Schools
Walsall outperforms national averages across key areas in education
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A report going to Council outlines key areas where Walsall is outperforming national averages in education.
Councillor Pardeep Kaur, Portfolio Holder for Education and Skills at Walsall Council, will present a report to members on Monday 13 January 2025.
Looking back at key successes over the last twelve months, the report also sets out three key priorities for the next year.
Key successes include the quality of education in Walsall, the timeliness of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan assessments, and the attainment of children and young people in care.
In October 2024, data from the Department for Education showed a higher proportion of schools in Walsall have been graded to be ‘Good’ or better by Ofsted than the national average. 91% of Walsall schools are now graded to be ‘Good’ or better, compared to 90.4%, which is the national average for the headline overall judgement.
These statistics reflect the improvement in the quality of education children and young people receive in Walsall.
Children and young people in care are performing better than national averages too, in all but one of the key stages. Key stage 2 writing is on par with the national average.
The report explains that timely assessments of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans remain a priority. The council has been committed to completing more EHC plan assessments within the statutory 20-week timeframe.
An EHC plan is for children and young people who need more support than what is available through special educational needs support. EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs, and set out what support will be provided to meet those needs for children.
80% of EHC plan assessments are now completed within the statutory 20-week timeframe in Walsall, compared to the national average of 50%.
In the last 12 months, the council has created an additional 73 places in special schools, and a further 10 in one of its Pupil Referral Units (PRU).
“ I’m really looking forward to presenting this report to members next week.
The data speaks for itself in terms of the significant impact we’ve had this year, and highlights key areas where Walsall is bucking national trends and outperforming other parts of the country.
Our children and young people are receiving a high-quality education, and it’s showing in their attainment too. We’re supporting our children and young people with additional needs and will continue to do so as an absolute priority.
In terms of other priorities, we want to ensure all children and young people have a sense of belonging at school and in their communities, so they can achieve their best, and we will be working with partners to produce a skills strategy for the borough, to prepare all young people for the world of work and adulthood.
None of the progress we’ve made this year could have been achieved by the council alone, and we will continue to work closely with our schools and Walsall’s Learning Alliance to ensure that children feel like they belong, like they are supported, and are ready for their next stage of learning and education throughout their entire childhood. “
The Council meeting will take place on Monday 13 January 2025 at 6pm. It is a public meeting.
Details about how the public can access the meeting and associated papers can be found on the council’s website.
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