Agenda, decisions and minutes

Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families - Monday, 9 March 2015 12.00 pm

Venue: County Hall, Oxford

Contact: Deborah Miller  Tel: (01865) 815384; EMail: deborah.miller@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

9.

Petitions and Public Address

Minutes:

Mr David Rivers, Oxford Mail – Agenda Item 4

Councillor Lynda Atkins – Agenda Item 5

10.

Proposal to Close West Kidlington Nursery School and Extend the Age Range of West Kidlington Primary School to Effect a "Merger" pdf icon PDF 92 KB

Forward Plan Ref: 2014/183

Contact: Diane Cameron, School Organisation Officer Tel: (01865) 816445

 

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CMDCEF4).

 

The proposal is to close West Kidlington Nursery School and alter the age range at West Kidlington Primary School to enable the establishment of a Nursery class. This will effect a “merger” between the two currently separate establishments.

 

The introduction in April 2011 of the Early Years Single Funding Formula, which funds eligible children attending settings, rather than the number of places provided (as previously), means there is now no financial advantage in the two establishments being separate.

 

This proposal’s intention is to maintain the same level of high quality early years places while improving the financial viability and long term future of this provision.

 

As set out under Rule 17(a) of the Overview & Scrutiny Procedure Rules, this decision is exempt from Call-In as it is deemed urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s interests, in that the decision must be made within 2 months of the close of the notice period; as a consequence, it is necessary for the Chairman of the Council to determine that the decision cannot be subject to ‘call-in’ as this would, in most cases, prevent a decision being finalised within the required timescale and mean that the Cabinet Member’s role would be negated by referral to the Schools’ Adjudicator.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families is RECOMMENDED to approve the closure of West Kidlington Nursery School and the linked extension of age range of West Kidlington Primary School.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Recommendations Agreed

11.

Home to School Transport for RAF Benson pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/010

Contact: Neil Darlington, Admissions & Transport Services Manager Tel: (01865) 815844

 

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CMDCEF5).

 

The Council has undertaken a consultation with the families living at RAF Benson, the public, the headteachers of the three schools involved upon a proposed amendment to the Home to School Transport Policy.

 

The proposed change is intended to address a capacity issue in the area of RAF Benson which can be resolved without significant additional cost to the council or the secondary schools involved.

 

The report contains an analysis of the responses to the consultation.

 

The Cabinet Member is asked to consider the consultation responses and then to decide which, if any, of the proposed changes are to be implemented.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education & families is RECOMMENDED to adopt the following proposals:

 

(a)         to provide free travel for those of statutory school age from RAF Benson to Icknield Community College;

(b)        to review the need for this provision on an annual basis since it concerns capacity and likely demand.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Recommendations Agreed

12.

Recommended Sponsor for New Primary School in Banbury at Longford Park pdf icon PDF 80 KB

Forward Plan Ref: 2014/109

Contact: Diane Cameron, School Organisation Officer Tel: (01865) 816445

 

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CMDCEF6).

 

The Cabinet meeting of 4 September 2012 approved a process for the identification of sponsors for new academies to meet the needs of population growth such as this which requires a new primary school for 2016. In July 2014 Cabinet agreed that the decision on the preferred option could be delegated to the Lead Member for Children Education and Families.  

 

This process has been followed and has now reached the point where a preferred  provider has been identified from a group of 2 short-listed bidders which were assessed against criteria.

 

The Lead Member is asked to agree the preferred provider which will be submitted to the Regional Schools Commission for a final decision.  

 

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to agree GLF Schools as the recommended provider to be submitted to the Regional Schools Commissioner for final agreement.