The Children's Services and Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 2 July 2025 focused on the Fostering Together initiative, an overview of education services, and the national reform agenda for children's services and education. Key discussions included the positive impact of the Fostering Together programme on placement stability and recruitment, the challenges and strategies around pupil place planning and school admissions, and the implications of upcoming national reforms for children's social care and education.

Fostering Together Initiative

The committee received a comprehensive update on Bexley's Fostering Together initiative, which is based on the award-winning Mockingbird programme. This initiative aims to create sustainable foster care through a relational model inspired by extended family networks. Since its launch in August 2022, Bexley has established eight Fostering Together communities, with over 78 fostering households actively participating. The report highlighted the positive impact on placement stability, with only one placement breakdown recorded since October 2022. The initiative has also seen success in recruiting new fostering households, with 22 new households joining in 2024/25, surpassing regional averages. Core Carers, who lead each community, receive specialist training in areas such as advanced behaviour management, trauma-informed care, conflict resolution, and mental health awareness. The initiative is also demonstrating significant financial benefits by reducing reliance on expensive residential placements and independent fostering agencies, leading to cost savings for the borough. Future plans include developing specialist communities for teenagers, emergency placements, parent and child placements, and children with disabilities.

Education Overview

The committee discussed various aspects of education services within Bexley. Regarding pupil numbers and school place planning, officers are actively managing a projected decrease in reception pupil numbers and a corresponding reduction in available school places. This has led to a strategic review of mainstream school places, with plans to reduce them by approximately 300 primary and 190 secondary places over the next three years. Simultaneously, there is a growing demand for specialist school places (SEND), and Bexley is expanding its resource provisions within mainstream schools to create an additional 67 places across six schools, with a further 76 expected from three new provisions in 2025/26. This initiative aligns with the forthcoming SEND reforms and the council's Safety Valve Programme.

The Bexley Selection Test, administered on behalf of the borough's four grammar schools, was also discussed. The test covers verbal ability, English comprehension, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. While achieving the selective standard does not guarantee a place, it is a prerequisite for consideration. The data presented showed a slight decrease in Bexley residents being offered their first preference in secondary admissions, attributed to parents applying for selective schools when their children have not met the selective standard or live too far away.

The committee also received an update on the monitoring of school attendance, including figures for Children Missing Education (CME) and Pupils Missing Out on Education (PMOE). Bexley is seeing a decrease in CME referrals compared to the previous year, with a higher closure rate for cases. For PMOE, the numbers remain significant, with ongoing monitoring and multi-professional meetings to support vulnerable young people. Elective Home Education (EHE) is also being closely monitored, with a dedicated team ensuring the suitability of education provided.

In terms of behaviour and inclusion, data indicates a stable rate of permanent exclusions, with continuous disruptive behaviour remaining the primary reason. While suspensions for drug abuse have reduced, there has been an increase in suspensions related to continuous disruptive behaviour. The council is working with schools and partners to address these issues, including an oracy programme in primary schools aimed at reducing exclusions and supporting children's communication needs.

National Reform Agenda for Children's Services and Education

Tamsyn Basson provided an overview of the national reform agenda, including the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The reforms aim to improve safety, security, and opportunities for children through a more family-centred, relationship-based approach, with a strong focus on early intervention and family support. Key elements include the Families First Programme, a Kinship Care Strategy, and a review of residential provision. The reforms also aim to standardise teacher qualifications and curriculum, intervene in underperforming schools, enhance local authority powers in school admissions and place planning, and improve the monitoring of Elective Home Education. Bexley is considered to be in a strong position to implement these reforms due to existing initiatives such as family hubs and a focus on local provision.

Other Matters

The committee agreed to establish subgroups to undertake specific work, as outlined in the report on Establishing Sub-Groups. The work programme for the year was also discussed, with suggestions for future scrutiny items including the SHIELD Annual Report, the Youth Justice Strategic Plan, and a review of Family Hubs. The committee also agreed to re-establish the Joint SEND Priority Action Plan Sub-Group. The budget monitoring report for May 2025 indicated a forecast overspend of £1.758m for Children's Services, with significant pressures in Children's Social Care, particularly in placements and support for looked-after children and services for children with disabilities. The Education budget is also forecasting an overspend, primarily due to staffing costs and SEN transport.