PAPER A

 

POLICY COMMISSION MEETING

 

Meeting

Children and School Results Commission

Ref

CPC 04/10/06

Date

Wednesday, 4 October 2006 18.00 to 20.20

Place

Committee Room 1, County Hall, Newport, Isle of Wight

Purpose of meeting

Formal public meeting

Attendance

Commission members – Cllrs Melanie Swan (Commissioner), Wendy Arnold, Gill Kennett, Deborah Gardiner, Muriel Miller

Apologies – Cllrs George Cameron, Lady Pigot

Cabinet members –  Cllrs Dawn Cousins, Patrick Joyce

Cabinet Secretary –  Cllr David Pugh

Officers – Mr Ian Sandbrook, Mr Keith Simmonds, Mr Paul Thistlewood

Agenda Items

 

1.                    Notes of previous meeting

The notes of the meeting held on 5 July 2006 were agreed.

2.                    Declarations of interest

Cllr Kennett declared a personal interest in item 4 due to her daughter’s employment.

Cllrs Arnold and Miller declared a personal interest in item 4 due there membership of school governing bodies.

3.         Joint Area Review

Papers considered :-  Isle of Wight Joint Area Review Draft Action Plan

 

General points arising :-

 

     i.            Action Plan to be submitted to the DfES by 20 November 2006.

    ii.            Draft circulated to the Commission had been updated.

  iii.            Five key actions being listed for each of the sixteen issues where improvements were required.

  iv.            Fifteen of the issues had been raised in the Joint Area Review and one included by the Council.

   v.            A timeline of dates by which actions are to be implemented would be compiled.

  vi.            Three top priorities would be School Improvement; Access and Inclusion and Prevention. The latter would be the most difficult.

vii.            There was a need to ensure that actions discussed by agencies at board level are implemented in the field.

viii.            It was accepted that work was required to ensure that all pupils received their statutory entitlement to tuition.

  ix.            Pupils would be entered at KS3 SAT’s at the correct time.

   x.            All schools, including the Church Middle Schools, would be asked to enter into an agreement to take excluded pupils.

  xi.            Wording used in access and inclusion outputs required amendment to accord with the Council’s Diversity Policy.

xii.            Data still being put into Corvu which would assist in performance management

 

Action required :

 

School attainment data for Looked After Children to be sent to members.

 

4.         Investing in the Island’s Future

Papers considered: - Draft scoping document with invitation to present views and options paper presented by Mr Ian Sandbrook, Strategic Director for Children’s Services.

 

Mr Mark Stafford and Mr Peter Leach of The Learning Partnership and Positively Mad were present for this item

 

a)            General points arising from Mr Stafford and Mr Leach :-

 

                     i.                                                                                          Importance of collaboration, partnerships, reflective practice and research to assist in school improvement.

                   ii.                                                                                          Rather than action on reducing absence the move should be towards 100% engagement of learners.

                  iii.                                                                                          Learning should be fun and inclusive.

                 iv.                                                                                          More empowerment with less intervention can raise standards.

                   v.                                                                                          Use of IT can be used to develop virtual schools.

 

b)            Update on consultation exercise :-

 

                     i.                                                                                          A total of 30 comments had been received and the closing date was 13 October 2006.

                   ii.                                                                                          Need for Policy Commission to agree which key stakeholders should be invited to the formal sessions to be held on the evening of Thursday 9 November and the morning of Friday 10 November 2006.

                  iii.                                                                                          The Commission should have an understanding of the 14-19 strategy.

 

c)            Briefing on key issues involved :-

 

                     i.                        Schools not fully accountable for attainment.

                   ii.                        Standards 8 years behind that of other authorities.

                  iii.                        Needs of pupils undertaking Key Stage 3 not being fully met.

                 iv.                        National changes to the curriculum for 14-19 year olds has to be taken into account.

                   v.                        Wide range of collaboration available including one governing body responsible for all schools.

                 vi.                        Quality of governance in Island schools has to be improved.

                vii.                        Children can be resilient and adjust to change.

              viii.                        Implications for choice and diversity to be taken into account.

                 ix.                        Creative ways need to be found to overcome shortage in speech and language therapy and educational psychology.

 

Action required :-

 

At the meeting on 1 November 2006 a full briefing be provided on the 14-19 strategy by appropriate officers.

 

5.         Mr Ian Sandbrook

The Policy Commission was advised that this would be Mr Sandbrook’s last meeting as he was due to hand over to Mr Steve Beynon on 23 October 2006. Members thanked Mr Sandbrook for his work and guidance during his interim appointment.