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. A report giving the latest position is attached.

Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director for the Department of Children and Education, will attend to answer Members’ questions.

The Committee considered a report on the latest changes from Central Government relating to children’s services and education. An executive summary of the recent Government white paper, ‘The Importance of Teaching’, was also circulated.

The Corporate Director for Children’s Services introduced the update:

·        Schools would now be more autonomous with many becoming academies. Local authorities would play a much more strategic role, supporting and encouraging academies and sponsors to work with under-performing schools.

·        New measures were proposed regarding school performance, with the performance bar being raised. A secondary school will be considered to be ‘under performing’ if fewer than 35 per cent of pupils achieve 5 A*-C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics; an increase from the previous government’s figure of 30 per cent. The thresholds for Key Stage 2 had also been increased.

·        Teachers would be given new powers to search pupils within school premises and disciplinary powers ‘beyond the school gate’. 

·        Schools were likely to become accountable for the children they excluded both in terms of the pupil’s education and finance. The new system was likely to result in the emergence of local authority and private sector-run pupil units.

·        The national curriculum would be reviewed with the aim of reducing prescription and increasing school autonomy while refocusing on the core subject areas.

·        Further data is awaited in relation to the school funding system including how the Pupil Premium would be administered. The number of central government grants would be greatly reduced and, of those that remain, few would be ring-fenced.

·      The White Paper suggested that Scrutiny may in future have a role to play in scrutinising under-performing schools.

Following member questions, the following points were clarified:

(a)          For academies set up under the previous government’s scheme, the local authority would continue to be the governing body when that academy had been sponsored by the local authority.  It was likely that where academy schools were sponsored by Trusts, those Trusts would be responsible for appointing the governing body.

(b)          There were a significant number of learners dependant on the Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA) which was to be scrapped.  Although the EMA was to be replaced with targeted support for those who face genuine financial barriers to participation, there was concern that this may impact on some learners’ ability to qualify. Officers reported that strategic meeting had taken place last week where this had been discussed as a key issue and that there was more work planned on the potential implications. The Committee asked to be kept informed of developments.

(c)          DCE would be deleting approximately 60 posts as part of the current management review. In many cases, two deleted posts had been merged into one. Members requested that details of the final structure and number of deleted posts be circulated to members once known.

(d)          The 2010/11 Play Capital Funding allocation for Wiltshire had been reduced to £372k.  To ensure a fair allocation, the criteria given to local authorities had been to ensure that those areas of highest deprivation were given priority.

Resolved:

1)         To note the update.

2)        To receive a written update on the Department for Children & Education’s staffing structure prior to the Committee’s next meeting in January.

3)        To closely monitor the local impact of removing the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for those in further education.