since The percentage attaining Level 3 qualification remains below national and London averages. Table 12.7: of pupils achieving a Level 3 qualification by age 19, who were previously in Islington secondary schools, 2004 to Change Islington Statistical Neighbours London Central All London England Source: DCSF Statistical First Release March 2009 Looking at the attainment gap between children eligible for free school meals (from low income families) and their peers, it appears that Islington students compare favourably at this age with similar students in London and nationally. Table 12.8 shows that the gap in Islington is 1%, compared to 25% nationally. 6

7 Table 12.8: gap between FSM students and all students at 19, who were previously in Islington secondary schools, Change Islington Statistical Neighbours Central London All London National Average Source: DCSF Statistical First Release March 2009 Pupil absence rates and exclusions Table 12.9 below shows rates of total absence for the last four years: Table 12.9: of pupil absences, Islington, to * Primary Secondary *Note the 2008/09 data is based on the autumn 08 and spring 09 terms and the final figure is likely to be lower. Source: Cambridge Education and DCSF Absence rates for looked-after children have halved from 18% in 2004 to 9% in Both permanent exclusion rates in Islington schools and fixed-term exclusions for secondary schools were higher than averages for London and England. However, the rate of permanent exclusions has almost halved in the 2008/09 academic year. Progression to Higher Education The number of students progressing to Higher Education (institutions which award degrees or professional qualifications - largely universities) from Islington institutions has risen significantly since 2004, (Table 12.10), with the rate of acceptance similar to the London average. 7

8 Table 12.10: Applications to higher education courses and acceptances from Islington institutions, % Change Number Applied Number Accepted Acceptance rate percentage Acceptances percentage - London Average Source: UCAS Aimhigher CLP report, 2009 While uptake of Level 3 courses is improving, few young people from Islington schools are starting Level 3 courses and of those who do, few are obtaining the necessary qualifications for university. In conclusion, educational attainment in Islington schools is improving and the gap with national performance has narrowed in recent years, although some disparities remain at secondary level compared with national performance. WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES? Children eligible for Free School Meals Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility is used as a proxy for identifying children from poorer backgrounds. The rate of FSM eligibility in Islington is around 2.5 times the national rate. The attainment of FSM pupils is generally lower than their peers, although, the performance of FSM pupils in Islington at KS4 is higher than that for England (table 12.11), and the gap between FSM pupils and their peers is smaller (5.6% in 2008) than for England (27.8% in 2008). Table 12.11: Comparison of attainment at KS4 by pupils eligible for free school meals and those not eligible, Islington and England, A*-C grades including English and Mathematics England Islington FSM NFSM Difference FSM NFSM Difference Note: Figures in Italics are local data Source: Cambridge Education 8

9 Gender Historically the performance of boys has been a concern with a lag at each key stage, most markedly in literacy. Table 12.12a shows that in recent years the gap at KS2 has increased, however, at KS4 in 2009 boys attainment exceeded that of girls (Table 12.12b). Table 12.12a: Comparison of girls and boys attainment at key stage 2, Islington and England, achieving Level 4+ in English and Maths England Islington Boys Girls All Boys Girls All Source: DCSF (England and back data) and local data sources (LBI 2009) Table 12.12b: Comparison of girls and boys attainment at Key Stage 4, Islington and England, achieving 5+ A*-C grades including English and Maths England Islington Boys Girls All Boys Girls All Source: DCSF (England and back data) Children from different ethnic groups The Islington school population is extremely diverse. Raising educational achievement across Islington must consider the differences across ethnic groups. Targeted action to address performance needs of specific ethnic groups is being provided and this has led to significant improvements: Children with special educational needs (SEN) Table shows that at KS2 the percentage of SEN pupils reaching Level 4 or above for both the English and Maths tests increased by 11.4% between 2005 and The equivalent figure for KS4 more than doubled from 6.8% to 18%. 9

