The Family and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Northumberland Council met on Thursday 3 September 2026. The committee reviewed the annual report of the School Improvement Team, discussed the Best Start in Life Plan, and examined attendance rates across the county.

Annual Report of the School Improvement Team

The committee reviewed the annual report of the School Improvement Team, which detailed their activities during the 2025-2026 academic year. Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, highlighted the team's crucial role in supporting schools, particularly as the local authority stepped in to fund the service after government funding was withdrawn. Dave Cookson, Head of School Improvement, presented the report, noting that Ofsted had introduced a new inspection framework in November 2025, making direct comparisons with previous grades difficult. He explained that 53% of Northumberland schools utilised the support of a School Improvement Partner, and that the team had also supported schools in Cumbria and North Tyneside. In response to the growth of academisation, alliances of schools had been established to foster professional development and collaboration.

Members raised concerns about Haydon Bridge High School, which is in its second year of the RISE programme. It was confirmed that while the RISE programme had a positive impact, the Local Authority would continue to offer support if the school required it. Concerns were also voiced about the negative public perception of Haydon Bridge, which some parents and pupils did not recognise. Officers acknowledged these concerns and encouraged parents to contact the school directly. It was also confirmed that schools in special measures receive more frequent Ofsted visits, with reports published online. The committee agreed to the following recommendations: review the team's performance, comment on its ability to support leadership, give further direction to the team, and note the impact of Department for Education funding changes.

Best Start in Life Plan

The committee discussed the new Best Start in Life Plan for 2026-2028, introduced by Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson. Kay Summers, Early Years Adviser, presented the plan, outlining its ambitious targets, including an aim for 78.2% of children to achieve a good level of development by 2028, an increase from the previous year. The plan builds on existing work and aims to integrate services to improve outcomes for young children. Five key priorities were detailed: narrowing the attainment gap for disadvantaged children, supporting communication and language development, promoting emotional, mental, and physical well-being, ensuring inclusive practice for children with SEND, and improving data sharing.

Members discussed the challenges faced by children living in cramped housing conditions, and officers assured them that the family hub model and targeted support for emotional, mental, and physical well-being would help address these issues. The expansion of early years education and childcare provision, along with grant funding for families experiencing hardship, was also highlighted. The committee noted the information presented in the report.

Attendance Rates in Northumberland

David Street, Director of Education, SEND and Skills, presented an overview of attendance performance in Northumberland during the 2024-2025 academic year and provisional figures for 2025-2026. While overall and persistent absence rates had decreased, severe absence had increased, a trend mirrored nationally. The report detailed the Local Authority's attendance improvement activities, including working with schools on bespoke action plans, providing training for governors, and increasing the capacity of the Education Welfare Service.

Members expressed gratitude for the graphs illustrating attendance trends and noted the concerning rise in severe absence. They were assured that individual barriers to attendance were identified and addressed through reasonable adjustments made in liaison with schools. The committee discussed the challenges of supporting SEND pupils and those experiencing anxiety-related school avoidance, with officers confirming that schools were encouraged and expected to make reasonable adjustments. The report also touched upon the impact of exclusions on attendance data, with temporary exclusions counted as absences, while permanent exclusions removed pupils from the roll. The committee agreed to the following recommendations: noting the attendance performance achieved during 2024/25, noting the provisional attendance position for 2025/26, recognising the continued challenge presented by severe absence and attendance within specialist settings, supporting the ongoing programme of attendance improvement activity delivered in partnership with schools and other agencies, and noting the priorities identified for 2026/27. Further data is to be provided at the next annual report to show geographical statistics.

Reports of the Scrutiny Officer

Sarah Baldwin, Scrutiny Officer, provided an update on the committee's work programme. She confirmed that the Northumberland Strategic Skills Plan would be presented at the November meeting. A report on swimming attainment in Year 6 children would also be shared. An update was given on the task and finish group on mobile phones, which had narrowed its scope to focus on how schools respond to guidelines and the use of mobile phones and tablets in early years settings. The scoping report had been completed, and a meeting would be arranged to agree the terms of reference for the group's first meeting. The committee agreed to the work programme, including any changes agreed that day, and noted the monitoring report.