Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

The Executive Member was invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests she might have in the business on the agenda.  None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Children and Young People’s Services held on 25 January 2010.

RESOLVED:That the minutes of the Executive Member for Children and Young People’s Services Decision Session held on 25 January 2010 be approved and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak at the meeting can do so.  The deadline for registering is Friday 12 March 2010.

Members of the public may register to speak on:-

• An item on the agenda
• An issue within the Executive Member’s remit
• An item that has been published on the Information Log since the last session.

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

This report considers the responses received from schools and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers to the consultation document approved by the Executive Member in September 2009.  The report also provides an update on the recent announcement by the DCSF to delay the statutory deadline for implementation of the new formula to April 2011.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the proposals set out in the consultation document

at Annex 1 of the report (including option 1 under proposal 4b) be approved.

                        (ii)        That the implementation of the new formula be delayed

                                    until April 2011.

                        (iii)       That officers be requested to report to the Executive

Member any further changes in national policy or guidance prior to April 2011.

REASON:      To ensure that the new single formula for funding the free entitlement for three and four year old nursery provision is set and ready to be in place by the revised statutory deadline of April 2011.

The Executive Member received a report that detailed the responses received from schools and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers to the consultation document on reviewing funding for the free entitlement to 15 hours per week early years education for all three and four year olds.  The consultation document had been approved by the Executive Member in September 2009. 

The report also provided an update on the announcement by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to delay the statutory deadline for implementation of the new formula to April 2011. Authorities who wished to implement the new formula in April 2010 had been given the option to join an early implementation pathfinder group.

The Executive Member considered the following options:

Option 1:        Reject the proposed formula and ask the Early Years Reference Group (EYRG), supported by officers, to develop alternative proposals in time for the delayed implementation date of April 2011.

Option 2:        Implement the proposed formula as planned in April 2010.  This would entail the authority applying to the DCSF to become a pathfinder.

Option 3:        Agree the proposed formula, but delay implementation until April 2011.

It was noted that the Early Years Reference Group (EYRG) and the Schools Forum had both met to review the results of the consultation and had confirmed their endorsement of the proposals.

The Executive Member expressed her appreciation of the work that the EYRG

and officers had carried out in developing the new formula.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the proposals set out in the consultation document

at Annex 1 of the report (including option 1 under proposal 4b) be approved.

                        (ii)        That the implementation of the new formula be delayed

                                    until April 2011.

                        (iii)       That officers be requested to report to the Executive

Member any further changes in national policy or guidance prior to April 2011.

REASON:      To ensure that the new single formula for funding the free entitlement for three and four year old nursery provision is set and ready to be in place by the revised statutory deadline of April 2011.

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

RESOLVED:            (i)            That the appointment and re-appointment of Local

Authority Governors, as proposed in Annex 1 of the report, be approved.

(ii)That, in respect of those nominees for whom CRB clearance has not yet been received, the appointment be subject to CRB clearance being received and appropriate interim arrangements being put into place.

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

The Executive Member considered a report that informed her of the current position with regard to vacancies for Local Authority (LA) seats on governing bodies, listed current nominations for those vacancies (detailed in Annex 1 to the report) and requested the appointment or reappointment of the listed nominees.

The Executive Member was pleased to note that the vacancy rate remained low. 

Officers drew attention to delays in receiving Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and which had resulted in three of the nominations not yet having been CRB cleared. 

RESOLVED:(i)         That the appointment and re-appointment of Local

Authority Governors, as proposed in Annex 1 of the report, be approved.¹

(ii)That, in respect of those nominees for whom CRB clearance has not yet been received, the appointment be subject to CRB clearance and appropriate interim arrangements being put into place.

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

The purpose of this report is to inform the Executive Member of recent progress on major schemes within the Children and Young People’s capital programme and to seek approval of schemes proposed for 2010/11 and of revisions to the programme.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the schemes outlined in the report be developed

from within the available resources of the approved capital programme.

(ii)That the revised schemes and funding of the capital programme, as detailed in Annex A of the report, be agreed by the Executive Member and recommended to the Executive for approval as part of the next corporate capital programme monitoring report.

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

The Executive Member received a report that gave details of recent progress on major schemes within the Children and Young People’s Capital Programme and informed her of schemes proposed for 2010/11 and of revisions to the programme.

Officers gave details of some of the projects outlined in the report, including bids to support the provision of facilities for 14-19 diplomas, improvements to the accommodation and facilities at Applefields School and renewal of heating systems at Huntington and Fulford schools.

Officers confirmed to the Executive Member that the replacement heating system would be sustainable.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the schemes outlined in the report be developed

from within the available resources of the approved capital programme.

(ii)That the revised schemes and funding of the capital programme, as detailed in Annex A of the report, be agreed by the Executive Member and recommended to the Executive for approval as part of the next corporate capital programme monitoring report.¹

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

This report provides an update on the progress of the “Me Too” Activity Subsidy pilot and sets out plans for a city-wide roll out.

The Executive Member received a report that provided an update on the progress of the “Me Too” Activity Subsidy pilot and which set out plans for a city-wide roll out.  “Me Too” is the local branding of the funds known nationally as “Extended Schools Disadvantage Subsidy Funding”.

Officers gave details of the work that had already taken place including requesting that schools nominated a member of staff to lead on the pilot and consulting with children to ensure that the activities offered would be ones with which they would engage.  Attention was drawn to paragraph 9 of the report, which detailed a widening of the eligibility criteria.  

The Executive Member stated that it was important that Governors were also aware of this initiative and the ring-fenced funding.  It was noted that Governing Bodies had been asked to nominate a governor with an overview of extended services and it was suggested that a briefing on “Me Too” should be made available to them.

The Executive Member stated that she welcomed the project and requested that an update report be presented to her.  Suggested issues for inclusion in the report included the take-up of the funding, success in reaching vulnerable groups, the variety of activities available and the impact of the funding.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the contents of the report, including the plans for

rolling out the “Me Too” subsidy across the whole city and delivery through clusters based on Schools Sports Partnerships, be noted.

(ii)That a further update on progress be presented to the Executive Member in six months time.¹

REASON:      To ensure that York is well placed to take advantage of the Extended Services Disadvantage Subsidy funding.

This report provides an update on the Parent Support Adviser programme being delivered as a pilot with three small clusters of schools in York.

The Executive Member received a report that provided an update on the Parent Support Adviser programme that was being delivered as a pilot with three small clusters of schools in York. 

Details were given of the work that the three parent support advisers were carrying out at levels 1 and 2 of the tiers of intervention.  Because of their independent role it was proving easier to establish relationships with parents. The schools involved in the pilot had also welcomed this initiative

At the request of the Executive Member, officers outlined referral routes to the support. 

The Executive Member stated that she welcomed this initiative as an excellent way of further developing links between home and school.

RESOLVED:            That the contents of the report be noted.

REASON:      To ensure that schools and families in York can benefit from the Parent Support Adviser role.