Issue - meetings

This report asks Members to consider the final report of the Education Scrutiny Committee into the extended schools service in York.

Members received a report which asked them to consider the final report of the Education Scrutiny Committee into the extended schools service in York.

A revised version of the final report, with corrections to typographical errors, had been circulated to Members.

The review had focused on:

• Provision in primary schools;
• A range of schools of different sizes with differing needs; and
• Different types of provision aimed at meeting the varying needs of schools in York

Councillor Hall presented the report and findings as Chair of the Committee and responded to Members questions.  Members went through each of the recommendations in turn, suggesting minor revisions to recommendation 4 and, the content of the report and culminating in a commitment to review the scrutiny in March 2008.

RESOLVED:Members noted the final report of the Education Scrutiny Committee, endorsed the following recommendations, with the inclusion of a ‘flexible’ and ‘affordable’ lettings policy in recommendation 4 below:

(i)           the model of extended schools provision be reviewed by the Director of Children’s Services by September 2006, in order to realign it with and properly reflect the core offer of May 2006;

(ii)         schools to be supported by the Director of Children’s Services by creating profiles of local community need, in order to assist the development of community services by September 2007;

(iii)       support for the Government target of ensuring all schools become extended schools by 2010, with appropriate training and support being provided for school staff and governors in York;

(iv)        encouraging the operation of a flexible and affordable lettings policy to accommodate extended school and community activities;

(v)          support for clustering of schools in order to develop services and business support which extends provision;

(vi)        support a bid to become a Pathfinder authority to support for shared foundation partnerships by improve parenting support;

(vii)      accept invitation to be Pathfinder authority in order to look at developing longer free sessions for 3 & 4 year olds in education, care and play; and

(viii)    extended schools provision to be reviewed by scrutiny in March 2008

REASON:In order to meet the constitutional requirements on Scrutiny Management Committee.