42.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2004 were confirmed.
43.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations made at this stage.
44.
FORWARD PLAN
The Select Committee was advised that the only item
included within the Forward Plan for January 2005 – April 2005 of relevance was
the consideration by the Executive, on 23 March 2005, of the School
Organisation report.
45.
REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING AS AT END OF DECEMBER 2004
Members considered the joint report of the Strategic
Director of Children’s Services and the Chief Financial Officer on revenue
expenditure up to 31 December 2004. It was predicted that given the anticipated
spending levels budgets for both Education and Children’s and Family Services
would be on target.
In considering elements of the revenue expenditure
members believed that it would be beneficial for an indication to be given as
to whether this was based on a financial or academic year as this affected the
profile. There was also a need to incorporate comments alongside expenditure
details to highlight circumstances that impact on expenditure or income levels.
Clarification was also sought on balances held and whether these could be utilised
to the Council’s overall financial benefit.
The Select Committee was advised that any surplus
within the budget for LEA Developments (Initiative Payments), otherwise known
as Cluster Funding, was carried forward to the following year. Cluster
arrangements had been considered at the September 2004 meeting.
In noting the expenditure on the Directorate’s IT
Support Services members were made aware of discussions with the Head of
Organisational Development and linkage with the Council’s GAGS project. This
was particularly relevant to matters such as school admissions dealt with by
Client Services. There was also an important distinction between IT provision
in schools between systems required for the delivery of the curriculum and
those for administrative functions. This could be an area for the Select
Committee to look at in further detail and would be raised at the Development
Day.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
(a)
An
indication be included on appendices to indicate whether expenditure is for a
financial, calendar or academic year together with appropriate comments on
committed expenditure, recharges and grants.
(b)
Clarification
be sent to members on the ability of budget balances earning interest.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE
AND REVIEW TEAM AND HEAD OF LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS
An item be included in the workplan to review the 2nd
year of Cluster working so to monitor their effectiveness.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF
SELECT COMMITTEE AND REVIEW TEAM
Consideration be given to the inclusion of an item
relating to ICT in schools at the June 2005 Development Day.
46.
PUPILS EDUCATION OTHERWISE
In accordance with the LEA Action Plan following the
2003 Ofsted inspection the Select Committee considered a report on the
Council’s role and function in cases where parents decided to educate their
children other than at school. There were 117 children educated at home as at
January 2005. Although Ofsted, in its inspection report, had considered the
figure for the Island high there was no comparative data available. The Head of
Pupil Services indicated a specific database system had been developed locally
to provide relevant information to monitor such cases.
Members were made aware of the inconsistencies
within the existing legislation which meant that the LEA had no automatic right
of access to the parents home, or child, to inspect provision. Parents did not
have to state a reason why they wished to educate their child at home. The
education provided did not have to conform to any set standard or curriculum
but had to be deemed suitable for their needs. Support for parents was available
from a national organisation called Education Otherwise and locally through The
Learning Zone. Connexions also provided careers advice.
The procedures that had to be followed by parents
was outlined together with the respective roles of schools and the LEA. Where
there were concerns as to the child’s welfare, rather than education, the
Council’s Child Protection Team would become involved.
In cases where bullying had been cited as the reason
for home education the LEA liaised with the school concerned to resolve the
situation. Members also noted that if the case involved a child who had a
persistent attendance problem at school the Council could consider taking legal
action. A number of cases involved a situation whereby the parents first choice
school was not available and the child was educated at home until a place
became available. Members were also made aware that a number of children were
education at home on religious grounds.
The Select Committee welcomed the report and
believed that a yearly monitoring report was required. To enable members to
have a more in depth understanding of the issues involved some further
information would be required and the involvement of relevant stakeholders in
the discussion would be beneficial.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF PUPIL SERVICES AND
HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE AND REVIEW TEAM
A
monitoring report be included in the workplan for a year’s time and this to
include :-
(i)
a
comparison of the number of children involved compared with that in other
similar LEA’s,
(ii)
a
three year trend for the Island,
(iii)
reasons
given by parents for home education,
(iv)
the
home language of children,
(v)
any
SEN children,
(vi)
numbers
broken down into cluster areas,
(vii)
a
representative from The Learning Zone together with a parent be invited to
attend for that item.
47.
INSPECTION ACTION PLANS
The Strategic Director of Children’s Services
referred to the inspections undertaken during 2003/04 by :-
§
Ofsted
and The Audit Commission of the LEA
§
Ofsted
and the Adult Learning Inspectorate of education and training for 14-19 year
olds
§
Commission
for Social Care Inspectorate of Children’s Services.
Each inspection had resulted in an appropriate
Action Plan being formulated. With the progression towards a new Children’s
Services Directorate these were being linked together. This would also
recognise that the existing separate inspection processes would be brought
together under a Joint Area Review.
An Action Plan Summary Matrix had been created as a
way of identifying the actions taken, or to be taken, to ensure progress was
being made on the recommendations arising from the three inspections.
The Strategic Director referred to the
implementation of the Children Act 2004 and an outcomes framework that he had
drafted based on the outcomes contained within “Every Child Matters”. Each of
the five outcomes could be linked to particular aims, support, targets and
inspection criteria. The Select Committee indicated the need to ensure that the
framework was linked to the Corporate Plan and Local Strategic Partnership.
Members debated how the role of overview and
scrutiny should fit into the Outline Framework. The use of lead members would
be one approach that could be adopted as this had been successfully used both
by the Adult and Community Services Select Committee on health and this Select
Committee on school organisation. The approach
to be taken would however be a matter for the new Council and considered at the
relevant Select Committee Development Day.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF
CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE AND REVIEW TEAM
The outcomes framework be utilised as a tool to
assist the Select Committee in its policy development and scrutiny role and
considered at the development day in June 2005.
48.
MEMBERS’ QUESTION TIME
Mr C R Hancock sought clarification as to
responsibilities for dealing with bullying to and from school. The Strategic
Director of Children’s Services indicated that such cases should be reported to
the Head Teacher in the first instance. There was to be a major conference on
the Island later in the year on bullying and members would be invited.
Mr C R Hancock referred to ongoing building works at
the WISE facility. The Strategic Director indicated that health and safety
issues during such works would be dealt with by Property Services.
Mr I R Stephens asked about preventing pupils
leaving school premises during school hours. The Strategic Director stated that
this was the responsibility of the schools to manage.
Mrs L Peacey-Wilcox raised an issue concerning mobile
phones at a High School. The Strategic Director indicated that she should write
to the Chair of Governors.
CHAIRMAN