�A Suffolk perspective – strengths; opportunities and partnership working

Julia Grainger�Assistant Director, Education and Learning

Children and Young People’s Services, Suffolk County Council

Suffolk 2025

Attainment to date - Primary

Attainment – Statistical Neighbours

Achievement to date - Secondary

Attainment – Statistical Neighbours

Attendance, Exclusions, EHE, NEET�

Current data shows:

• The total number of upheld exclusions to date this academic year is 156 compared to 164 for the same period in the 2023-4 academic year.
• The number of exclusions for children with an EHCP has declined over this academic year from 20 in the autumn term to 14 in the spring term. The total this year to date is higher than the total for the whole academic year 2023-4, 34 to date for 2024-5 compared to 25 in 2023-4.
• The number of children who are EHE have increased over the last 2 years and reflect the increasing national trend.  There is a 25% increase in Suffolk compared to the same time last year. So far this academic year we have had 2659 children open to EHE at some point and 988 new to EHE this year which is the highest number to date.
• Attendance has improved over the last 2 years from 90.8% in April 2023 to 93% in April 2025. On Friday, 20 June 2025 the overall attendance in Suffolk for the academic year to date was 93.4%. Attendance in primary schools was 94.9%; secondary schools 91.5% and special schools 88%.Most recently published national data shows overall attendance on 23 May 2025 was 93.3%. Overall national attendance in primary schools was 94.8%; secondary schools 91.6% and special schools 87.1%.
• 5.05% young people were not in education, employment or training compared to 3.47% nationally. 0.38% were unknown compared to 1.76% nationally.

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8

Ofsted outcomes 2024-5

Working with you, together in 2024-5, so far we have

Supported school leaders’ leadership of their schools’ improvement

• Piloted SLIN as an LA managed , Headteacher led school improvement tool. 2024-5
• Strengthened our trajectory work use what we know about the direction we are collectively on /heading in.
• Reviewed networks and forums to ensure the conditions are in place across the county for connectivity and sharing learning.
• Reviewed and revised the School Improvement Engagement Model with whole LA maintained sector feedback.
• Worked with the DfE and the Suffolk Education Partnership on the introduction of the Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams.
• Worked with the Suffolk Education Partnership to support school and setting leader feeling supported and connected in their work and able to access the support they need, when they need it.

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Promoted Suffolk as an evidence based practice education community

• Introduced ‘Spotlight on a Suffolk school’ in Headlines to share evidence based effective Suffolk schools’ and settings’ practice.
• Strengthened our presentation of data to show the range and spread of outcomes alongside the average to be able to use the data to promote sharing of practice
• Provided opportunities for school leaders’ professional development using EEF evidence-based approaches.
• Used evidence based proven models to support the LA in fulfilling its statutory responsibilities around place planning, sufficiency and admissions and share wider the impact of this work.
• Worked with the Suffolk Education Partnership to establish the conditions for schools supporting each other to share evidence-based practice.

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Strengthened Suffolk as an Inclusive education community

• Worked with the Suffolk Education Partnership, Suffolk parent and carers, schools and settings to promote positive transitions to support inclusion and reduce the risk of NEET, non positive choice EHE, improve attendance
• Established a partnership Strategic Solutions Group to work together to achieve a permanent inclusion education community.
• Strengthened the ‘team around the school’ approach working with teams across CYP in a solutions focussed approach to improving inclusion and preventing exclusion.
• Worked in partnership to explore and extend therapeutic, restorative principles and practices to strengthen our inclusion work.

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Supported continued professional and career development

• Extended the leadership development programme to provide opportunities for professional development
• Supported networks for staff in schools to share learning and practice
• Facilitated leadership development opportunities through the LA maintained school leader community.
• Worked with the Headteacher associations to ensure the voice of Suffolk headteachers informs our work and future plans.

And together we have more to do to achieve a Permanently Inclusive Education Community for all Suffolk children

So that

• Children and young people tell us how we are making change for the better
• Parents and carers recognise an improving system that is meeting their children’s needs
• School and education leaders share practice and learn with each other so all feel supported and recognise the part they are playing in the Suffolk education community.
• And we see improvement in our key inclusive education quantitative and qualitative measures that matter

Inclusive Education Services

How we will work