Councillor Cresswell (Cabinet Member for Education, Apprenticeships and Skills), supported by Rob Williams (Director of Education for a Multi-Academy Trust and Lead for the Plymouth Place Based Plan) presented the report to the Panel and highlighted the following key points:

a)      The Belonging Framework and the Plymouth Place-Based Plan, both aimed to improve school attendance and educational outcomes by fostering a sense of belonging among children and young people. Belonging was central to school improvement and when children felt safe, recognised and valued, they were more likely to attend, engage, and succeed;

b)      The Belonging Framework offered practical strategies across eight areas, including leadership, curriculum, and transitions, to help schools build inclusive cultures tailored to their communities. The Place-Based Plan sought to address the root causes of poor attendance through six evidence-informed priorities and tools such as the predictive risk model and the resilience enablement framework;

c)      Plymouth children’s attendance had risen by 0.8% in 2024/25, while national attendance had declined by 0.3%, indicating the effectiveness of the approach. Permanent exclusions had also decreased, and outcomes for disadvantaged learners were improving.

In response to questions raised it was reported that:

d)    There were concerns that some children were unable to attend their preferred schools. The issue was due to  capacity constraints and planned admission numbers, but it was noted that the majority of children did receive their first-choice school;

e)    Attendance, outcomes, exclusions, and elective home education were key metrics to measure success. There was a collaboration with ImpactEd and the Engagement Platform to develop a belonging score based on student surveys. The current framework was a first draft and would evolve to include more groups and case studies;

f)     The predictive risk model used compounding factors (e.g. attendance at Key Stage 1, household deprivation) to predict future persistent absenteeism. The model was being trialled in schools and would be digitised for integration into the school transition portal;

g)    There was a commitment to expand the framework to include systemic barriers like poverty and a cross-agency collaboration was underway to address those issues; 

h)    The approach was nuanced and acknowledged the need for flexibility. The school system required teacher consistency, particularly for children with additional needs however there were recruitment challenges in Plymouth; 

i)     The framework provided suggestions in relation to cultural and religious representations, not mandates, and that implementation would be at the discretion of individual headteachers in consultation with their communities;

j)     The underperformance of white working-class British pupils was a national issue under investigation by the Department for Education. The causes were complex and multifaceted, and a national commission was expected to report in 2026. 

k)    The belonging score was derived from surveys measuring students feelings of being valued and listened to. This would be used alongside hard metrics such as attendance and attainment to assess progress;

l)       The importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for all pupils was affirmed and it was reiterated that implementation would be context-specific. The Panel were reminded of schools’ legal duties under the Equalities Act;

Actions:

·         Education officers to provide statistics on the percentage of children receiving their first-choice school placement. 

The Panel agreed that:

1.      That metrics for measuring progress in belonging be included in the framework, along with contextual information on how belonging is defined and assessed. 

2.      That poverty-related barriers to school attendance be explicitly addressed in the framework. 

3.    That the Committee receive a future update on the implementation and impact of the Belonging Framework and Place-Based Plan, including examples of best practice from schools.