10 Table 12.13: of pupils with special educational needs achieving benchmark at KS2 and KS4, Islington, 2005 and KS2 (Level 4+ in English & Maths) KS4 (5+ A*-C incl. English & Maths) Source: DCSF (England and back data) and local data sources (LBI 2009) Looked after children Educational attainment data of looked after children is important given the vulnerability of this group. The numbers of looked after children in Islington schools at each key stage is small therefore results are difficult to interpret accurately, however, data suggests that in 20008/09, at key stages 1, 2 and 4, Islington s looked after children performed better than the national average. Teenage parents Islington s rate for teenage pregnancy has fallen since 2001, but is substantially higher than London and England averages. Educational outcomes for teenage parents are poor, relative to other groups. In quarter one of 2009/10, 23.5% of teenage (16-19 years) were in education, employment or training, with over 14% in learning. Young offenders Young offenders educational outcomes are poor relative to other groups. In , just 58.7% of young offenders aged were in education, employment or training. Young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETS) and in Education, Employment and Training (EETS) An indicator of economic wellbeing for young people is the proportion of NEETs. This is measured in relation to Islington residents regardless of where they went to school. Islington s rate (7.7%) is high compared to the Central London average of 6.6% but has fallen from 16% in Vulnerable young people are disproportionately represented in NEETS statistics, as are white young men. Young people aged years with learning difficulties or disabilities are over-represented in NEETs with four times as many NEET compared to the whole group. 10

11 FUTURE NEED The local authority is responsible for providing sufficient school places for local children. There are currently surplus places available in Islington schools, although popular schools are over-subscribed. Projected demand for primary places until 2015 suggests that there will be surplus places, despite new housing developments. Based on current numbers and projections in line with the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, it is expected that there will be sufficient secondary school places. Special school provision Within Islington, the proportions of children and young people with educational needs and are similar to national levels. Evidence suggests that the number of young people with a moderate to profound disability will increase by 1% per annum for the next 15 years, because of growing numbers of children with complex disabilities surviving into adulthood, increased numbers of school age children with autistic spectrum disorder and greater disability prevalence among some minority ethnic populations It may be necessary to increase the number of places available at one or more of special schools within the next five years. Each of the newly co-located special schools has physical capacity to increase places. SERVICES CURRENTLY PROVIDED IN ISLINGTON There are many education settings across the maintained, private and voluntary and community sectors in Islington. 16 Children s Centres (including three nursery schools). 45 primary schools. Three special schools. One all-through (5-19) academy, Eight secondary schools. One secondary academy. Most post-16 places are provided at City and Islington College. In May 2009 there were 23,080 children accessing education up to 16 in Islington, 3,130 in free early years education settings, and 19,950 in schools. Most resident children attend primary school (up to age 11) in the borough, while a lower proportion remain for secondary schooling (up to age 16), with approximately 75% of year olds in Islington schools. 11

12 OFSTED reports show that 75% of Islington primary schools are good or better. In addition, the Contextual Value Added (CVA) score in Islington primary schools was the second highest in London and the second highest in England in No school in Islington is regarded as requiring special measures. The main budgets for addressing educational attainment include the following: Sure Start Grant 8m Dedicated Schools Grant: 120m Additional Grants 23m School Support Contract including Pupil Referral Units 11m Total: 162m OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT Islington has high aspirations for the borough s children and young people. The priority is to ensure that every child gets a good start in life and becomes equipped with skills and knowledge to make the best life choices regardless of background or home environment. There is a special emphasis on ensuring that vulnerable children and young people in public care benefit from Islington s plans to improve educational achievement. The focus is on promoting higher achievers as good role models for other children and reducing the numbers of children leaving school with no qualifications. Addressing the educational challenges for Islington requires effective partnership working across all partners services and agencies to ensure children, young people, and parents are all actively involved RECOMMENDATIONS To provide the best start in life for young children and support their learning, development and achievement through an outstanding range of Early Years settings with associated excellent Children s Services building on the Children s Centre model and best practice nationally and internationally. To raise standards of achievement and attainment - to narrow the gap in attainment between different groups in the borough and meet or exceed the best 12

13 To positively change the life chances of the most disadvantaged members of the community with a specific emphasis on improving the pathways into education, employment and training for young people. To build on the strength of our schools and educational settings and support and challenge them to move from good to great so that we have outstanding provision across all phases of education. To support community capacity, social cohesion and wellbeing through schools and Children s Centres that are fit for purpose and provide centres of learning for their communities. REFERENCE LIST (1) Asthana S, Halliday J. What works in tackling health inequalities? Pathways, policies and practice throughout the lifecourse, Bristol: The Policy Press (2) Feinstein L, Sabates R, Anderson TM. What are the effects of education on health? In: Measuring the effects on health and civic engagement: Proceedings of the Copenhagan Symposium. 2006:p (3) Feinstein L. Quantitative Estimates of the Social Benefits of Learning, 2: Health (Depression and Obesity). Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report (4) Lawlor DA, Batty G, Morton S, Clark H, Macintyre S, Leon D. Childhood socioeconomic position, educational attainment, and adult cardiovascular risk factors: the Aberdeen children of the 1950s cohort study. American Journal of Public Health. 2005;95 (7). 13