Children's Services and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Panel
Thursday 8 May 2008
CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND LEISURE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL
8 MAY 2008
PRESENT: Councillors Lenton (Chairman), Mrs Pitteway (Vice-Chairman), Miss Barton, Baskerville, J Evans and Mrs Stock.
Non Members: Councillor Mrs Quick.
Officers: Mrs Dackombe, Mr J Gould, Mr T Gould, Mr Herlinger, Mr Kiely, Mr Morton, Mr Taylor, Mr Turner, Mrs White and Mr Wright.
part i
92/07 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for Absence were received from Councillor Mrs Luxton.
93/07 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
The following declarations of interests were received:
Councillor Mrs Pitteway declared a personal interest as a School Governor.
Councillor Mrs Stock declared a personal interest as her husband was a non executive director of the Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead Primary Care Trust, was a Council appointed trustee of Berkshire Maestros and her daughter was a teacher at Charters School.
Councillor Miss Barton declared a personal interest as the chairman of the Council’s Visitor Management Forum.
- Resolved: that the order of business as detailed on the agenda be amended.
Members considered a report on the adoption of a revised Code of Practice for the appointment of LEA representatives on school governing bodies, which was due to be submitted to Cabinet on 22 May 2008. The revised code was based on School Governance Regulations (2007). The document would ensure greater robustness and transparency in the appointment process and would bring the Borough in line with the School Governance Regulations (2007).
In relation to the notification of Councillors when vacancies arose, the Panel considered that this section could be amended so that a broader range of local Councillors would be advised of vacancies, not just those in the ward where the school was located.
The Panel considered that the application form could be made more user-friendly and requested that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman be consulted on further improvements to the layout, prior to submission to Cabinet. The Panel also considered that the form was repetitive in its questioning and that the ‘Skills and Knowledge’ section could therefore be deleted. It was noted that more room on the form would be given for applicants to provide their answers and that consideration would be given to providing more ‘blank space’ for candidates to supply additional information.
- RESOLVED: That the Panel recommends that Cabinet accept the revised Code of Practice, subject to the changes outlined above.
96/07 PRIMARY SCHOOL PROVISION IN THE ROYAL BOROUGH
Members considered the report due to be submitted to Cabinet on 22 May 2008, which sought approval from Members to submit to the Department for Children Schools and Families the Royal Borough’s Primary Strategy for Change. Endorsement of the Strategy also required approval of proposals to change the arrangements for first admission to school, and to expand a number of first schools in Windsor.
The Panel was addressed by Mrs Scott in relation to the arrangements for first admission to school. She commented that children born in August were disadvantaged in comparison to those born earlier in the school year, and this was backed up by a range of research papers. Current arrangements in the Borough meant that some children received up to two terms of reception teaching and some received none. The problem was specific to England as alternative arrangements were in place in Wales and Scotland. She suggested that parents of children born very late in the school admission year should be given the option as to which year group they were to enter.
In the discussion on first admissions, Members suggested that there was an opportunity to be bold in the creation of a Foundation Stage Strategy.
In relation to Recommendation (a), which considered options for first admission to school, the Panel considered Option 2, contained in paragraph 3.2.69 of the report and 3.2.58 of the amended report tabled at the meeting, to be their preferred option.
In relation to Recommendation (c), which considered options for the rising numbers in Windsor First Schools, the Panel considered that Option 1 (expansion of Alexander, Clewer Green and Dedworth Green First Schools + Oakfield R5 classroom at £3.649m) or Option 2 (expansion of Alexander, Clewer Green and Hilltop First Schools + Oakfield R5 classroom at £3.759m) as contained in paragraph 3.2.51 in the amended report tabled at the meeting, were their preferred options.
In relation to Recommendation (f), which considered the Borough's Primary Strategy for Change priorities for investment for the first four years, the Panel was unable to comment as the information was not included in the report or the amended report.
In relation to Recommendation (g), which considered the Borough's Primary Strategy for Change specific projects required for the first two years for additional “first admissions” classrooms, contained in Paragraphs 3.2.38 to 3.2.44 of the report, the Panel approved of the recommendations, subject to any budgetary constraints. The Panel noted that the estimated costs and the total estimated cost in the table contained in 3.2.38 would be reviewed for accuracy.
At the conclusion of the discussion the Panel recorded their concern about the absence of key data on the report. In response, Officers apologised for the status of the report but explained that it was due to the very limited timetable set by Government for the completion of a complex project. It was confirmed that the information would be available in time for Cabinet.
- RESOLVED: That the report be recommended to Cabinet for approval, subject to the inclusion of the above comments.
97/07 THE LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY (LfS) STRATEGY AND ASSOCIATED LfS STANDARD FOR SCHOOLS
Members considered the report due to be submitted to Cabinet on 22 May 2008 on the adoption of the Learning for Sustainability Strategy and the endorsement of the Learning for Sustainability Standard for Schools. It was noted that the LfS Strategy was a behaviour change strategy designed to bring about a culture of learning for sustainability within and between organisations and their stakeholders. The effectiveness of the strategy would be monitored by the LfS Action Group reporting to the Sustainability Panel.
Arising from the discussion, the Panel suggested that the report recommendation be amended to delete the word enactment and change the word Strategy to Framework as they did not consider the document to be a strategy. They also noted that schools participated in Sustainable School Self Evaluation (S3) on a voluntary basis.
- RESOLVED: That the report be recommended to Cabinet for approval, subject to the inclusion of the above comments.
Members considered the report and the 2008-2016 Visitor Management Strategy due to be submitted to Cabinet on 22 May 2008. The Visitor Management Strategy was first approved in 1996 and updated in 2002. The latest Strategy built on these documents and continued to create a sound partnership between the Council and the local visitor industry. The potential impacts of the Olympic Games were underlined.
The Panel endorsed the report and the Strategy but commented that the financial target of under 1.5% per annum at constant prices was a little cautious as it was below the growth rate of the economy and of the tourist trade generally. It was also suggested that further information on South Africa be included in “The Overseas Visitor” section.
- RESOLVED: That the report be recommended to Cabinet for approval, subject to the inclusion of the above comments.
99/07 DEVELOPING PHASE 3 CHILDREN’S CENTRES IN THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD
Members considered the report due to be submitted to Cabinet on 22 May 2008 on the proposed models and areas within the Borough for the development of Phase 3 Children’s Centre areas between April 2008 and March 2010. It was noted that a children’s centre was a ‘one stop shop’ for services for families who had young children. The Childcare Act 2006 placed a range of duties on local authorities in relation to early Years and childcare Services for children and their families. Children’s centres were the universal and mainstream frontline service (alongside schools) providing accessible support to all families and their young children and would be one of the vehicles for meeting this duty.
- RESOLVED: That the report be recommended to Cabinet for approval.
100/07 BEHAVIOUR IN ROYAL BOROUGH SCHOOLS
Members considered the report due to be submitted to Cabinet on 22 May 2008 which provided an overview of behaviour in Royal Borough schools, outlined actions being taken to improve behaviour and described plans to develop services designed to improve behaviour.
During the discussion a Member suggested that the potential benefits of nurture groups should be expressed.
The Panel endorsed the report but suggested that the recommendation be reworded to read, “That Members note and approve the existing actions and endorse the proposed future actions”.
- RESOLVED: That the report be recommended to Cabinet for approval, subject to the suggested rewording of the Member’s Recommendation.
RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting whilst discussion takes place on items 10 and 11 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 - 7 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.