Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda. Councillor D’Agorne declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 6 (Establishment of a Management Committee for the Pupil Referral Service) as he was Ward Member for Fishergate.

The following general personal non-prejudicial interests were declared.

Councillor Runciman             Governor of Joseph Rowntree School

                                    Trustee of the Theatre Royal

Councillor Aspden                Governor of Knavesmire Primary School

                                                Member of National Union of Teachers

                                                Teacher at Norton College, Malton, North Yorkshire

Councillor Firth                      Governor of Wigginton Primary School

                                                Wife is Member of National Association of National Association of Head Teachers

Councillor Gunnell                 Son at York College

Councillor Merrett                  Child at St Paul’s Primary School

Councillor D’Agorne             Governor of Fishergate School

Employee of York College Student Services (Information Advice & Guidance for Young People)

Daughter at All Saints School

Councillor Brooks                 Member of Association of Teachers and Lecturers

                                                Lecturer employed by City College, Manchester

Councillor Alexander            Is an employee at York St John’s University

Mr J Bailey                             Governor of Huntington Secondary School

                                                LEA Governor of Huntington Primary School

Dr D Sellick                           Governor of Derwent Infant and Junior School

Ms F Barclay                         Teacher at All Saints School and ATL Branch Secretary for City of York

Mrs J Ellis                              Governor of Burton Green Primary School

                                                Governor of Canon Lee School

Mrs A Burn                             Headteacher & Governor of Yearsley Grove School

                                                Secretary of the York Branch of NAHT

Ms B Reagan                        Teacher at Joseph Rowntree School

                                                SENCO, Secretary of York Association of the National Union of Teachers

Mr M Thomas                        Secretary of York Association of NASUWT

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 19^th July 2007.

RESOLVED:                         That the minutes of the last meeting held on 19^th July 2007 be approved and signed as a correct record with the following amendment to Minute 19.

                                                That the Executive Member be advised:

(i)                 That the Children and Young People’s Champion remain an elected Member but it be recommended that it should not be a Member of the Executive or the Shadow Executive.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Panel’s remit can do so. Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is Wednesday 5^th September 2007 at 5pm.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation scheme.

This report analyses performance by reference to the service plan, the budget and the performance indicators for all of the services funded through the Children’s Services budget.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        Note the performance of services within the directorate funded through the Children’s Services budget and agree the budget virements set out at Table 1 in the report

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To enable the corporate service plan monitoring requirements to be fulfilled and to facilitate effective budget management.

Members considered a report that analysed performance by reference to the service plan, the budget and the performance indicators for all of the services funded through the Children’s Services budget.

It was noted that the monitoring reports demonstrated particularly encouraging progress against the following themes:

·        Integrated Services

Ø      The planned children’s centre development remained on timescale

Ø      Official opening events at the city centre one stop shop had taken place

·        New Provision

Ø      Plans were on track for an additional new Enhanced resource Centre for pupils with Autism

Ø      The planned Danesgate Skill Centre would be operational from late October 2007

Ø      Duke of Edinburgh schemes had been extended

·        Organisational Effectiveness

Ø      The recently published Accessibility Strategy and the Access to the Curriculum documents were particularly noteworthy

·        Specific Performance Outcomes

Ø      It was specifically encouraging to note that there had been an increase in assessments of children in need completed within timescales, the completion of all statutory assessments of children’s special educational needs within timescales and in increase in looked after children with a personal education plan in place.

·        Challenges

Ø      The scale of the looked after children population in the city continues to pressurise existing resources and as a result creates financial pressures through the greater use of independent fostering agency placements.

·        Staff Survey results

Ø      The findings see the Learning, Culture and Children’s Services Department scoring with 80% of staff having overall job satisfaction and 92% of staff believing they achieve something useful.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        Note the performance of services within the directorate funded through the Children’s Services budget and agree the budget virements set out at Table 1 in the report

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To enable the corporate service plan monitoring requirements to be fulfilled and to facilitate effective budget management.

