A progress report which details Cardiff schools performance for 2017/18 will be presented to Cardiff Council's cabinet next week (Thursday 24^thJanuary).

The Annual Performance Report will provide an analysis of the educational outcome of learners for the academic year 2017/18 across Foundation Phase and Key Stages 2 to 5, relating to attainment, attendance, exclusions and transition to further education, employment and training.

Cardiff 2020, a renewed vision for education in Cardiff, was launched in 2016. It aims to improve education and learning in the city by ensuring that; "Allchildren and young people in Cardiff attend a great school and develop the knowledge, skills and characteristics that lead them to become personally successful, economically productive and actively engaged citizens."

To deliver this vision the five key goals are:

-         Excellent outcomes for learners

-         A high quality workforce

-         21^stCentury learning environments

-         A self-improving school system

-         Schools and Cardiff in partnership

The performance report outlines a summary of key strengths during the 2017/18 period. They are:

• Continuing trend of improved performance across a wide range of indicators and key stages
• Strong performance at Key Stage 4 in most indicators, compared with CSC and Wales
• Improved outcomes for young people in receipt of free school meals & a closing of the gap, particularly in the primary phase
• Sustained reduction in the numbers of young people who do not successfully transfer into further education, employment or training
• Improved quality of education provision, as evidenced by national categorisation & Estyn inspection outcomes
• Strengthened school improvement capacity across the system
• Improved participation of young people in own education, as evidenced in the increased number of schools  in the  Rights Respecting Schools scheme & extensive involvement of young people in the Child Friendly City programme
• Active engagement of teachers & leaders in shaping of a new Curriculum for Wales
• Good progress in preparing for implementation of the Additional Learning Needs reform, which is due to be rolled out in September 2020 - July 2023

Key challenges raised in the report include:

•         Reducing the gap in performance for children who are looked after with children of their own age

•         Improving outcomes for learners at Level 1

•         Improving the outcomes of learners educated other than at school (EOTAS)

•         Continuing to reduce the gap in outcomes for young people eligible for free schools meals (eFSM) & those who are not (nFSM)

•         Ensuring high quality provision is in place to improve the wellbeing of all learners & staff in education

Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Councillor Sarah Merry said: "This report demonstrates that during the 2017/2018 academic year, Cardiff performed well in a wide range of key performance indicators across Key stages and it is clear that our commitment to educational improvement, set out in the Cardiff 2020 strategy, has had a significant impact for the city's children and young people.

"At Key Stage 5 Cardiff's performance is strong with 98.5% achieving the Level 3 threshold, above the Welsh average of 97.6% and at Key Stage 4 Cardiff is in the top three of all Wales Local Authorities, up from 13^th during 2013/14.

"It is pleasing to see the work we are doing to raise standards is reflected in this report, however we recognise that there is still much to do to fulfil the aspiration as part of our Capital Ambition, that every child in Cardiff will attend a great school and be provided with every opportunity to succeed."