Setting

Mr Andrew Christie Executive Director of Children's Services Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Room 229, Kensington Town Hall Hornton Street London W8 7NX

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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

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Annual children’s services assessment

3 Performs well An organisation that exceeds minimum requirements

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Annual children’s services assessment

2 Performs adequately An organisation that meets only minimum requirements

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Annual children’s services assessment

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 excellently (4)

Children’s services in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea perform excellently. This performance has been sustained from 2010 to 2011. Most services, settings and institutions inspected by Ofsted are good or outstanding and none are now inadequate. Provision of very high quality helps children and young people to learn and stay safe. Educational attainment at the age of five, 11, 16 and 19, is at least average and continues to improve. Attainment for key vulnerable groups is well above average and gaps have mostly closed well. Areas of strength remain largely the same as last year, with more provision that is good or outstanding. Progress has been made in the key areas for further development identified in 2010.

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Children’s services assessment Performs excellently (4)

In 2011, Ofsted’s unannounced inspection of contact, referral and assessment arrangements for children in need and children who may be in need of protection found significant strengths and many satisfactory aspects of practice. Areas for development included one from the previous inspection in 2010 that has not yet been fully embedded. There were no priority actions requiring urgent attention.

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Strengths

ƒ The large majority of early years and childcare is good or outstanding and shows further improvement since last year. One children’s centre is outstanding and the other is good. ƒ The very large majority of early years provision in nursery and primary schools is good or outstanding and shows an increase from 2010. Average achievement for five-year-olds at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage has improved quickly and above the national rate over the last four years. ƒ The very large majority of primary schools are good or outstanding and show further improvement. Eleven-year-olds make good progress and standards are above average. Provisional results for 2011 show good improvement on the previous year and attainment is now well above the national average. ƒ All four secondary schools remain good or outstanding and one has improved from good to outstanding since 2010. All have good or outstanding standards of behaviour. The poor attendance by some young

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Strengths

people is reducing, which was identified as a key area for further development in 2010. At the age of 16, the proportion of young people achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics has risen more quickly than nationally over the last four years. Those from low-income families do exceptionally well, showing the highest attainment nationally in 2010. The gap with their peers, one of the smallest in the country, continues to close. Attainment for young people with special educational needs is well above average and the gap with their peers is closing. For minority ethnic groups, attainment is well above or above average and gaps are small or closing. ƒ All provision after the age of 16 is good or outstanding, with one of the two school sixth forms improving from good to outstanding since 2010. Young people in education, employment and training are increasing steadily and include average numbers of care leavers. Average and

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Strengths

increasing numbers of 19-year-olds gain higher level qualifications and below average but steadily increasing numbers gain qualifications at level 2. Achievement for young people from low-income families is the highest nationally at both levels and gaps with their peers have closed very well. ƒ For young people not in mainstream education, all provision in special schools, including the two run by independent providers, is good or outstanding. ƒ For looked after children, all arrangements for adoption and fostering are good or outstanding, as are both children’s homes. Of the services commissioned by the local authority, the large majority of providers are good or better, including the majority of children’s homes.

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Areas for further improvement

ƒ Although the very small amount of inadequate provision has now been eliminated, 40% of childminders remain only satisfactory, showing performance that is just below similar areas and nationally. ƒ The pupil referral unit is only satisfactory.

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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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