Aim 4: Enjoying and Achieving

How did we do?

(The table above is based on direction of travel data that is available). 

What the performance data means.

• The number of children who have achieved at least 78 points across Early Years Foundations Stage with at least 6 in each of the assessment scales increased from 51.90% to 53.00%.

• Achievement of 5 or more A* - C grades at GCSE including English and Maths has increased from 46.7% of pupils last year to 49% this year.

• Secondary school persistent absence rate has decreased from 4.90% to 4.30%

• The rate of permanent exclusion from school has decreased from 0.16% to 0.10%

• First time entrants into the Youth Justice System aged 10-17 has fallen from 1130 last year to 846 this year.

• 97% of Somerset schools are providing the full core offer of extended schools provision.

What were the key achievements in 2009/10?

• The number of first time entrants to the Youth Justice System continues to reduce.

• Performance relating to the educational achievement of Children Looked After has shown a marked improvement when compared to last year.

• At the Early Years Foundation Stage, Somerset is ahead of the national average, with 53.5% achieving at least 78 points (2008/09).  This is set alongside a narrowing of the gap between the lowest achieving 20% and the rest.

• The website for the Somerset Active Living Network which is made up of a group of Community, Voluntary and local Government Authorities has been introduced.  The network aims to make sure that preventative and wellbeing services reach older people in Somerset.  The website address is www.somersetactiveliving.org.uk

• The virtual head teacher is in post and is improving the achievement of children in care as a key part of her remit.

• Although the proportion of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades including English and Maths has improved, the rate of improvement is less than achieved by our statistical neighbours or nationally.

• Somerset was selected as the 'Most Youth-Friendly European Region 2009' by the Assembly of European Regions (AER).  This award recognised that Somerset listens to what young people want and need, and involves them in decision making.  Also that we provide the widest range of activities supporting young business people.  The prize is rather symbolic, but prestigious, a welcome recognition of the work of all our partners across the county, in a range of projects from local to countywide.  The AER judging panel highlighted projects such as the Youth Parliament, Somerset Children's Parliament, the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF), Youth Capital Funding (YCF) and many others.  The points were given for example for the amount of money allocated from the regional budget to youth programmes, the number of regulations supporting youth implemented in the local law and mentions about youth entrepreneurship in the regional education curriculum.

Case Study

'Somerset Universities Partnership Project (SUPP)'