Setting

Ms Eleni Ioannides Executive Director of Children's Services Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Athenaeum House Market Street Bury BL9 0BN

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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 well (3)

Children’s services in Bury Metropolitan Borough Council perform well.

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Children’s services rating Performs well (3)

A higher than average proportion of both primary and nursery provision is good or outstanding. Despite this good overall performance there are relative weaknesses in the provision for very young children, as a fewer proportion of childminders and childcare is good or better than is found in similar areas or nationally. Too many of the secondary schools are only satisfactory and the proportion of good or outstanding provision is fewer than the national average. Local authority fostering and adoption services are satisfactory but the private fostering service is inadequate.

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Children’s services rating Performs well (3)

Judgements for enjoying and achieving are good or better across the large majority of inspected and regulated services and settings. However, there are some weaknesses under the staying safe outcomes in the pupil referral unit and in the fostering service. Provision for looked after children and safeguarding was judged as adequate in the 2008 joint area review. There have been no serious case reviews since December 2008.

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Children’s services rating Performs well (3)

Performance against a large majority of national indicators, including those for staying safe and enjoying and achieving, is in line with similar areas and broadly in line with the national figure. Inspection evidence shows that a very large majority of secondary schools have good or outstanding behaviour, but the proportion of children and young people who are excluded from school is greater than that found in similar areas and nationally. Young people from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as the national average and sometimes their performance is better.

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Children’s services rating Performs well (3)

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 well (3)

Juliet Winstanley Divisional Manager, CAA

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