Agenda

Pre-meeting information briefing

The meeting will be preceded by a presentation starting at 9:30am, in the meeting room.

Topic: Affordable Schools Strategy

All members and substitutes of the Children’s Select Committee are welcome to attend.

Items to be considered while the meeting is open to the public

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

To approve and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 26 November 2024.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

To receive any announcements through the Chairman.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the front of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on Wednesday 8^th January in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 10^th January. Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

To receive the draft Wiltshire Youth Framework.  The development of a county wide strategy was recommended by committee in Sept 2023, and agreed by the Executive, CSC Jan 2024.

To receive a summary of the findings of the Ofsted Report on Canon’s House children’s home which provides short breaks for children with disabilities or sensory impairment. 

To consider the Affordable Schools Strategy for primary and secondary schools to reduce inequalities.  This item is deferred from 26 November 2024.

To review the report of the rapid scrutiny into Out of County Education.

To review the report of the rapid scrutiny into Education Performance outcomes.

Report to follow as an agenda supplement.

Updates on information valuable for the committee, but unlikely to require a decision. 

Members of the committee are therefore invited to indicate in advance of the meeting if they would like further information or have questions on these regular updates, so that relevant officers can be invited to attend the meeting.

To receive regular updates from officers on the development of the Safety Valve project, as well as input from the overview and scrutiny representative.

An update including information regarding the most recent Ofsted Inspection reports, presenting an ongoing view of the effectiveness of schools as seen by Ofsted Inspection.

An update on developments relating to children’s services arising from the Department for Education.

To receive a very brief update highlighting key items from the last meeting of Schools Forum, to enable the Children’s Select Committee to be informed in a timely manner of the work undertaken by the Schools Forum through the year.

Full agendas and minutes for the Schools Forum can be accessed here  Schools Forum | Wiltshire Council

To receive a very brief update highlighting key items from the last meeting of the Corporate Parenting Panel, to enable the Children’s Select Committee members, as Corporate Parents, to be informed in a timely manner of the work undertaken by the Corporate Parenting Panel through the year.

To receive a verbal update from Directors highlighting any key issues (current or emerging), successes or milestones in their respective areas since the last meeting of the committee, which may not require a full agenda item and are not covered elsewhere on this agenda.

This is also an opportunity for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

To receive a verbal update from the Cabinet Member and / or Portfolio Holders highlighting any news, successes or milestones in their respective areas since the last meeting of the committee, which may not require a full agenda item and are not covered elsewhere on this agenda.

This is also an opportunity for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

To receive a verbal update from the chair on any work undertaken or news since the last meeting that would not require a full agenda item and would not be suitable under Chairman’s Announcements (where no debate is allowed).

This is also an opportunity for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

The committee will receive updates from active Task Groups, Rapid Scrutiny exercises and the committee’s board representatives.

A report by the Senior Scrutiny Officers providing an update on Task Group activity since the last meeting is attached.

The Committee is asked to note the attached documents showing the relevant items from the overview and scrutiny forward work programme and the latest version of the strategy list for the Children, Education and Skills directorate.

To note that the next scheduled meeting is due to be held on 11 March 2025.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.