Agenda

To receive any apologies for absence and temporary appointments.

See guidance note on the back page.

The Committee is recommended to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 28^th February 2025 and to receive information arising from them.

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection. 

To facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak or present a petition are submitted by no later than 9.00 a.m. four working days before the meeting, i.e., 9.00 a.m. on 24^th March 2025.  Requests to speak should be sent to the Scrutiny Officer at scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you are asked to submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that your views are taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9.00 a.m. two working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than one A4 sheet.

Attached is the Cabinet response to the Education and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee report on Draft Education Other Than at School. The Committee is asked to NOTE the response.

The Committee is recommended to NOTE the progress of previous recommendations and actions arising from previous meetings, having raised any questions on the contents.

The Committee is recommended to AGREE its work programme for forthcoming meetings, having heard any changes from previous iterations, and taking account of the Cabinet Forward Plan and of the Budget Management Monitoring Report.

The Cabinet Forward Plan can be found here: https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgListPlanItems.aspx?PlanId=433&RP=115

The most recent BMMR, submitted to Cabinet is January 2025, can be found here: https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?AIId=31293

The Committee has requested an update on children’s homes.  The Committee has invited Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education, and Young People’s Services, to present the report and has invited Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Jean Kelly, Deputy Director for Children’s Social Care, and Charlotte Davey, Assistant Director – County Services, to attend and answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education, and Young People’s Services, and Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet member for SEND Improvement, have been invited to present a report on the Virtual School and to provide an update to the Committee on the extended responsibilities laid on the Virtual School as well as ones that are anticipated to come into force under new legislation.

Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director for Education and Inclusion, and Clare Pike, Acting Headteacher of Oxfordshire Virtual School, have been invited to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

The Committee has requested a report on School Place Planning and Delviery.  Cllr John Howson, Cabinet member for Children, Education, and Young People’s Services, has been invited to present the report.  The Committee has also invited Lisa Lyons, Director of Children’s Services, Kate Reynolds, Deputy Director for Education and Inclusion, and Barbara Chillman, Pupil Place Planning Manager, to attend and to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.