Agenda and minutes

To approve the record of the meeting held on 19 July 2011.

 The record of the meeting held on 19 July 2011 was signed by the Chairman as correct.

To receive apologies for absence. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Craven and Gilry and Alex Tear (Church of England representative). 

The Chairman will announce any late items which do not appear on the main agenda but which he/she has agreed should be considered by reason of special circumstances to be specified in the report. 

The Chairman informed the Committee that self-nominations had recently been invited to fill the two parent governor representative vacancies.  The  nominations were received from Samantha Collins (parent governor at St Helen’s Church of England Primary School) and Noah Kantoh (parent governor at Skinner Street Primary School).  Their appointments would need to be referred to the Council meeting on 20 October 2011 for approval.

He then stated that as inspectors were currently interviewing two of the presenting officers he proposed the following revised order of business in order for them to be in attendance, which was agreed as follows:

1.                  Work programme

2.                  Council Plan Monitoring – quarter 1

3.                  Education reform and the local authority

4.                  Test and Examination results

5.                  Member item: statistics used to expand and close school provision

6.                  Statutory consultation on Luton schools

7.                  Outcome of the consultation on the School Organisation Plan

8.                  Update on the proposal to move the Child Development Centre to the Temple site

In view of the fact that an updated report had been circulated on the Member item report he stated that he would allow a 5 minute adjournment at the beginning of that item to allow Members to read the updated report.

(a)                Personal interests under the Medway Code of Conduct.

A Councillor who declares a personal interest in a matter, including the nature of the interest, may stay, speak, and vote on the matter.

(b)               Prejudicial interests under the Medway Code of Conduct.

A Councillor who declares a personal and prejudicial interest in a matter, including the nature of the interest, must withdraw from the room and take no part in the debate or vote on the matter.

Councillors who have declared a personal and prejudicial interest may make representations, answer questions and give evidence before leaving the room but only if members of the public are allowed to attend for the same purpose.

If an interest is not declared at the outset of the meeting, it should be disclosed as soon as the interest becomes apparent.

(c)            Whipping – the Council’s constitution also requires any Member of the Committee who is subject to a party whip (ie agreeing to vote in line with the majority view of a private party group meeting) to declare the existence of the whip

Councillor Mackness declared a personal interest in any reference to Lordswood Healthy Living Centre on the basis of him having a lease with the Primary Care Trust at the centre.

Councillor Cooper declared a personal interest in the School Organisation Plan by virtue of being a community governor at Saxon Way Primary School.

The Democratic Services Officer was asked to investigate the possibility of adding Councillor Cooper’s interest on the list of governor interests which is attached to every agenda for this Committee. 

This report sets out the proposed work programme previously agreed by the Committee for 2010/11. 

Discussion:

The Chairman stated that the scoping of the in-depth scrutiny review on raising attainment at Key Stage 2 had been delayed due to the current inspection of safeguarding and looked after children but he hoped that this could take place after the October half term.

The Democratic Services Officer introduced the report and asked the Director of Children and Adults whether there was any further information about the date for the Children’s Services Assessment.  The Director of Children and Adults explained that this was likely to slip a cycle but that all councillors would be informed of the outcome of the inspection when published. 

Councillor Price then requested a Member item for the next meeting on the issues which had arisen following this year’s Medway selection test arrangements.

Decision: 

The Committee agreed to:

(a)   note the work programme as set out as Appendix 1 to the report;

(b)   set up a task group on the basis of 3:1:1 to undertake the review of KS2 performance (keeping the Independent Member of the Committee involved in the work of the task group by means of emailed information);

(c)   receive reports on the outcome of the Children’s Services Assessment in January 2012, on prescribed alterations to Bradfields Community Special School at the December meeting and the inspection judgement when received;

(d)   add a Member item to the next meeting on the Medway selection test arrangements and lessons learned.

This report sets out quarter 1 performance against the Council Plan objectives for 2011/12.  Members are asked to review content and consider progress 

Discussion:

The Director of Children and Adults introduced the report on the quarter 1 performance against the Council Plan 2011-2012 and she and the Performance Manager responded to Members’ questions.

She set out the areas for future focus, in particular –

• strengthening school leadership under the outcome `we will champion high standards in schools so that all children can achieve their potential, and the gaps between the least advantaged and their peers are narrowed’

• reducing reliance on bed and breakfast – young people under 25 are placed in bed and breakfast accommodation where housing has a duty to provide interim accommodation, the overall number of households places has been reducing, in common with overall temporary accommodation use, over the last 2 years.  Working with housing providers continues to increase the supply of alternative accommodation, including improved access to hostels and short term flats.

