Meeting documents

Children's Services Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday, 11 July 2006

CH110706-03

Return to Agenda

ITEM CH3

CHILDRENS SERVICES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – 23 MAY 2006

Minutes of the Meeting commencing at 10.00 am and finishing at 1.15 pm

Present:

Voting Members:

Councillor Melinda Tilley - in the chair

Councillor Mrs Gail Bones
Councillor Jean Fooks
Councillor Deborah Glass Woodin
Councillor Sue Haffenden
Councillor Steve Hayward
Councillor Ian Hudspeth (in place of Councillor Mrs Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor)
Councillor Bill Service
Councillor Val Smith
Councillor Lawrie Stratford
Councillor Keith Stone
Councillor David Turner
Councillor Nicholas P. Turner
Councillor Carol Viney
Mr Chris Bevan
Mr Ben Jackson
Mrs Sue Matthew
Ms Bernadine Spencer

Other Members in Attendance:

Councillor Michael Waine (for Agenda Item 7)

By Invitation:

Mrs B. Williams (COTO)
Mrs C. Thomson (OGA)

Officers:

Whole of meeting: D. Mitchell (Chief Executive’s Office).

Part of meeting: S. Adams and J. Mitchell (Children, Young People & Families).

The Scrutiny Committee considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with a schedule of addenda tabled at the meeting and agreed as set out below. Copies of the agenda, reports and schedule are attached to the signed Minutes.

    15/06. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN FOR THE CURRENT COUNCIL YEAR

    RESOLVED: that Councillor Mrs Anda Fitzgerald O’Connor be elected Chairman of the Committee for the current Council Year.

    16/06. ELECTION OF DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR THE CURRENT COUNCIL YEAR

    RESOLVED: that Councillor Melinda Tilley be elected Deputy Chairman of the Committee for the current Council Year.

    17/06. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS

    An apology for absence and temporary appointment was received as follows:

    Apology from

    Temporary Appointments

    Councillor Mrs Fitzgerald-O’Connor

    Councillor Ian Hudspeth

    17/06. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

    Councillor Val Smith declared a personal interest in relation to Agenda Item 7 on the grounds that her husband was a patron of the Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning Trust.

    Councillor Carol Viney declared a personal interest in relation to Agenda Item 11 on the grounds that Chiltern Edge School was within her division.

    18/06. MINUTES

    The Minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 28 February 2006 and 14 March 2006 were approved and signed.

    19/06. SPEAKING TO OR PETITIONING THE COMMITTEE

    The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:-

    Request from

     

    Agenda Item

    Vicky Paton (Acting Deputy Headteacher) Rose Hill Primary School, Oxford

    Dominic Ward – (Deputy Headteacher at Gosford Hill, School, Kidlington).

    - Councillor Michael Waine – Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement.

    Frank Newhofer – Chairman of a Oxford Community School Governing Body.

    James Lawrence, Consultation Officer Ms Lesley Williams and Mr Graham Jones, Outdoor Learning Trust

    Mr Hocken on behalf of Abingdon Citizen’s Bureau;

    Ms Karen Thomas (of Abingdon Citizen’s Advice Bureau).

    Ms Katie Laine – Citizen’s Advice Burea

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    )

    ))

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    7 . Charging in Schools – to Examine Charging Policies for Activities in Schools

    20/06. CHARGING IN SCHOOLS – TO EXAMINE CHARGING POLICIES FOR ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOLS

(Agenda Item 7)

At their meeting on 27 September 2005, the Committee agreed that "Charging in Schools policy" would be included in the Work Programme as a Scrutiny Review with Counillors Mrs Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor, Keith Stone, Mrs Sue Matthew and Mrs Carole Thomson comprising the Lead Member Group. In precise terms, it was referred to as "High Charging in Schools policy - ‘Mini’ Scrutiny Review: quick investigation of extent of problem ". It was included on the basis of representations at the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee, by a parent and by a representative on behalf of the Abingdon Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

Following discussions among the Lead Member Group, it was decided that the best way of undertaking this work would be by a single committee question and answer session and that that the meeting would work in "select committee" mode to question invited Members, staff and representatives of parents and the community. The following witnesses had been invited to participate in the meeting:

    • John Mitchell – Education Officer.

    • Representatives of Head Teachers in the Primary and Secondary Sector - Vicky Paton (Acting Deputy Headteacher) Rose Hill Primary School, Oxford

    • Dominic Ward – (Deputy Headteacher at Gosford Hill, School, Kidlington).

    • Councillor Michael Waine – Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement.

    • Frank Newhofer – Chairman of a Oxford Community School Governing Body.

