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To Members of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee

Notice of Meeting

Chris Impey
Assistant Chief Executive

24 November 2003

Membership

Chair – Councillor Robert Evans

Councillors:

Co-opted Members:

AGENDA

Addenda

1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest
   
   
3. Matter Arising from the Minutes of the Meeting Held on 15 September 2003: Voting by Co-opted Members
   
   (See also Addenda)
   

To consider the advice of the Solicitor to the Council on the exact extent of the voting rights of the co-opted members. (Members are asked to bring to the meeting the Solicitor to the Council’s letter.)

4. Minutes
   
   (See also Addenda)
   

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2003 (LC4(a)) and 7 October 2003 (LC4(b)) and to receive for information any matters arising therefrom.

5. Petitions and Public Address
6. Revenue and Capital Expenditure Proposals 2004/05–2008/09

• Do the priority budget items directly link to strategic priorities and objectives?
• If there are key budget items NOT linked to priorities, why are these items important?
• What are the outputs that we would get from these budget options?
• Which are the areas of the greatest change? why is this so?
• How will the outputs from this spending be measured?
• What targets have been established? are these targets acceptable?

1. advise on the revenue expenditure proposals for their programme areas and on the relative priorities of the proposals as set out in Annex 2 and 3 to this report;
2. advise on the capital expenditure proposals for their programme area and on the relative priorities of the proposals as set out in Annex 4 to this report;
3. make comments on the other programme areas if they wish.

7. Monitoring

12:30

1. Ofsted Inspection Reports on Oxfordshire Schools to November 2003 (LC7(a)).
2. Members Visit to the Bicester Partnership of Schools (LC7(b)).
   
   
8. Best Value

12:55 The following updates on the implementation of Best Value reviews have been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre for information:

1. Achievement in Secondary Schools
2. Student Support
3. Early Years Education & Childcare
   
   

2:00 Forward Plan Items:

9. Special Educational Needs - Scrutiny Review

(Ref. 2003/014)

On 11 November the Executive considered (EX9) progress with the measures identified as a result of the Scrutiny Committee’s review and recommendations and their impact on the service and resolved to:

1. note the actions taken as described in the officers’ report and progress made to date, and note the comments in the additional report circulated by members at the meeting;
2. ask the Executive Member for Schools to report to an early meeting of the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee and the Executive on progress made towards targets in the SEN Service Plan.
   
   
10. Children with SEN-Inclusion Policies

(Ref. 2003/155)

At the last meeting the Scrutiny Committee agreed to identify at this meeting its representative on the SEN Partnership.

11. Woodeaton Manor & Iffley Mead Special Schools

(Ref. 2003/156)

On 14 October the Executive considered (EX7) the response to consultation on options in relation to Woodeaton and Iffley Mead Special Schools identified in the Member Panel report on the inclusion of children with special educational needs and resolved to:

1. note that the response to consultation on the options previously identified for Woodeaton Manor and Iffley Mead has highlighted three clear alternatives favoured by different respondents and confirm that further work should concentrate on those alternatives;
2. ask the Director for Learning & Culture to carry out the further work described in the report in respect of those alternatives and to report back in December on the outcome of this work, with detailed options for formal consultation.

The Forward Plan indicates (ref 2003/195) that the Executive will consider on 14 January 2004 the outcome of further work on the options identified to the 14 October 2003 meeting.

12. Oxford Secondary School Catchment Areas Review

Ref: 2003/161 Executive Area: Schools

Topic: Oxford Secondary School Catchment Areas Review

Decision: To consider proposals to put out to statutory consultation (Spring 2004)

Timing: 14 January 2004

Consultation: Headteachers and governors of Oxford City Schools

Documents: Report by Director for Learning & Culture

Contact: Robert Capstick, Head of Resources (01865 815155)

13. Governance of Oxfordshire County Council Adult and Community Learning Service

1. comment on the questions raised in the governance consultation paper;
2. note that a mission review, and a review of the allocation of staffing to curriculum, geographical, and target learner responsibilities, will be undertaken to a slightly later timetable.

14. To identify any Scrutiny Committee items in the current Forward Plan on which the Committee wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Executive before any decision is taken.

(Members are reminded to bring to the meeting the latest copy of the Plan which at the time of writing covered December 2003 –March 2004).

3:00 Scrutiny Work Programme Items:

15. Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’
    
    (See also Addenda)
    

At the last meeting the Scrutiny Committee expressed an interest in participating in a review around the Green Paper, possibly jointly, at a later date and agreed to consider the matter further in the light of the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee and Executive outcomes.

On 29 October the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee agreed:

1. to express an interest in joint working on this topic with other scrutiny committees in future; and
2. that any comments on the draft consultation response which would be sent to members prior to the meeting of the Executive on 25 November should be sent to Democratic Services (Julie Dean), to compile a response to the Executive on behalf of the Committee.

On 25 November the Executive is considering a report (EX7) by the Director for Social & Health Care and Director for Learning & Culture which provides information on the key points within the Green Paper, explains the process of how Oxfordshire is preparing to respond to it and legislation which is expected during 2004. The Executive is recommended to agree:

1. the response to the consultation process to the Green Paper – Every Child Matters;
2. that the formal response is signed by the Director of Learning & Culture, Social & Health Care and the Chief Executive of the Oxford City Primary Care Trust.
   
   

The decision of the Executive will be reported to the meeting.

16. Faith Schools Scrutiny Review

Summary report for Faith Schools Scrutiny Review (LC16).

17. Pilot: EDP Group and the Local Cultural Strategy Group

Update; Scrutiny officers are working on terms of reference for the groups.

18. Use of School Premises for Community Purposes – Scrutiny Review

Scrutiny Review update report (LC18) (download as .rtf file).

19. Six-Term/Five-Term School Year

Update report (LC19) (download as .rtf file) by Councillor Andrew Brown.

20. Tracking Scrutiny Outcomes
    
    (See also Addenda)