The Children's Select Committee of Wiltshire Council met on Friday 5 June 2026 to discuss a range of important issues concerning children's services. Key topics included updates on school Ofsted judgements, the Best Start in Life strategy, and the Families First Partnership Programme. The committee also reviewed education performance outcomes for secondary education and school attendance.

School Ofsted Judgements

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on Ofsted inspections in Wiltshire schools. The report detailed inspection outcomes for schools inspected between 10 November 2025 and 28 February 2026, using the new Education Inspection Framework (EIF). This framework evaluates schools across various areas, including safeguarding, inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, behaviour, personal development, and leadership. The report provided a comparative analysis of Wiltshire's inspection results against national data, highlighting that for the period covered, all 9 inspected Wiltshire schools were primary schools. The data indicated that most Wiltshire schools met the expected standard in most evaluation areas, with a notable proportion achieving a strong standard in personal development and well-being. However, one school was identified as needing attention across multiple areas and was receiving targeted support.

Department for Education Updates

An update was scheduled on developments relating to Children's Services arising from the Department for Education (DfE) for the period March to June 2026. This included information on government initiatives such as the extension of free NHS services for care leavers, expanded support for adopted children, new gender guidance for schools, and updated guidance for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. Wiltshire's position on these matters was outlined, noting the council's existing support for care leavers and welcoming government ambitions to strengthen adoption support. The council also indicated its support for the new gender guidance for schools, emphasising a careful, case-by-case approach and the importance of safeguarding. The HAF programme, known as FUEL in Wiltshire, was confirmed to have secured three-year funding, with plans to integrate it with school-age childcare. Updates were also provided on specialist SEND support, investment in kinship carers, stronger protections for children with allergies, the introduction of V Levels, tools to cut the stigma of child poverty, and improvements to school attendance for children with a social worker. The government's plan to remove high-sugar food from school menus and the enactment of children's reforms to save families money were also noted.

School Attendance Update

A report was scheduled to summarise progress towards the implementation of statutory guidance, Working Together to Improve School Attendance 2024, and related regulations. The Wiltshire Attendance Strategy 2026-2028, aiming for 97% attendance, was highlighted, with six strategic priorities including clear attendance pathways, robust data use, strong leadership, inclusion, targeted support, and communication. The Wiltshire Attendance Strategy Steering Group (WASSG) had commenced its work, bringing together various stakeholders. The report detailed progress on Targeted Support Meetings (TSMs) delivered by the Education Welfare Service (EWS), noting high completion rates for maintained schools and academies, and an increased engagement with independent schools and alternative provision. An EWS support offer for secondary schools, including policy reviews and analysis of persistently absent cases, was also underway. Attendance data for the 2024-2025 academic year and current data for 2025-2026 were presented, showing Wiltshire performing well compared to national and regional averages, although secondary school severe absence remained an area for focus. A range of multi-agency interventions were being employed to address severe absence.

Education Performance Outcomes for Secondary Education

The committee was to receive a report providing an analysis and commentary on the Key Stage 4 Education Performance Outcome Report for the academic year 2024-25. This report, drawing on DfE published data, aimed to evaluate performance against national averages, identify trends, highlight strengths and areas for improvement, and understand performance gaps for key pupil groups. Key strengths identified included an upward trend in EBacc entry and improving attainment for learners with CIN plans. Areas for improvement included overall EBacc entry remaining below national, particularly for disadvantaged learners and those with SEND, and persistent attainment gaps for disadvantaged learners. The report also detailed performance by key characteristics such as disadvantage, CIN status, EAL, ethnicity, SEN, and sex, noting that female learners generally outperformed male learners. The report acknowledged the local authority's limited direct influence over secondary school outcomes due to the prevalence of academies, emphasising the importance of partnership working.

Best Start in Life Strategy

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the Best Start in Life Plan 2026–2030. This plan outlines Wiltshire's long-term, partnership approach to improving outcomes for children from pregnancy to age five, focusing on strengthening early intervention, improving access to support, and reducing inequalities. The plan brings together local authority, health, education, and voluntary sector partners around shared priorities, including family support, early education and childcare, inclusion, and the quality of early years provision. Key strategic priorities included better support for families, accessible early education and childcare, and high-quality early years provision. The plan aimed to increase the percentage of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) and narrow the gap for disadvantaged children. Key risks, such as variable engagement from early years settings and workforce recruitment challenges, were identified, with proposed mitigations. The plan also detailed financial implications, with DfE funding allocated across several strands.

Families First Partnership Programme Update

An update was scheduled on the Families First Partnership Programme, a DfE initiative aimed at transforming family support and child protection. The programme's core objectives include establishing a seamless Family Help system, Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), and Family Led Decision-Making (FLDM). In Wiltshire, the approach is integrated within the Families and Children's Transformation (FACT) Programme, emphasising co-design, lived experience, relational practice, and data-informed decision-making. The report outlined Wiltshire's vision for Family Help, which integrates targeted early help and statutory Child in Need services, led by a Family Help Lead Practitioner. The One Plan approach aims to ensure families tell their story once, with a single assessment and plan. The Integrated Front Door arrangements were being reviewed to improve navigation and decision-making. Direct delivery would focus on key areas of demand, such as parenting support and neurodiversity, and would be supported by the Foundations Partner Place Programme. The Multi-Agency Child Protection Arrangements (MACPA) model was being developed to strengthen collaborative frameworks for responding to significant harm. Family Led Decision Making (FLDM) was being embedded across the continuum of need, building on existing Family Group Conferencing (FGC) and Family Network Meetings (FNMs).

Forward Work Programme

The committee was to note and receive updates on the progress of items on the Forward Work Programme. This included ongoing work by the Adoption West Joint Scrutiny Panel and the establishment of a Standing Task Group to review annual reports. Rapid scrutiny exercises were planned for the Local SEND Reform Plan, the development of a Youth Strategy, and the implementation plan for the Disadvantaged Learners Strategy. The agenda also listed forthcoming committee items, including reports on Young Carers, the Post 16 Skills White Paper, the Voice and Participation Service, the Child Poverty Strategy, Wiltshire Council's Annual Adoption Report, the Children and Education Roadmap, the Emotional Wellbeing Survey, the SVPP Annual Report, and the Education Outcomes Report (Primary). Future reviews were also scheduled for the Short Breaks Offer, Multi-Agency Child Protection Arrangements, and the 14-25 Service. Standing items for the committee included SEND, Ofsted Reports, and School Attendance.