    • Consultation Officer (James Lawrence) in relation to the recent Citizen’s Panel charging for school trips’ outcomes.

    • Simon Adams – Senior Education Officer.

    • Representatives of the Oxfordshire Outdoor Learning Trust – Ms Lesley Williams and Mr Graham Jones

    • Mr Hocken on behalf of Abingdon Citizen’s Bureau;

    • Ms Karen Thomas (of Abingdon Citizen’s Advice Bureau).

    • Ms Katie Laine – Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Headquarters

The aim of the investigation was to consider whether schools within the Oxfordshire LEA were implementing the model ‘Charging Policy’ and guidance, promulgated by the LEA to respond to legislative requirements (1996 Education Act) which was set by both Central and Local government. This investigation mainly looked at school trips, such as residential and non-residential activities. The areas of questions or "lines of Inquiry" were focused around the following issues:

    • The law, policy, guidance and practice.

    • Ways of sharing and promoting good practice.

    • The Intra/Internet – capacity for business and community suggestions.

    • Actions to highlight problem activities and schools.

    • Resource and monitoring issues.

    • Issues of fairness, equity around charging; "what else can we be doing to ensure the operation of a fair and open charging policy?"

    • Creative thinking and publicity about charging for extra curricular activities.

    • SEN and deprivation index.

Following gathering evidence from all the witnesses and a lengthy debate (a record of which is attached to the signed minutes) the Committee AGREED to RECOMMEND the Cabinet:

    1. to re-issue a clear and unambiguous statement of law, practice and general policy on schools’ charging on behalf of the authority as LEA;

    2. to ensure by authorising a short letter of guidance to schools, that letters issued by schools to parents concerning plans and arrangements for school trips make it clear that the schools can only request voluntary contributions;

    3. to ensure that schools’ charging and remissions policies and examples of trip notices are included in the materials required for submission to each School Improvement Partner (for roll-out before September 2006 in Oxfordshire secondary schools and September 2007 in the County’s primary schools). [For reasons of resource efficiency, details of schools’ charging policies should be systematically included in the inspection materials to be produced under the regular schools monitoring regime.];

    4. to ask the Director for Children, Young People & Families Directorate to prepare by September 2006 a detailed report on the sources and allocation of funding to alleviate social deprivation for consideration by the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee. This report should include a specific assessment on the dedication/earmarking of a proportion of such funds to increase access to participation in school trips (particularly for schools in rural areas) and, to this end, to henceforth include a specific line for school trips in the budget planning spreadsheet;

    5. to ask all schools to ensure their prospectuses include a summary of their charging policy;

    6. that the Council perform, in effect, a sponsoring role - acting as the contact between the local schools and businesses;

    7. to engage the support of local MPs to promote the benefits of links between businesses and schools;

    8. to request Officers to report back on the prospect of or possibility of reviewing the music tuition charging policy in the light of the costs for music tuition in primary schools.

    21/06. HOME TO SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TRANSPORT

(Agenda Item 8)

The County Council had provided either free or subsidised transport to over 12,000 young people travelling to school or college. The policy reflected statutory requirements, which were set out in the 1996 Education Act and the 2002 Education Act. On 20 December 2005 a report was submitted to the Cabinet to explain the then projected overspend of £590,000; to provide an analysis of identified budget pressures, set out actions already taken to address the problem and suggestions for possible courses of action for the future. The Cabinet agreed that there should be a consultation on possible changes to the transport policy where the County Council has discretion to provide assistance and that officers should report back to the Cabinet in June 2006 on the proposals for a new transport policy to take effect in 2007/08.

The Committee had before them a draft report (CH8) which set out the results of the consultations on the various possible policy changes and discussed each in turn, with recommendations as to whether changes should be implemented. The report was due to be submitted to the Cabinet on 21 June.

Mr Simon Adams, Senior Education Officer had been invited to give a brief presentation outlining the main proposals in the report and answer any questions which the Committee may have wished to ask.

Mr Adams reported that the following possible options for change were to be included in the consultation:

    • the phased ending of transport to faith schools and/or continuing to provide transport to faith schools but charging for seats on the same terms as those set out in the concessionary scheme;

    • the phased ending of free travel for non-Oxfordshire residents to Chiltern Edge School;

    • the introduction of charging for post-16 SEN students to be in line with all post-16 charging;

    • using free school meals and maximum working tax credit as the reasons for exemptions to the concessionary charge for transport.

In addition the Cabinet had decided to take the following actions:

    • to include as part of the annual consultation on admissions arrangements a review of the designated areas of those secondary schools which have areas that overlap the county boundary, with a view to realigning them with the Oxfordshire boundary;

    • to endorse the establishment of an integrated Transport Management Team in the Children, Young People & Families Directorate by April 2006 as an interim step towards the longer-term strategy of developing a centrally managed team for all of the Council’s funded transport arrangements.

