The Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Worcestershire Council is scheduled to convene on Monday, 11 May 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of educational outcomes for the academic year 2024-25, an update on Ofsted inspections, and a discussion regarding home to school transport. The panel will also consider its work programme for the upcoming year.

Educational Outcomes and Ofsted Update

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to examining the educational outcomes for children and young people in Worcestershire for the academic year 2024-25. This will include a specific focus on the attainment of disadvantaged children and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The report pack indicates that the panel will receive an overview of Ofsted inspections conducted on Worcestershire's state-funded schools during the same academic year.

The report details various educational attainment measures across different key stages. For Key Stage 2, the combined outcomes for Reading, Writing, and Maths for Worcestershire in 2024-25 are reported as 57.4%, compared to the national figure of 62.2%. At Key Stage 4, the percentage of pupils achieving a standard pass (grades 9-4) in both English and Mathematics is listed as 63.1% for Worcestershire, against a national figure of 64.8%. The report also highlights outcomes for vulnerable pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, Children Looked After (CLA), and those with SEN. For instance, the Good Level of Development (GLD) for disadvantaged children in Worcestershire in 2024-25 is reported at 43%, compared to the national figure of 51%.

The report also touches upon the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational data, noting that Although less effected than the 2021-22 cohort, these pupils will still have had part of their education disrupted by the pandemic and this is shown when comparisons are made to 2019 performance. ¹

Home to School Transport

The agenda also lists Home to School Transport as a topic for discussion. While the detailed report for this item was not available at the time of publication, it is scheduled to be discussed. This topic is also noted in the panel's work programme for the 11 May 2026 meeting, where it is specified to incorporate the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and the vacant seat scheme.

Work Programme

The panel will review its work programme for the upcoming year. This includes considering potential future scrutiny items and confirming the schedule for upcoming meetings. The work programme outlines a range of topics for future consideration, such as updates on Public Health, the SEND Reform Plan, Fostering Strategy, and support for children and young people with challenging behaviour.