• continuing to drive down SEN (special educational needs) out of area placements.

In relation to page 117 of the agenda on the second underlined commitment it was suggested that the words “and access to the river” should be added at the end of the heading.  It was felt that the river was an asset to the residents of Medway and there should be more done to ensure that young people had access to it by boat.  In order for this to happen some dredging of the river would be necessary.

The Democratic Services Officer confirmed that this matter fell within the remit of Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee and undertook to let Members know further details about the existing reference to the Committee on the topic.

Reference was made to a scheme in Glasgow where young people under 25 were able to request an apprenticeship with the Council and a briefing note was requested on this.  The Director of Children and Adults also agreed to send all Members of the Committee the recent Adoption Services Report carried out in August..  A request was made for the briefing notes to be shared with the Corporate Parenting Group. 

Two members of the Committee referred to recent visits to the Bishop of Rochester Academy where they had witnessed good work with students where English is a second language.

Decision:

The Committee agreed to:

(a)   note the report;

(b)   request officers to investigate ways of improving and extending access to the river by boat;

(c)   request briefing notes on the topic of apprenticeship schemes such as the one piloted in Glasgow and on the inspection of the adoption service in Medway ;

(d)   congratulate the Bishop of Rochester Academy on their teaching of English as a second language.

The committee will receive a powerpoint presentation at the meeting on education reform and the role of local authorities.

Discussion:

The Director of Children and Adults gave a powerpoint presentation on the changing role of the Local Education Authority in the light of emerging legislation.  She explained that school leaders ran schools but the Local Education Authority had a more strategic role. 

She set out the three key responsibilities for the Local Education Authority which were

• to ensure sufficiency and fair access, working with local communities to stimulate and support a good supply of strong schools, early years and 16-19 provision
• as far as vulnerable children were concerned, the prevention and early intervention, narrowing the gaps for the most disadvantaged, ensuring children’s wellbeing and protection
• in relation to education excellence – tackling under-performance, robust school improvement strategies, effective school-to-school collaboration.

The shared responsibilities were also set as follows:

• Schools have prime responsibility for improving:

-         attainment

-         teaching and learning

-         behaviour and attendance

·        The Local Authority has responsibility for challenging and, where necessary, intervening in relation to governance, leadership and management

·        Schools and the Local Authority have shared responsibility for raising standards and addressing inter-generational underachievement.

A request was made that the presentation given by the Director of Children and Adults should be made at the governor conference in November, which was agreed to.

Concern was expressed at the perceived diminishing role for the Local Education Authority but the Director of Children and Adults emphasised that while the service was indeed changing there was still very much a continuing and important role for the Local Education Authority.

As part of the discussion the Director of Children and Adults also undertook to provide a briefing note in respect of the local authority’s work with pre-schools.

Decision:

The Committee

(a)     noted the presentation;

(b)     noted that the Director of Children and Adults would produce a briefing note in respect of the local authority’s work with pre-schools;

 (c) noted that the Director of Children and Adults would make a presentation on education reform and the local authority at the forthcoming governor conference in November.

To consider and scrutinise the provisional test and examination results and changing composition of Medway Schools.

This report summarises the performance of Medway’s schools as indicated by provisional results in the 2011 tests, teacher assessments and examinations and will focus on standards at each key stage.

This data is un-validated and must be treated with caution.

Discussion:

The Assistant Director, Inclusion and Improvement gave a comprehensive introduction to the provisional test and examination results in Medway schools and responded to Members’ questions.

She undertook to provide a briefing note for the Committee on the confirmed results over all the Key Stages as soon as they were available.

Members expressed their appreciation of the best ever GCSE and ‘A’ level results in Medway and congratulated the pupils and staff involved.  They were also delighted to hear that Medway’s looked after children had done well in their results and that one young person was now preparing to go to University.  Further work was being undertaken with Key Stage 2 students to improve performance and reference was made to the forthcoming in-depth scrutiny review, which had been set up to look at this.

The Director of Children and Adults confirmed that she had written to Members with details of performance of schools within their wards and offered to provide further information if this was needed. 

A request was made for further information about the effect on students results in other areas where the selection test was still taken to see whether this affected the results.

Decision: 

Members noted the report and noted that a briefing note would be produced on the final examination results once they were available.

This report is in response to a request from a Councillor and provides information on the statistics used when considering schools for closure and expansion.

Discussion:

A revised report was made available to everyone present at the meeting and a short adjournment took place to enable this to be read.

Councillor Price then introduced the item and thanked officers for the very detailed response.  He explained the reason for requesting the report in that a number of Councillors would not have been on the Council during the recent school closure discussions and as such it was important to understand the lessons learnt and the way in which pupil numbers were forecast.

