Agenda item

Representatives from Learning, Culture and Children’s Services will tell you about:

• The new children’s centre at Knavesmire School
• Early years provision, the consultation on admissions policy
• Primary school provision, addressing the places issue

Rosy Tebbutt introduced herself and informed residents on the New Children’s Centre at Knavesmire School.

4.1             Children’s Centres are provided as part of a national public agenda – every child matters to improve and integrate universal services in early years, schools and health services.

4.2             Every Children’s Centre will offer integrated early learning and childcare, support for childminders, family support, health services, outreach serices and access to training and employment advice.

4.3             Childrens Centres need to reach all families with children under five and the most excluded groups which are teenage parents, lone parents, children in workless households, fathers, minority ethnic families, disabled children, disabled parents with children under five, families with parent in prison.

4.4             Examples of services provides at York’s Children Centres are community drop in, groups for young parents, dad’s groups, ante-natal groups, groups for mums and young babies and adult education.

4.5             There are three localities in York, North, South East and West.

4.6             An outline for the Knavesmire Childrens Centre was given.

• contractor appointed and due to start building work mid October 2009
• building work to be self contained from daily operation of primary school.
• Estimated completion is March 2010

4.7             Knavesmire Children’s Centre will consist of two main rooms.

4.8             A consultation questionnaire is to be distributed and public events are to be held in November 2009.

Early Years Provision was outlined. The following was noted.

Cllr Sandy Fraser declared an interest as he is a governor at Knavesmire School.

4.9             Last year there was a shortage of early year provision, due to a rapid rise in birth rate, York has been higher than average.

4.10         On paper there is sufficient provision of child care but not the choices of other areas.

4.11         The review of the admissions policy is annual and a paper will be with members in 2010.

Primary School Provision was outlined by Kevin Hall

4.12         There are two local pressures, these are Ofsted and the birth rate. This is especially associated with Knavesmire School.

4.13         In regard to catchments 95% parents get preference.

4.14         Knavesmire and Scarcroft have had to turn people away.

4.15         In relation to the Terry’s development it is hard to guage the exact figures but an initial figure is 60 for primary.

4.16         There are proposals to add 4 new classrooms under current proposals for Knavesmire School. Which will meet the demand locally.

4.17         Dringhouses and Woodthorpe schools have vacancies at present.

Cllr Fraser declared and interest in Knavesmire school as he is a governor and also has a grandson who was refused.

Residents were given the opportunity to ask questions the following were noted.

a)                 A parent of a sibling who has a child at Knavesmire wanted to know why their son was refused although nine pupils in the class were form out of the catchment area? Over subscription was recognised but doesn’t sibling count over catchment? Other places such as Leeds, Manchester operate with siblings been priority.

-      The governing body can review the policy every year and it needs to be looked at. There are variations across the country no set formula.