News from our schools March 2023
Here are some highlights:
More families are choosing Lewisham secondary schools
Trust in Lewisham’s secondary schools continues to grow, with more residents this year applying to send their children to them. I was pleased to discover that the current crop of 11-12 year olds is the largest we’ve had in our secondary schools this century!
It’s been great to learn that even more Lewisham families this year are getting their first choice of secondary school, with 64% getting their first choice and 86.5% getting first to third preference.
Having a good local secondary school means that your child has less distance to travel, has more friends who live close by, and your family continues to be part of the local school community.
GCSE results continue to improve
The COVID-19 pandemic meant that for a few years we couldn’t compare results year on year as we usually do, but we can look to 2019 for the last comparable data.
We’ve seen big improvements in results since 2019, with 67% of pupils achieving a pass in English and Maths – a 9% increase
Overall GCSE attainment is up, and it’s especially impressive that the achievement of Lewisham’s disadvantaged children is in the top quarter in the country. (Attainment 8 39.3 compared to 37.7 nationally.)
Our children are making good progress in our schools – the government’s Progress 8 measure puts us in the top half of local authorities nationally.
Ofsted ratings continue to get better
Nearly every Lewisham school is now rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted (98%). This includes every single primary school, special school and maintained nursery.
Lewisham schools working together
Last October, we launched a new five-year education strategy. This sets out how our schools work together, and how we as the local authority work with them, to build an inclusive and high-achieving system of local comprehensive schools, trusted by our community, in which all children can succeed.
I am pleased that all Lewisham schools have joined us in adopting this new education strategy, committing to working together in partnership.
Better Support for Special Educational Needs
We’re determined to do what we can to ensure all children can thrive. An important part of that is giving more children the specialist support they need at a local school, so that more of our local children can enjoy and achieve locally.
Last night, Mayor and Cabinet approved plans to provide additional specialist provision for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) at Launcelot primary school, creating an additional facility for eight children in the initial phase, with up to 16 places planned in the future for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This builds on recent expansion of specialist teaching at some of our special schools and in other mainstream primary schools.
School Hunger
Of course, the challenges never stop. With the cost of living crisis causing huge issues for many families, schools are often the first point of contact for those who need support.
Schools told us that they were concerned about children going hungry. So we started this year by allocating £400k directly to schools, for them to use flexibly to feed children who needed help.
Despite the challenges, it’s clear that our schools are making great strides. We’re so grateful for the hard work and commitment of their staff, their students and the communities that support them. We will continue to do whatever we can to help them achieve further success.