Archived decisions

Contact: Felicity Roe 01962 846374.

1. Summary

1.1. The Ofsted Action Plan is a statutory document, and was prepared in the summer 2001 in response to the recommendations in the Ofsted report (May 2001). A copy of the monitoring document is attached as Appendix 1.

1.2. Education Management Team have monitored progress against the Ofsted Action Plan on a 6 monthly basis. The first annual review showed that the vast majority of actions in response to the recommendations had been completed and that where an action was the establishment of an ongoing process, that systems were in place to ensure the activity continued.

1.3. PRC are invited to consider progress against the actions in the Ofsted Action Plan (Appendix 1) and then `sign off' the document. The Education Department Management Team will then continue to monitor progress against those very few actions marked Amber or Red in the plan until they are completed.

2. Background

2.1. The Ofsted report on Hampshire County Council (May 2001) was very favourable, with a limited number of recommendations. The statutory action plan in response to those recommendations was prepared to the required deadline.

2.2. The activities in the action plan have been integrated into other operational and planning processes in the department, and do not stand alone within the action plan. However, Education Management Team have monitored them as an independent set of activities to ensure they were being progressed with alacrity.

2.3. At the first annual monitoring report in the Autumn, EDMT agreed that the vast majority of activities were either completed, or well embedded in ongoing processes.

2.4. EDMT have therefore decided that future monitoring will be restricted to those very few activities that have not progressed as quickly as had been hoped. Education PRC may also wish to recommend to EDMT that some of the other activities continue to be monitored.

2.5. Reporting on the action plan has been through a `traffic light' system:

Green - action progressing well.

Amber - action started, but progressing slower than anticipated.

Red - action not yet started due to delays

Blue - action completed

Purple - action deleted on EDMT decision, because of duplication or changing circumstances and needs.

2.6. The colour codes are written in the margins of the document in Appendix 1.

2.7. Those actions that are still on `amber' or `red' are:

· Rec.2e. (2c) Amber: Through Hampshire Governor Representative Group and County Governor Forum work with governors to increase the awareness of the value of governor investment in headteacher training and development.

At the level of individual appointments, contact has been made , and discussion have taken place with secondary chairs of governors to secure their commitment to support of the LEA's revised induction and purchased services for newly appointed secondary headteachers. Further work is needed, however, to raise awareness generally.

· Rec. 4b. (2f) Amber: Target to have 2 EBD schools accredited to provide outreach services to mainstream and other special schools by December 2002.

The six schools concerned are developing their internal systems and will be encouraged to apply for accreditation when they are ready.

· Rec 4b. (2g) Amber: Co-ordinate outreach from special schools with other measures set out within the Behaviour Support Action Plan.

At present only one special school is providing outreach, in Andover, as part of the multi-agency behaviour support initiative. Work on this is vital as part of progress towards accreditation.

3. Recommendation

That the Executive member for Education be advised that the Education PRC endorses the completion of the majority of the actions in the Ofsted Action Plan and would recommend that the Executive member `signs off' the plan, subject to further Education Department Management Team monitoring of those very few activities not yet completed.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB The list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE FILE