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EDUCATION CABINET PANEL
13 FEBRUARY 2008
M I N U T E S
ATTENDANCE
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
M V Bayes, N Bell, G R Churchard, M Coxage, A D Dodd, K F Emsall (Executive Member for Education and Culture), D W Hills, S Holmes, B J Lamb, D E Lloyd, R Prowse, E N Singam, R A C Thake (Chairman), M Tucker
Parent-Governor/Church Representative (Voting)
P Cherry
Also present:
R I N Gordon, T Heritage, J M Pitman
Upon consideration of the agenda for the Education Cabinet Panel meeting on 13 February 2008 as circulated, copy annexed, conclusions were reached and are recorded below:
Note: No conflicts of interest were declared by any member of the Panel in relation to the matters on which conclusions were reached at this meeting.
PART 1
ACTION1. / MINUTES
1.1 / The minutes of the meeting held on 9 January 2008 were confirmed as a correct record, subject to the inclusion of the following additional wording under paragraph 5.3:
'It was noted that the third bullet point ('The current CSF expectation....commitments') would be removed from the trend analysis within the strategic compass. The fourth bullet point would be amended to read: 'The formation of the Integrated Youth Support Service enables the service to deliver efficiencies already identified for 2008/09….'
In relation to paragraph 5.6, Members wished for it to be recorded that a report on provision for children with autism had been requested and will come to the Panel in the summer term. / Claire Cook
Justin Donovan
2. / CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES RESOURCE BUDGET 2008/09 – 2011/12
[Officer Contact: Claire Cook, Head of Resources
Tel: 01992 555737]
2.1 / The Panel received the proposals from Cabinet on the CSF Education Resource Budget, together with commentary from the Head of Resources, for consideration and comment prior to the Cabinet meeting on 18 February 2008.
2.2 / Members sought clarification on the changes to the necessitous clothing policy. Officers advised that the costs of uniforms necessitated by school reorganisations would in future be provided through the schools budget, and the removal of funding for necessitous clothing in other circumstances would not preclude the authority’s ability to make discretionary payments in exceptional situations. In debate, Members stressed the need for information about alternative sources of help for necessitous clothing to be well-publicised.
Conclusion:
The Panel:
2.3 / noted the changes to the standstill revenue budget;
2.4 / agreed the proposal for schools capital funding and the schools capital programme outlined in section 3.1 of the report;
2.5 / noted the change to the necessitous clothing policy. The Panel requested that the sources of alternative support available from charities and voluntary sector organisations to assist with necessitous clothing should be widely publicised; it was recommended that this should include sending details of sources of help to all head teachers, and Citizen’s Advice Bureaux.
/ Justin Donovan
3. / ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES ON STANDARDS AND QUALITY IN HERTFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS
[Officer Contact: Gill Jones, Head of Standards and School Effectiveness
Tel: 01582 830357]
3.1 / The Panel received the Annual Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families 2007. The appendices were provided separately on a CD-Rom which had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting.
3.2 / Justin Donovan, Deputy Director (Chief Education Officer) presented the report. The Panel heard that significant further progress has been made in closing systemic and schools performance achievement gaps. There has also been progress in closing the achievement gap for Looked After/vulnerable children and children from BME communities, although progress in these areas has not been as marked.
3.3 / Ensuring that all excluded pupils have access to appropriate full-time provision from the 6th day of exclusion, and support for children with special educational needs post-16 were highlighted in the debate as areas of focus for future priorities.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
3.5 / welcomed the report, and congratulated officers on the progress achieved;
3.6 / requested that a comprehensive report covering all aspects of SEN funding should come to the Panel in the summer term, when the new funding model will have been in place for a year. / Justin Donovan/
Simon Pickard
4. / PROPOSAL FROM THE WATFORD MUSLIM SCHOOL TRUST TO SET UP A NEW 1FE VA PRIMARY SCHOOL
[Officer Contact: Paul Wray, Planning Manager
Tel: 01992 555860]
4.1 / The Panel received a report which informed Members about a proposal by the Watford Muslim School Trust to set up a new 1FE VA primary school with an Islamic ethos.
4.2 / Members heard that the proposal had been brought to the Panel as it had been envisaged that the consultation would have been completed. However it is still ongoing, and as a result it was agreed that any further consideration of the proposal must be delayed until the consultation process has been concluded.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
4.3 / agreed that it could not make any recommendations on the proposal until a robust consultation process had been completed.
5. / JOINT AREA REVIEW POST-INSPECTION ACTION PLAN
[Officer Contact: Justin Donovan, Deputy Director (Chief Education Officer)
Tel: 01992 555764]
5.1 / The Panel received a report which provided an update on progress on the actions contained within the Joint Area Review Post-Inspection Action Plan.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
5.2 / noted the progress to date in responding to the recommendations of the Joint Area Review.
6. / ENHANCED YOUTH SERVICE ACTION PLAN
[Officer Contact: Alan Dinning, Deputy Director, Integrated Children’s Services
Tel: 01992 556340]
6.1 / The Panel received a report which provided information about the Youth Service Action Plan and the progress to date in addressing the areas for development identified in the Ofsted Enhanced Youth Service Inspection Report of August 2007.
6.2 / Members heard about future plans and developments for the Integrated Youth Support Service, which will include opportunities to work more closely with partners such as extended schools, District Councils, the Police and the voluntary sector through Hertfordshire and District Children’s Trust Partnerships.
6.3 / In debate, Members raised concerns at the ongoing under funding of the Service, the need for young people to be involved in consultation about what the Services provides, the poor condition of many Youth Service properties, the need for adequate transport arrangements and the need for effective outreach services.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
6.4 / noted the progress to date against the Youth Service Action Plan;
6.5 / requested that a comprehensive progress report/presentation on the Integrated Youth Support Service be brought to the Panel in around six months’ time. / Alan Dinning
7. / SCHOOL FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS 2008-09
[Officer Contact: Simon Pickard, School Funding Manager
Tel: 01992 555736]
7.1 / The Panel received a report which informed Members about the results of the autumn term consultation with schools on the proposals for change to schools funding arrangements which had been presented to the Panel on 13 November 2007.
7.2 / Members heard that if approved by Cabinet the new arrangements will be implemented on 1 April 2008, and will be reviewed the following year.
7.3 / Simon Pickard, Schools Funding Manager, presented the report and responded to Member questions on the various funding areas: pay progression, social deprivation funding for nursery school pupils, mainstream SEN funding arrangements, floor and grounds area funding, CRB checks in schools, and the new funding model for special schools.
7.4 / Members particularly sought reassurance about the robustness of the CRB checking process, and clarification was provided by officers on where responsibility for undertaking checks lies and the provision for funding checks.
Conclusions:
The Panel:
7.5 / noted the outcome of the consultation process with schools and recommended the proposed changes to school funding arrangements for 2008/09 to Cabinet.
8. / DATE OF NEXT MEETING
[Officer Contact: Emma Lund, Democratic Services Officer
Tel: 01992 555563]
8.1 / Wednesday 9 April 2008 at 10.00am in Committee Room B.
Andrew Laycock
County Secretary
080213 Minutes
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