Consultation took place from January to 8 March 2006 and at the request of Chiltern Edge School this was extended to 31 March. This consultation involved all maintained schools in Oxfordshire, neighbouring local authorities, parish councils, the Archdiocese of Birmingham, the Diocese of Oxford, and the parents of children likely to be affected by any policy change in the first year of operation. The consultation document was also placed on the public website.

Following debate, Councillor Hayward moved and Councillor Nicholas Turner seconded that the Committee support the recommendation (b), (c) and (d) set out in the report (CH8) and that the Committee support option 1a set out in recommendation (a) of the report, and it was:

AGREED to advise the Cabinet that the Committee supported (by 8 votes to 6) proposal 1a set out in recommendation (a) of CH8 and (unanimously) recommendations (b), (c) and (d) set out in the officer draft report (CH8) to the Cabinet.

    22/06. SCRUTINY REVIEW : GIFTED CHILDREN

    (Agenda Item 9)

    On 27 September, this Committee agreed as part of their work programme to undertake a scrutiny review of ‘gifted children’ and appointed Councillors Deborah Glass-Woodin, Hilary Hibbert-Biles, Val Smith and Melinda Tilley to the Lead Member Review Group.

    Councillor Tilley, member of the Lead Member Review Group reported on the current progress of the review.

    She reported that the Review had began during November of 2005 and as previously reported, the Review Group had visited Westminster Institute, Oxford Brookes University and the National Association for Gifted and Talented Young People based at Warwick University to speak to national experts in defining, identifying, providing for and assessing "gifted" children. The Review was concerned with the gifted child, ie in academic subjects as distinct from the "more able" child and the "talented" child (sports and performing arts). Its concern was that the gifted child had particular special needs and was therefore within the broad spectrum of Special Educational Needs. However, statutory responsibility, assessment and funding was attached to other special needs than those of the gifted.

    The Review Group had also visited a range of local schools; for instance, Valley Road, Henley; John Blandy, Southmoor; Pegasus, Oxford and intended to visit others locally and within other local authority areas (as well as visiting another LEA) with a view to identifying best practice and to make comparisons between schools and areas. This would help to inform recommendations that the Review Group was minded to make.

    The Review Group also intended to interview a range of "expert witnesses", parents and governors after the review visits to complement evidence gathered so far from research of papers, websites and in person.

    Recently, the Review Group had met with Geoff Jones, the Lead Adviser for the LEA with a remit for the gifted and talented in order to establish what Oxfordshire’s strategy, provision, funding and support for schools is in respect of gifted children. This session was very informative and helped to place the Council’s role in context locally, in relation to its partners and to the Government (DfES).

    The Committee AGREED to note the progress on the Review thus far.

    23/06. SCRUTINY WORK PROGRAMME 2005/06

    (Agenda Item 10)

    The Committee was asked to review and update its 2005/06 Scrutiny Work Programme.

    The Committee AGREED to:

    1. retain all items listed in its existing work programme, subject to moving the Workforce Remodelling Item up one place under "Healthy Schools" and to adding a Task Group to look at possible areas to focus on for Budget Scrutiny;

    2. nominate Councillors Anda Fitzgerald O’Connor, Keith Stone and Jean Fooks to the Lead Member Review Group for the Healthy Schools Review;

    3. nominate Councillors Sue Haffenden and Gail Bones and Ms Brenda Williams and Mrs Sue Matthews to the Lead Member Review Group for the Workforce Remodelling Review; and

    4. nominate Councillors Lawrie Stratford, Keith Stone and David Turner and Mrs Carole Thomson and Mr Ben Jackson to the Lead Member Review Group for the Local Learning & Skills Council Question and Answer Session.

    24/06. TRACKING SCRUTINY ITEMS

    (Agenda Item 11)

    The Committee AGREED to note the outcome of their advice and recommendations to the Cabinet in relation to the Children & Young People’s Plan, Children & Young People’s Board, Locality Working and Integrated Support Services for Children, Young People & Families and the White Paper: Higher Standards, Better Schools.

    25/06. FORWARD PLAN

(Agenda Item 12)

Members were asked to suggest items from the current Forward Plan on which they might wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Cabinet before any decision was taken.

The Committee AGREED to ask that the report on Post 16 SEN Provision (Forward Plan Ref: 2006/50) come to their next scheduled Meeting on 11 July 2006.

in the Chair

Date of signing 2006

Return to TOP