Agenda and minutes

In accordance with paragraph 17 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee rules, two Members, representing more than one Group, had signed a requisition calling in the decision of the Cabinet. On this occasion Councillors Keith Darvill and Gillian Ford had called in the decision of the Cabinet on 11^th July 2011 relating to the Future Shape of Education Services. The decision of the Cabinet was:

1. To retain in house a smaller number of teams with responsibility for delivering the authority’s statutory duties to vulnerable children and families, and those relating to preventing school failure. (implementation April 2013).

2. (a) To explore two options for the non statutory functions of Hsis  during July:

·        a “soft market testing” exercise to establish the level of external interest in running the service.

2. (b) That a final decision about the “destination” of this service is made following this work (implementation April 2013).

3. To note that work continues to ensure that the non statutory traded services of the Europa Centre, Catering Service, Adult College and the Music School meet their MTFS savings targets, whilst options continue to be explored for the future delivery of these services.

Reasons for decisions:

To ensure that the Council is able to meet its statutory obligations to support children, families and schools, but within a reduced funding envelope, thereby ensuring the provision of high quality schooling to local residents and protecting the most vulnerable children and families

Other options considered and rejected:

To no longer provide statutory services to schools and operate a “free market”, with the associated risks for the future lives of children and families in Havering and the long term reputation of Havering as a place in which businesses wish to locate and families wish to live.

GROUNDS FOR REQUISITION

The requisition had been made:

To examine the options and recommendations contained in the Report to Cabinet.

Specifically, the requisition SOUGHT to clarify the following issues:

• There is no option identified to work with the existing model. Our services have a high buy in rate so what consideration has been given to expanding and growing these services even further into other boroughs?
• In recommendation 2 (b), who will be making the final decision?
• All of the options need to be discussed by the Children & Learning Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Officers advised the Committee that the report to Cabinet reflected the Council’s strategic aim to become a smaller, more streamlined organisation, which as a consequence, changed the principles upon which the services would be delivered. The report also acknowledged the importance of retaining services within the council which ensured that there was;

• A sufficiency of high quality early years and school places, and provision for vulnerable children and adults (up to the age of 25);
• Appropriate assessment and support for the Borough’s most vulnerable children and young people;
• A team to prevent school failure,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

In accordance with paragraph 17 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee rules, two Members, representing more than one Group, had signed a requisition calling in the decision of Cabinet. On this occasion Councillors Keith Darvill and Gillian Ford had called in the decision of the Cabinet on 11^th July 2011 relating to the Commissioning School Places Strategy 2012/13 – 2015/16.

The decision of the Cabinet was:

1.      To approve the draft Commissioning School Places Strategy 2012/13-2016/17 (CSPS)

2.      To approve the circulation of the draft CSPS for consultation to all stake holders in school place planning

3.      To delegate the determination of the final CSPS, to the Cabinet Member for Children Service’s and the Group Director for Children’s Services.

4.    To note that a further report will be going to Cabinet in September 2012, which will set out the details of each expansion scheme, the consultation process and indicative costs and funding for each scheme

Reasons for decisions:

This decision was necessary to progress the strategy for ensuring there were sufficient school places in Havering to meet the rising pupil population.

Other options considered and rejected:

It was considered that the Council could proceed with the expansion programme without an agreed CSPS in place.  However as the Council was in the leadership role for this major and long term expansion programme, it should be consulting with stake holders on its proposed strategy for meeting the challenge of  the rising school population and in so doing reduce the risk of these plans being unsuccessful.

GROUNDS FOR REQUISITION

The decision had been called in on the following grounds:

1. To examine the availability of spare accommodation which would meet some of the increased demand (see para. 2.4. of the Report to Cabinet)
2. To examine the implications of the proposed strategy for home to school travel particularly relating to primary schools.
3. To consider the financial difficulties that schools will face as a consequence of the increase in pupil numbers in the current funding arrangements.
4. Page 58, 4^th paragraph down it quotes 2006/07 as the beginning of the birth rate rise however in the second paragraph from the bottom it suggests 2007/08 as the beginning of the increase. Could you please confirm the correct year. It had therefore been requested if the correct year could be confirmed.
5. Page 61, 4^th paragraph down, 2^nd sentence needed re wording as it did not currently make sense.
6. Page 64, 2^nd paragraph from the bottom refers to the Technical feasibility work on secondary schools, is this all schools including academies or just community schools?
7. In fairly recent times we have experienced school closures and amalgamations; under the premise primary numbers were falling. How have you mitigated the risk against unnecessary growth or insufficient growth?
8. Admissions are currently overseen by the authority in partnership with schools; however Academies and Free Schools will determine their own admission numbers. What measures are being put in place to alleviate the pressures this would bring to community schools  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.