Setting

Mr Peter Lewis Director of the Children and Young People's Service London Borough of Haringey 3rd Floor 48 Station Road Wood Green London N22 7TY

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Children’s services annual rating

Ofsted guidance published in May 2009 explained that the annual rating would derive from a new performance profile of the quality of services and outcomes for children and young people in each local area. This profile includes findings from across Ofsted’s inspection and regulation of services and settings for which the council has strategic or operational responsibilities, either alone or in partnership with others, together with data from the relevant Every Child Matters indicators in the new National Indicator Set (NIS).

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Children’s services annual rating

In considering the evidence in the profile to determine the children’s services rating for 2009 it has become clear that the continuing gaps in the data are significant, particularly those relating to aspects of social care and services for Looked After Children. Ofsted has decided therefore to use 2009 as a transitional year easing into the full application of the new system in 2010. As a consequence, although the performance profile remains central to Ofsted’s rating, we have interpreted the performance bands with flexibility and exercised professional judgement with caution.

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Children’s services annual rating

The annual rating derives from a four point scale:

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Children’s services annual rating

4 Performs excellently An organisation that significantly exceeds minimum requirements 3 Performs well An organisation that exceeds minimum requirements 2 Performs adequately An organisation that meets only minimum requirements 1 Performs poorly An organisation that does not meet minimum requirements

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Children’s services annual rating

Within each level there will be differing standards of provision. For example, a rating of ‘performs excellently’ does not mean all aspects of provision are perfect. Similarly, a rating of ‘performs poorly’ does not mean there are no adequate or even good aspects. Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 020-7421-6716 Direct F 020-7421-5715 juliet.winstanley@ofsted.gov.uk

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

Children’s services in the London Borough of Haringey perform poorly.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

While the overall effectiveness of the majority of the local authority’s inspected and regulated services and provision is good or outstanding, there are significant weaknesses in areas of social care provision.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

The special joint area review commissioned by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in 2008, judged safeguarding to be inadequate. Haringey has developed a joint area review action plan to meet the recommendations made. Ofsted’s July 2009 inspection of progress made in the provision of safeguarding services, found that although progress can be seen in some areas, the local authority and its partners have made limited progress overall in addressing the areas of weakness identified in the special joint area review. These weaknesses have played a pivotal role in determining the children’s service rating. Between 1 April 2007 and 15 July 2009 one serious review was conducted and Ofsted have evaluated this as good. The serious case review demonstrated poor inter-agency working.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

The overall effectiveness of nursery and secondary schools, and sixth form provision, are above average, with a high proportion of good and outstanding settings. There has been a reduction in the persistent absence rate from secondary schools and performance is also in line with similar areas and the national average. Achievement in the Early Years Foundation Stage is also showing improvement and is satisfactory. Provision for pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable in the four special schools and two pupil referral units is at least good. The fostering agency and private fostering arrangements are good.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

Performance against a very large majority of national indicators, including those for enjoying and achieving, is in line with or above similar areas and national figures. Sustained progress is being made in educational attainment at most key stages. This is especially notable at Key Stage 4, where the rate of improvement has been faster than the national average and performance is now broadly in line with similar areas and national figures.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

However, a lower than average proportion of childminding and childcare provision is good or outstanding and the proportion of primary schools that are good or better is below that of similar areas and the national average. Two of the three children’s homes are satisfactory and one is inadequate while the adoption agency is satisfactory.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

The difference in the performance of children and young people whose circumstances make them vulnerable and their peers, is still too wide, for example for the lowest achievers in the Early Years Foundation Stage, for pupils in receipt of free school meals and Black pupils at both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4. However, progress is being made in the proportion of young people from low income backgrounds achieving Level 2 and 3 qualifications by the age of 19 and there has been a very good reduction in the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

The children’s services rating is provided for the purpose of section 138 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. The rating of local authority children’s services will contribute significantly to the managing performance theme of each local authority’s Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) organisational assessment and therefore to the score for each local authority overall.

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Children’s services rating Performs poorly (1)

Juliet Winstanley Divisional Manager, CAA

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