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 5 September 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 Tuesday 19 November 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 Thursday 21 November. 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 a report on the current Alternative Provision for children and young people in Wiltshire not attending mainstream or specialist schools. 

To consider the Affordable Schools Strategy for primary and secondary schools to reduce inequalities.

To consider the Early Years, Childcare and Entitlement Strategy which outlines how the Council will meet its statutory duties and the Wiltshire plan’s strategic objective ‘Best Start in Life’, to improve outcomes for young children and families.

To receive the Annual Report of the SVPP, with reference to the work of the partnership in safeguarding children and young people.

To receive an update on the Families and Children’s Services Roadmap, as resolved by the committee in October 2023.  The roadmap provides a strategic overview of the quality assurance framework and service plans in place for Families and Children’s services.

To receive an executive update on progress against the actions outlined by the executive in January 2024 in response to the recommendations of the Youth Provision and Area Board Youth Funding Task Group, Sept 2023. 

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.

An update including a summary of recent activities of the Wiltshire Youth Union (WYU) and Children in Care Council (CiCC).

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.

The DfE published new non-statutory guidance in May 2022 to help schools, trusts, governing bodies and local authorities maintain high levels of school attendance. The guidance applies from September 2022.

This regular update is an opportunity for the committee to be aware of the latest requirements, as set out in the guidance.

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

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 15 January 2025 at County Hall, Trowbridge, starting at 10.30am.

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

Items during whose consideration it is recommended that the public should be excluded because of the likelihood that exempt information would be disclosed