Policy | The Link

Slough School Effectiveness Strategy

This Strategy is based on a strong partnership approach with key stakeholders across the Slough education community. It is about working together to strengthen schools and raise standards, particularly related to the needs of vulnerable groups. The emphasis is on collaboration and taking pre-emptive action to avoid the escalation of difficulties. The Local Authority will take a strategic overview, supporting and brokering early support for those in difficulty and championing a collaborative and positive approach which involves constructive challenge to drive along a path to all schools being good or outstanding.

School Effectiveness

Any child learning within the borough is a Slough pupil regardless of the form of governance of the school or their place of residence. The local authority also has a statutory duty (Children Act 2004, 2006) to act as the champion for all children and young people in the borough and is responsible for maintaining an overview of the effectiveness of all schools including sponsored academies, converter academies, free schools, the local college and training providers.

School Performance Overview

The proportion of good and outstanding schools in Slough is 87% which is 2% below the national average (equal to one school). Standards in key measures are above national average in EYFS, Key Stage 2 and significantly above the national average at Key Stage 4. Standards at KS5 are just below the national average at Post-16 for A-Level and Applied General Entry, but above the national average for pupils attaining AAB in facilitating subjects.

British Youth Council | Make Your Mark

Young People aged 11-18 from Slough will be taking part in the annual Make Your Mark ballot, the largest consultation of young people in the country coordinated by the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) and locally by members of Slough Youth Parliament (SYP) and staff from the Young People’s Service.

Safeguarding Projects

We are working on a range of projects to raise the profile of safeguarding with children and young people through creative ways including drama, arts and digital platforms in PSHE.

Safeguarding Partnership

Arrangements for partnership working to safeguard children and vulnerable adults have changed.

Slough Children First

Slough Children First was established in April 2021 as a company wholly-owned by Slough Borough Council to manage children’s social care on behalf of the local authority.

SEND Guidance Documents

High quality teaching: ‘Quality First Teaching’. QFT originates in the then DCSF’s guide to personalised learning published in 2008 which summarises its key characteristics as: Highly focused lesson design with sharp objectives, High demands of pupil involvement and engagement with their learning, High levels of interaction for all pupils, Appropriate use of teacher questioning, modelling and explaining, An emphasis on learning through dialogue, with regular opportunities for pupils to talk both individually and in groups, and An expectation that pupils will accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently.
Regular use of encouragement and authentic praise to engage and motivate pupils.

Schools

Slough Borough Council has a statutory duty to be a champion for high educational standards across the town. In a mixed economy of single academies, MATs, free schools and maintained schools the council’s aim is to facilitate the best support through the school led improvement system as key partners with all stakeholders.