measures in place and a tight oversight, including efficient case tracking systems, additional decision-making panels and collaboration with educational psychologists, the council aims to reach the target of 46% by March 2026 which would bring the borough in line with the average national performance.
Key stage 4 (KS4) refers to pupils aged between 14 and 16 years old in Year 10 and Year 11. KS4 educational outcomes for the pupils in the borough achieving Levels 5 and above in English and Maths have fluctuated since 2021 (between 56.9% and 61.4%) but are consistently above the national average. Data for summer 2025 indicates that the KS4 attainment rate for the borough's pupils is 56.5%, over 11 percentage points above the national average of 45.2%. This performance indicator is 'Red' due to the service setting an ambitious target despite the national trends.
The definition of Black Caribbean pupils has been updated and includes both Black Caribbean & Mixed White Black Caribbean groups. Data for summer 2025 showed that 51% of Black Caribbean pupils achieved the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths at KS2, below the target of 57%. The ambitious attainment targets for Black Caribbean pupils were set following in depth consultation with parents and primary school leaders. Council teams have been working with experts and stakeholders to develop data and analysis tools to monitor progress, and we continue to provide challenge to schools in relation to attainment of Black Caribbean pupils.
In summer 2025, 32.2% of Black Caribbean pupils achieved levels 5 and above in English and Maths at KS4, below the target of 36.0%. This is a small cohort of pupils and any fluctuations in performance significantly affect the outturn. Nationally, KS4 measures continue to fall slightly (or maintain their level) due to grading revisions. Given this trend, the target set by the council was ambitious. Nevertheless, most secondary schools in the borough have a Race Equality Lead who will focus on outcomes, attendance and mental health of this cohort, and this area is also an integral part of the headteacher performance management. A link officer from the council visits high schools to investigate support available for this group of children and young people, and network meetings are also held with senior staff to share good practice and collaborate on how to close academic gaps between Black Caribbean pupils and their peers.
338 residents were supported to complete employability and professional this quarter, with year-to-date performance of 547 against the target of 571. Based on the current number of learners on the programme, there is confidence that the overall annual target of 1,078 will be achieved by March 2026.
In Q2 2025/26, 78.4% of Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) were responded to within 20 days, below the target of 100%. The drop in performance is reflective of a continuous