Setting

Mr Paul Greenhalgh Executive Director, Children, Young People and Learners London Borough of Croydon 7th Floor, Southside Taberner House Park Lane Croydon, London CR9 3JS

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Annual children’s services assessment

Ofsted guidance published in April 2011 explains that the annual assessment of children’s services is derived from the performance profile of the quality of services for children and young people in each local area. This performance profile includes findings from across Ofsted’s inspection and regulation of services and settings for which the local authority has strategic or operational responsibilities, either alone or in partnership with others, together with other published data.

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Annual children’s services assessment

In reaching the assessment of children’s services, Ofsted has taken account of inspection outcomes including the arrangements for making sure children are safe and stay safe and performance against similar authorities and/or national measures. More weight has been given to the outcomes of Ofsted’s inspections and regulatory visits (Blocks A and B in the performance profile).

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Annual children’s services assessment

The annual assessment derives from a four point scale:

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Annual children’s services assessment

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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Annual children’s services assessment

Within each level there will be differing standards of provision. For example, an assessment of ‘performs excellently’ does not mean all aspects of provision are perfect. Similarly, an assessment of ‘performs poorly’ does not mean there are no adequate or even good aspects. As in 2010, while the performance profile remains central to Ofsted’s assessment, meeting or not meeting the minimum requirements alone does not define the grade. The assessment has involved the application of inspector judgement. Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 Textphone 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 020 7421 6666 Direct F 020 7421 5633 Juliet.Winstanley@ofsted.gov.uk

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Children’s services assessment Performs well (3)

Children’s services in the London Borough of Croydon perform well and have improved since 2010 when they were assessed to perform adequately. As found elsewhere, changes to secondary provision are taking place and some schools have become academies. The previous inspection judgements for these schools have been taken into account in this assessment. The very large majority of services, settings and institutions inspected by Ofsted are good or better and the large majority help children and young people to do well in their learning and stay safe. Areas of strength remain largely as last year and there have been improvements in early years and childcare provision as well as the quality of secondary schools. The overall effectiveness of primary schools has improved marginally although more schools were inadequate during the period of the assessment.

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Children’s services assessment Performs well (3)

The unannounced inspection of contact, referral and assessment arrangements for children in need and children who may be in need of protection carried out in 2011 found one area of strength and several key areas for development. Although no aspect required immediate remedial action, two areas of development from the previous inspection had not been resolved.

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Strengths

ƒ Early years and childcare provision has improved and the large majority of both registered childminder and childcare settings are now good or better. Children’s centres are mostly good. ƒ For children under five the large majority of provision in nurseries and in primary schools is good or better although there has been no overall increase since the last assessment. The achievements of young children at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage improved well last year and are in line with similar areas and the country overall. Achievement for young children from families with low incomes is higher than the national average for such children and the gap between these children and their peers in Croydon is narrowing. The results of national tests for 11-year- olds are in line with the average for similar areas and the country overall although provisional results for 2011 indicate a small decline. ƒ Secondary schools have continued to improve and the large majority are

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Strengths

now good or better. The local authority’s sponsored academies programme has been particularly effective with three inspected academies now outstanding. Persistent absence has reduced steadily and is in line with the average for similar areas. At Key Stage 4 education standards for 16-year-olds have continued to improve and are at the average for similar areas and the national average. Young people from families with low incomes do better than average for the country overall as do those with special educational needs who follow the national curriculum. ƒ For young people over the age of 16, the very large majority of secondary school sixth forms are good or better and the general further education college is good. The number of 19-year-olds gaining level 2 or higher level qualifications are increasing as seen nationally and significantly more gain higher level qualifications equivalent to two good A levels. Achievements

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Strengths

are also improving for 19-year-olds from families with low incomes and these are now better than the national average. ƒ Specialist provision in pupil referral units has improved; four out of five are now good or better and none are inadequate. For looked after children, the local authority fostering agency is good as are the three children’s homes managed by the local authority.

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Areas for further improvement

ƒ Most aspects of the contact, referral and assessment arrangements for children in need and children who may be in need of protection are satisfactory. However, more needs to be done to embed partnership working, the quality of supervision of social workers continues to be variable and the use of the common inspection framework to support children and families continues to be underdeveloped. ƒ The quality of primary schools is satisfactory overall and although there has been an increase in schools judged to be good or better, more were judged to be inadequate during the period of the assessment. Two of these schools are now sponsored academies, however, and two function as federated schools under the leadership of one head teacher. ƒ Although all but two special schools are good or better this is fewer than in similar areas and one is inadequate. The latter is making satisfactory progress with appropriate support from the local authority.

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Areas for further improvement

ƒ For those over the age of 16, sixth form college provision is considerably weaker than elsewhere although one of the two colleges is no longer inadequate and the other is making reasonable progress in addressing weaknesses.

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Areas for further improvement

This children’s services assessment is provided in accordance with section 138 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

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Areas for further improvement

Juliet Winstanley Divisional Manager, Children’s Services Assessment

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