35.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2004 were confirmed.
36.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations made at this stage.
37.
URGENT
BUSINESS – EDUCATION FINANCE 2005-06 SCHOOLS BUDGET AND PASSPORTING
The Chairman agreed to an urgent item of business as action was
required by the Authority by 31 December 2004.
The Select Committee was advised that the Council had a statutory
duty to notify the Secretary of State for Education, by 31 December 2004, of
whether it intended to passport in full the schools budget for 2005/06.
Additionally the Council had to discuss the schools budget with the Schools
Forum. The provisional details of the
local government finance settlement for 2005/06 had only just been announced.
The schools budget for 2005/06 would be £66.234m which was an
increase of £5.78m over that for 2004/05. This included provision for threshold
payments in respect of teachers pay for the first time.
Members discussed the implications of passporting the schools
budget in the light of the Council’s overall financial position. It was
believed that whilst it might be the aspiration of the Council to firmly state
that this would definitely occur it was impossible at this stage to make such a
commitment. The Select Committee was made aware that the pattern of expenditure
agreed in previous years by the Council would make it very difficult for it not
to continue with this policy.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES
The Executive to be held on 15 December 2004 be recommended to
state that it is the intention of the Authority to passport in full the schools
budget for 2005/06.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE
STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES
(a)
The Schools
Forum on 16 December 2004 be informed that the Select Committee agrees in
principle to the full passporting of the schools budget for 2005-06.
(b)
Subsequent
to the meeting of the Executive the Strategic Director of Children’s Services
be authorised to inform the Secretary of State by the statutory deadline of 31
December 2004 of the intention to passport in full the schools budget for
2005-06.
38.
ANNUAL
REPORT OF THE SCHOOLS FORUM
The Chairman welcomed Dr Tara Dean, Chairman of the Schools Forum
to the meeting.
Dr Dean reported on the work of the Forum for the period 2003/04.
She had recently taken over as Chairman following the resignation of Mr John
Lucas. Since its establishment in January 2003 the Forum has focussed on three
main themes - school funding; annual budget setting and review of specialist
services provided for schools by the LEA. Dr Dean detailed the work that had
been undertaken specifically on the funding of SEN, the School Library Service
and the School Meals Service. All reports and minutes of the Forum were
available on the Councils website – www.eduwight.iow.gov.uk .
The Forum would be setting up two Sub Groups to enable it to deal
with items in more depth. It was also proposed to increase the number of
Governor representatives on it to help support the work of the Sub Groups.
The Select Committee considered that it was necessary to ensure
that there was a co-ordinated approach to its workplan and that for the Forum.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE AND BEST VALUE
SUPPORT AND THE HEAD OF PLANNING AND RESOURCES
The Chairman of the Schools Forum be invited to the Select
Committee’s Awayday in June 2005.
39.
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE – KEY STAGE 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5 RESULTS 2004
The Select Committee considered a report detailing
Island schools performance for 2004 compared with that nationally, regionally
and with statistical neighbours. The trends for each key stage since 2000 were
also outlined.
Members were advised that although the Island’s
socio-economic background indicated some disadvantage this should not be a
barrier to achievement. Whilst performance had improved and the gap between
national, and statistical neighbours, was closing in a number of areas overall
Island school performance was still unsatisfactory. In noting this members recognised that performance had improved,
or been broadly sustained, in all areas other than at GCSE.
The Select Committee discussed the results for each
Key Stage and were made aware of performances on a cluster basis.
For Key Stage 1 the Authority was in the top 50%
nationally in all areas and in particular performance in mathematics was
particularly strong. The performance in English and Mathematics at Key Stage 2 was
one of the most improved in the Country. The overall results were still however
below the national average. Members were made aware that the volatility of
performance, especially in Mathematics, related in part to the difficulties
experienced by the school size and the recruitment and retention of staff for
key posts. The value added figure between Key Stage 1 and 2 also required
attention.
Improvements in Key Stage 3 had been sustained in
most areas. Concern was expressed by members at the problems experienced in the
marking of the national tests. All
Island High Schools had returned their English test papers for remarking and in
some cases there were discrepancies of 26% in the markings. For science 3 High
Schools had returned papers for remarking.
The Head of School Effectiveness and Education
referred to the disappointment of all High Schools with the GCSE results,
particularly in respect of the number of pupils achieving five or more A* - C
grades. This had led to a widening of the gap between local and national
results. Steps were being introduced to overcome the significant weakness in
the core subjects of English,
mathematics and science.
