Issue - meetings

On 31 January 2017, the Children’s Select Committee endorsed the Final Report of the Task Group.

It was resolved to refer the following Task Group’s recommendations to the relevant Cabinet member for response at the Committee’s next meeting on 14 March 2017.

The executive response is included in this agenda for consideration.

Consideration was given to a report setting out the response of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to the final report of the Improvement Strategy Task Group. It was noted that the report had been presented to this Committee at its previous meeting and had been endorsed.

During discussion, Cllr Philip Whalley, Chairman of the Task Group, stated that he was very pleased to see the positive executive responses to the recommendations.  He stressed the need to offer School Improvement Services as a traded service as soon as possible, especially because of the move to direct funding of all schools. It was most important that the Council had a comprehensive and attractive offer on traded services available as soon as possible.  The Associate Director, Commissioning, Performance & School Effectiveness confirmed that the timing of this was regarded as being of a high priority and every effort was being made to ensure that the traded service would be fully implemented by the time that direct funding of all schools was implemented, anticipated to be in September 2018. 

Cllr Whalley also stressed the importance of continuing the programme which enabled advisors to make three half-day visits each year to their allotted schools in order that the Council was able to provide timely interventions and appropriate levels of support.

After discussion, during which members supported the views expressed by Cllr Whalley,

Resolved:

To note the executive response to the School Improvement Strategy Task Group’s final report.