Setting

Mr Paul Robinson Director of Education London Borough of Wandsworth Third Floor, Town Hall Extension Wandsworth High Street London SW18 2PU

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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 excellently (4)

Children’s services in the London Borough of Wandsworth perform excellently. This performance has been sustained from 2010 to 2011. As found elsewhere, changes to secondary provision are taking place and one school has become an academy. The previous inspection judgement for this school has been taken into account in this assessment. The very large majority of services, settings and institutions inspected by Ofsted are good or better overall and provision of high quality helps children and young people learn and stay safe. Areas of strength remain as last year. The overall effectiveness of secondary schools, which was an area for improvement in 2010, has improved.

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Children’s services assessment Performs excellently (4)

An 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 significant strengths with only two areas for development and no areas for priority action.

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Strengths

ƒ Provision for early years and childcare has improved and is now mostly good, as is the children’s centre. ƒ For children under five, provision in nurseries and primary schools has improved well and the very large majority is good or better. Achievement by very young children at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently higher than the averages in similar areas and nationally and improving. Very young children from families with low incomes also consistently do better than the same group nationally and the gap between them and their peers in the borough is narrowing well. ƒ The very large majority of primary schools are good or better, none are inadequate and overall effectiveness has improved further since last year. Standards achieved by 11-year-olds in national tests are higher than in similar areas, much higher than they are nationally and improving at a faster rate. ƒ Secondary schools have improved in their overall effectiveness since the

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Strengths

last assessment and a third are now outstanding with none inadequate. Three-quarters of schools now have good or outstanding behaviour and persistent absence has reduced dramatically over the past five years and is now lower than in similar areas. Standards achieved by 16-year-olds in national tests have improved well and are in line with similar areas and higher than the national average. Attainment for those from families with low incomes at this age is improving steadily, is much higher than average nationally and the gap with others in Wandsworth is consistently narrower than for the country overall. For Asian young people and those of mixed heritage, attainment is improving steadily and is higher than the national averages for the same groups. ƒ The large majority of provision for learning after the age of 16 is good or better with a good general further education college and an outstanding sixth form college. Educational achievements for young people by the age

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Strengths

of 19 are improving faster than elsewhere and standards are in line with similar areas. Those from families with low incomes consistently do well in comparison to the same group nationally and are catching up with their peers in the borough. ƒ For those requiring specialist provision, the quality of schools has improved further with seven out of eight special schools and two out of three pupil referral units now outstanding and the remainder good. Young people with special educational needs who follow the national curriculum consistently do much better than average nationally and the gap with others in the borough is narrowing against a widening gap nationally. ƒ Children’s homes and the local authority fostering agency are all good as they were last year and the adoption agency has improved and is now outstanding. Where the local authority commissions services, the large majority of children are placed in good or better children’s homes.

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Areas for further improvement

ƒ Although registered childminder and day care settings have improved overall a third continue to be only satisfactory. ƒ Although educational attainment for 16-year-olds of Black heritage is in line with similar young people nationally, the gap with others of the same age in Wandsworth is not narrowing.

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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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