In considering the number of exclusions for 2003-04
members were made aware of the rise in these since 1999-2000. This was from 345
to 940. Officers indicated that out of the 616 pupils excluded 422 were
excluded once. It was believed that through the use of fixed term exclusions,
especially for one day, had the impact
necessary to prevent any re-occurrence of the behaviour leading to the action
taken. Concern was expressed by the Select Committee on the number of females
in the Ryde cluster that were subject to exclusion. Officers were working with
the schools involved to identify what action could be implemented to reduce
this. It was explained to members that the care of a child that had been
excluded for a period of below 15 days was the responsibility of the parents or
guardians. Appropriate work had to be provided for the school. To enable the
Select Committee to consider whether it should debate exclusions in further
depth a range of more detailed information was requested.
The Select Committee noted the continued improvement
in attendance. Whilst unauthorised absence was not seen as a significant problem
the overall rate of authorised absence remained above the national figures. An
article on attendance was to be included in the forthcoming issue of Wight
Insight.
The difficulties experienced through the size of
Island schools, especially in the Middle School phase, when a specialist
teacher left thereby causing disruption to the delivery of lessons was a key
element in reviewing school organisation. Steps had been taken to assist in the
recruitment and retention of staff, and there were also national shortages in
some subjects. Exit interviews conducted indicated that besides workloads being
a major factor in staff movement the separation from family and friends on the
mainland played a large part in retention difficulties.
The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services
outlined the collective responsibility of the LEA, Schools, Governing Bodies,
and Parents in school attainment. The
Council had school attainment as a Priority Improvement Area. And the Local
Strategic Partnership also had this as a theme. Reference was made to the last
meeting of the Select Committee when the developing role of school governance
had been discussed.
The Select Committee considered that there was a
need for School Governing Bodies to challenge Headteachers on the targets being
achieved and help support schools in raising
results at all Key Stages. As a
first step in this the training session to be held for councillors, who were on
school governing bodies, on roles and responsibilities could provide a
springboard for similar sessions being held for other school governors.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR
CHILDREN’S SERVICES
All Councillors, that are school governors be
encouraged to attend the training session, to be held in the new year, aimed at
highlighting the roles, responsibilities and involvement of school governing
bodies in target setting to raise school attainment and assist in the
recruitment and retention of key teaching staff.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
EFFECTIVENESS AND EDUCATION AND HEAD OF PUPIL SERVICES
Further details relating to exclusions be supplied
to members including separate figures for primary, middle and high; gender
breakdown for these, actual number of pupils in each of these sectors; the
number of statemented and looked after pupils excluded.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE
AND BEST VALUE SUPPORT
Colour copies of graphs and tables be supplied to
members of the Select Committee on future occasions.
40.
INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR SEN TASK GROUP
The Select Committee received the report of the head
of Select Committee and Best value Support relating to the Task group that had
been established to look at the Council’s SEN policies and procedures. It was
nearing completion on its deliberations into aspects of the statementing
process and had reached the stage where there was a need to clarify the role
and responsibilities of the Health Service.
The Chairman of the Task Group, Mr P Joyce, outlined
the statementing process whereby advice must be sought from the Health
Authority on the provision of services that was required for a child identified
with SEN. He believed that it would be appropriate for the Select Committee to
seek specialist legal advice from outside the Council on five questions aimed
at resolving the areas of concern.
The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised on
the circumstances involved whereby specialist legal advice would normally be
obtained. He indicated that although two of the five questions could be dealt
with in-house there was uncertainty as to a response to the others where
independent advice could be helpful.
The Head of Pupil Services told members that in
2003-04 there had been 12 cases involving the SEN Tribunal. Of these 10 were
withdrawn as issues had been resolved, 1 struck out and 1 awarded against the
Council. None of these related to the provision of therapy. In 2004-05 there
had been 10 cases. Of these 5 were withdrawn, 1 dismissed, 2 were agreed prior
to Tribunal and 2 were awarded against the Council. Therapy provision had been
involved in 3 of these cases. These figures were set against a background of 50
new statements per year and 800 statemented pupils.
Members, particularly those on the Task Group, were
of the opinion that such advice was required. This should then enable firm
recommendations to be drafted from the
Task Group.
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE AND
BEST VALUE SUPPORT
Specialist legal advice be sought on the five
specific issues connected with the statementing process and the costs of this,
£660 - £1,000 plus VAT, be met from the Select Committee and Review Team
budget.
41.
MEMBERS QUESTION TIME
Mr C R Hancock raised a question relating to the
effectiveness of school governing bodies scrutinising their own school
performance. It was noted that it was practice in some authorities for the
Headteacher and Chairman of Governors to meet with representatives of the
appropriate Select Committee following an Ofsted inspection.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE HEAD OF SELECT COMMITTEE
AND BEST VALUE SUPPORT AND THE HEAD OF SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AND EDUCATION
Investigations be made into establishing
arrangements whereby the Headteacher and Chairman of Governors are invited to
discuss the results of an Ofsted Inspection with members of the Select Committee.
CHAIRMAN