1

Hartlepool Education Commission Conference

17 September 2014

2

Hartlepool we have a problem

3

What the data says

• A relatively high proportion of children and young people are growing up in poverty and face multiple disadvantage.

• Baseline on entry to school well below national and statistical neighbour average

4

Primary Education

• Overall attainment at KS1 and KS2 is relatively high and the performance of non-FSM pupils was the best in the region in 2013.

• However ... the FSM gap for pupils at KS2 is very wide.

5

Secondary Education• Below average levels of attainment in

5 A*-C GCSE including English and mathematics against regional and national averages.

• FSM gap is worse than the regional average at KS4 and the North East is the worst performing region in the country.

• KS2-KS4 progress in Hartlepool Secondary Schools is amongst the worst in the region and the country.

6

Post 16 Education• Percentage of young people at age 19

qualified to level 3 significantly below national average.

• Percentage of Young people progressing to higher level apprenticeships below the national average.

• Participation and achievement in STEM subjects well below the national and regional average at A level.

7

Progression to Higher Level Qualifications

• Percentage of young people progressing to higher education well below the national average.

• Percentage of young people from low income backgrounds progressing to HE well below the national average.

8

What Ofsted says

• Percentage of pupils in good and outstanding primary schools above national average, however, the rate has remained static since 2011 against a 10% improvement nationally.

• Percentage of pupils attending good or outstanding secondary schools well below national and regional averages.

9

What Economists say

• Levels of youth unemployment amongst the worst in the country.

• Economic growth across the Tees Valley will require higher level skills for higher value jobs.

• Science qualifications will be at a premium.• Work readiness about qualifications and

attitudes, capabilities and communication.

10

What health experts are saying

• Proportion of obese children and adults significantly worse than the national and regional averages

• High levels of teenage conception rates• Immunisation and breastfeeding rates amongst

the lowest in the country• High rates of alcohol related admissions to

hospital amongst children and adults• Highest adult smoking rates in the region

11

What young people are saying• Education to employment pathways

– Careers advice– Work experience– Preparation for world of work and financial independence.

• A curriculum for life:– Emotional and physical wellbeing– Self worth, self esteem, self belief– Making healthy life choices

• Continuity and progression at key points of transition• Effective learning relationships between teachers and

students are key.

12

What schools are saying

• Disrupt cultural norms, raise aspirations and expectations, broaden horizons, motivate and inspire parents and children.

• Engage families and communities.• Recruit the best teachers and leaders.• Agree good and outstanding in the

Hartlepool context.

13

Everyone agrees ... Schools and teachers can be agents of

change

14

Not all doom and gloom

• Commitment and investment

• Evidence of bucking the trend

• Examples of excellence across the town

15

So what is to be done to achieve a step change?

16

If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended upon the solution, I

would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than

five minutes.

Albert Einstein

17

We have a problem to solve and the future of our town, region

and children and young people depends upon the solution.

18

Emerging Questions• How do we close the gap in white working class

underachievement?

• How do we improve participation, teaching and higher level achievement in STEM, particularly science.

• How do we collaborate across agencies to support the early cognitive and language development of children?

19

• How can we recruit, retain and support the best teachers and leaders?

• How can we engage with parents and carers in better supporting their children’s learning and aspirations?

• How can we broaden the horizons of children and young people and help them make important decisions about their future careers and job prospects?

20

• How can we help children and young people develop the values, self worth, esteem, optimism and resilience that are important for emotional and physical wellbeing?

• How can we minimise the risks at transition and promote effective learning, continuity and progress.

21

What will it take?

• Collective action• Shared responsibility• Mutual and intelligent accountability• Shared goals• Problem solving• Resilience

22

• Professional trust• Identifying, introducing and building on existing

good practice• Innovation and scaling up solutions to common

problems across networks within and outside of Hartlepool

• Thinking and acting differently• New relationships in a changing landscape• Defining, agreeing and doing the work• One town, one vision, one plan

23

There is only us ....