Agenda item

In June, Members requested that a standing item be included on the work programme to receive updates on the Coalition Government’s proposals for children’s services and education.

Members are asked to note the update.

The Corporate Director, DCE, presented a report providing details of the coalition government’s latest proposals in relation to children’s services and education. 

In addition to the report, a further ‘call for views’ document was circulated providing details of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Green Paper: Children and Young People With Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

A proposal was made that members of the SEN Review rapid scrutiny exercise, plus the Vice-Chairman, undertake a rapid scrutiny exercise to respond to the Green Paper.

The following points were discussed:

a)     In response to the reduction in Area Based Grants, the Council was considering numerous contracts held with both the voluntary sector and within the Council on services offered as part of the Commissioning Strategy for Parenting & Family Support. The Strategy, which was still in draft form, would be presented to the Committee for consideration.

b)     Hardenhuish School, Chippenham was the only Wiltshire school so far to be given academy status under the new academies programme.  A positive working relationship remained between the school and the local authority during the transition period.  Further schools within Wiltshire had expressed their interest in becoming academies.  There would be further announcements in January 2011.

c)      A school’s transition to academy status placed temporary additional strain on Council resources. Once the transition was complete administrative costs might potentially reduce because academies would take responsibility for some services currently provided by the local authority.  However the local authority would also lose the funding to provide these services.

d)     The Sarum Academy in Salisbury had its opening ceremony on 22 September 2010.  The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services was due to meet with John Glen, MP for Salisbury, and would be encouraging him to visit the Salisbury High School buildings to gain an understanding of what the Council would like to achieve with a new build for Sarum Academy. 

e)     The Secretary of Stated had asked Professor Alison Wolf to undertake a review of vocational education for 14-19 year olds.  It was understood that her report would be completed by 2011 and members would be kept informed of its findings.

f)       The Council had not been badly affected by the reduction of the End Year Flexibility (EYF) funding from DfE, although clarification was provided that the Harnessing Technology Grant was expected to cease following receipt of the Quarter 2 payment to schools.

g)     The deprivation indicator used to calculate the pupil premium was now likely to include military families, a large number of which live in Wiltshire.

h)     A written briefing would be provided to the Committee on the implications of the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF), which all local authorities would be required to introduce from April 2011.

a)     Cllr Mary Douglas expressed concern that the Committee had not received the new Family & Parenting Support Commissioning Strategy, which it had requested at its previous meeting. It was reported that, following discussion with the Chairman, the Placements for LAC Task Group had received the Strategy instead, as this allowed scrutiny of the Strategy prior to final Cabinet approval. It was agreed that in future all Committee members would be notified if an item was to be considered by a Task Group instead of the full Committee.

Resolved:

To note the update report.