He welcomed paragraph 3.15 of the amended report, which suggested that a more flexible approach was being proposed to build upon the robust systems currently in place.  This was particularly important to rebuild the public’s faith in the consultation process.  He then emphasised the need to look at better community use of schools to avoid the need for school closure and the importance of having current data to make sure that there was not an upward trend forecast at the time of a proposed closure.

During discussion the merits of small schools was referenced and the Director of Children and Adults offered to share with the Committee a link to Ofsted reports about both the viability of small schools and leadership across more than one school.

Discussion also took place concerning a scheme in Norway where partnerships/federations between schools took place and leading schools subsidised the livelihood of smaller schools and shared knowledge and budgets.  The suggestion was made that the Member task group recently set up to consider Key Stage 2 performance could look at this along with looking at the resources spend in schools and how this linked with children’s performance.

Some Members who had been involved in listening panels expressed their concern that, in their opinion, they had not been valuable.  Members then requested that any future consultation with the public should be robust and genuine and emphasised the importance of up to date information and accurate forecasting. 

The Director of Children and Adults undertook to review the process for closing schools and other processes involving public consultation, and set out the role and function of the listening panels.  

Decision: 

The Committee agreed to:

(a)     note that the Director of Children and Adults had agreed to undertake a review process for closing schools and other processes involving public consultation which would set out the role and function of the listening panels in a broader context;

(b)     receive a link to the Ofsted reports into the viability of small schools and leadership across more than one school;

(c)     suggest to the Member task group on Key Stage 2 performance that they look at the Norway school partnership arrangements, as referenced above, and to look at  school resources and how their use impacted on children’s performance.

The report is to inform the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the need to publish fresh proposals to request a revocation of the decision made by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) on 8 June 2010 to close Luton Infant and Junior Schools, and in their place to open a new all through primary school in new buildings in September 2014. 

Discussion:

The Head of School Organisation and Student Services introduced a report on the need to publish fresh proposals to request a revocation of the decision made by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) on 8 June 2010 to close Luton Infant and Junior Schools and in their place to open a new all-through primary school in new buildings in September 2014.

Members expressed the view that all parents and children involved with both schools should be informed personally about the change in process, in all relevant languages, and that the Director of Children and Adults should assist schools with this process to ensure a consistent message was given.

In response to a question about support for both schools the Head of School Organisation and Student Services undertook to let Members know further details about capital projects likely to be carried out.

Decision:

The Committee put forward a strong recommendation to the Director of   Children and Adults to work with both schools to ensure a consistent message was given about the proposals.  This message should be accessible by all parents and children involved in both schools in whatever language was required. 

This report outlines the outcome of the consultation on the Council’s Draft School Organisation Plan 2011-2016.

Discussion:

The Head of School Organisation and Student Services introduced a report on the outcome of the consultation period for the School Organisation Plan 2011-2016 and responded to Members’ questions.

He explained that only one response had been received to the consultation although the plan had been downloaded by a number of people and that he had been involved in discussions with headteachers on the contents.

Members felt it might be helpful to have more detail about the Special Educational Needs Masterplan referenced in the document before it was considered by the Cabinet with a view to determining whether it needed to be brought to this Committee.

Some concerns were expressed about children on the Hoo Peninsular experiencing difficulties getting into Sir Joseph Williamson’s and Fort Pitt grammar schools because of living too far from the area and children in Borstal having similar issues accessing The Pilgrim School and Thomas Aveling School.  The Head of School Organisation and Student Services undertook to discuss the issues with the schools involved.

In relation to the action plan attached to the School Organisation Plan 2011-2016 it was requested that on item 9, page 82 of the report, the words ‘review of how we consult with stakeholders’ should be added.

Decision: 

The Committee agreed to:

(a)   recommend the School Organisation Plan to Cabinet on 1 November 2011 subject to the addition in Appendix 2 to the action plan, item 9, of the words ‘review of how we consult with stakeholders’ being added;

(b)   receive a briefing note on further details of the SEN Masterplan, prior to the Cabinet meeting, in order for Members of this Committee to decide whether to add the item to its work programme.

The report updates the committee on the plans to locate the Child Development Service (CDC) for disabled children on part of the Temple site in Strood. 

Discussion:

The Assistant Director, Commissioning and Strategy, introduced the report updating the Committee on the plans to locate the Child Development Service (CDC) for disabled children on part of the former Temple school site in Strood.

Members welcomed the developments but suggested that the Council should have an open dialogue with Arriva about better provision of buses to the site, particularly around peak hours.

Decision: 

The Committee noted the update report with the comments as shown above.