This report is to inform Members of the likely out-turn position of the 2007/08 Capital Programme based on the spend profile and information to the end of July 2007, advise Members of changes to existing schemes and reprofiling of expenditure to allow the more effective management and monitoring of the Capital Programme and to inform Members of any new schemes and seek approval for their addition to the Capital Programme.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        Note the capital programme forecast outturn for 2007/08 as shown in Annex A of the report

·        Approve the additions and amendments to the capital programme reported and summarised in Annex A of the report

·        Approve the scheme reprofiling and slippage reported and summarised in Annex A of the report

·        Agree the revised capital programme as shown at Annex A of the report, subject to the approval of the Executive

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To enable the effective management and monitoring of the capital programme.

Members considered a report that informed them of the likely out-turn position of the 2007/08 Capital Programme based on the spend profile and information to the end of July 2007. It also advised Members of changes to existing schemes and reprofiling of expenditure to allow the more effective management and monitoring of the Capital Programme as well as informing them of any new schemes and seeking their approval for their addition to the Capital Programme.

Officers updated that the overspend on the Teaching and Performing Arts block at Huntington Secondary School was now £379k and not £420k as stated in the report.

Members discussed the sustainability of the new Danesgate Skills Centre and it was noted that every planning application needed to have a sustainability statement.

Members discussed the surveys that had been undertaken at Canon Lee School and Officers confirmed that three good samples of ground had been taken and extensive surveys had been carried out before building commenced.

It was noted that a tremendous amount of consultation had taken place with the local community regarding the Joseph Rowntree One School Pathfinder.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        Note the capital programme forecast outturn for 2007/08 as shown in Annex A of the report

·        Approve the additions and amendments to the capital programme reported and summarised in Annex A of the report

·        Approve the scheme reprofiling and slippage reported and summarised in Annex A of the report

·        Agree the revised capital programme as shown at Annex A of the report, subject to the approval of the Executive

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To enable the effective management and monitoring of the capital programme.

This report informs the Panel of new regulations on the establishment of Management Committees for Pupil Referral Units (PRU). The regulations will come into force on 1 November 2007. The report further outlines the composition of Management Committees and proposes options for the number of members of the Management Committee to be established in the City of York.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        To adopt an alternative model with a 2 parent, 2 staff, 2 Local Authority, and 8 community format for membership

·        That there be a link with local businesses though the North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership (NYBEP)

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To enable the Authority to fulfil statutory regulations on the establishment of Management Committees for Pupil Referral Units (PRU) in line with the Education (Governance of Pupil Referral Units) (England) Regulations 2007.

Members considered a report that informed Members of new regulations on the establishment of Management Committees for Pupil Referral Units (PRU). The regulations will come into force on 1^st November 2007. The report also outlined the composition of Management Committees and proposed options for the number of members of the Management Committee to be established in the City of York.

Members felt that for everyone to be fairly represented then 2 people should be nominated in the following categories:

·        Parents

·        Staff

·        Local Authority

This would then mean that if one person could not attend the meeting then all categories would still be represented.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        To adopt an alternative model with a 2 parent, 2 staff, 2 Local Authority, and 8 community format for membership

·        That there be a link with local businesses though the North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership (NYBEP)

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To enable the Authority to fulfil statutory regulations on the establishment of Management Committees for Pupil Referral Units (PRU) in line with the Education (Governance of Pupil Referral Units) (England) Regulations 2007.

This report provides information about the current position with regard to vacancies for LA seats on governing bodies, lists current nominations for those vacancies, as detailed in Annex 1, and requests the appointment, or re-appointment, of the listed nominees.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        Appoint and re-appoint Local Authority Governors to fill vacant seats as proposed in Annex 1 of the report.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To ensure that Local Authority places on school governing bodies continue to be effectively filled.

Members considered a report that provided information about the current position with regard to vacancies for Local Authority seats on governing bodies, lists current nominations for those vacancies, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report, and requests the appointment, or re-appointment, of the listed nominees.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised:

·        Appoint and re-appoint Local Authority Governors to fill vacant seats as proposed in Annex 1 of the report.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To ensure that Local Authority places on school governing bodies continue to be effectively filled.