Summary

Key Issues: Education, Mental health; Excess weight; Social care & SEND demand.  

Children's education and development of skills are important for their own wellbeing and for the area as a whole. Learning ensures that children develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes that they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. Children with poorer mental health are more likely to have lower educational attainment, and childhood obesity can lead to a range of mental health problems, including increased anxiety, depression and low-self-esteem.

Overview of Key Trends:

Key headlines:

• KS4 education attainment remains a key concern for Staffordshire, with the effects of inequalities on attainment and absence levels widening.
  
  
• Permanent exclusions (2019/20) remains a key issue - higher than national and second worst amongst similar authorities for all schools.
  
  
• Local survey reported mental health as a top concern among younger people. Mental health referrals (age 0-18) have increased and above pre-pandemic levels, and since 2017 admissions rates for intentional self-harm in young people have risen.
  
  
• Excess weight remains a challenge - 1 in 4 reception children are overweight or obese; worse than national and the second highest of similar authorities. However, the picture does improve by year 6. 
  
  
• 1 in 3 children are active for less than 30 minutes a day, higher than national.
  
  
• Growing children’ social care demand with Children in our Care and SEND rates increasing and growing faster than national. Mental health remains a top issue cited in assessments.

To view the latest Data Update on this topic see the data update page.