Democracy | Children, Families, Learning & Leisure Cabinet Member – Minutes

Children, Families, Learning & Leisure Cabinet Member – Minutes – 3 January 2019

17 (17) PUBLICATION OF NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE’S ANNUAL EDUCATION REPORT 2017/18 – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report seeking approval for the publication of the Annual Education Report for 2017/18.

The council had a statutory duty to ensure area-wide standards and educational excellence. In line with the council’s role as an enabler and facilitator of sector-led improvement, the ambition of attaining top-quartile outcomes for children and young people by all measures had been set. By 2020, North Lincolnshire would be amongst the best local authority areas in England for:

• attendance and inclusion
• the quality of provision
• learning outcomes.

The council had continued to prioritise education outcomes for all children and young people. The Annual Education Report for 2017/18 provided a position statement on the quality of education in North Lincolnshire and celebrated the many achievements within the sector that contributed towards children’s and young people’s outcomes. The report concluded with areas of further focus for the next 12 months.

Resolved – That the publication of the North Lincolnshire Annual Education Report 2017/18 be approved.

18 (18) SEND ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18 – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report seeking approval to publish the SEND Annual Report on the Local Offer website.

North Lincolnshire’s Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Inclusion Plan 2017 – 2020 outlined how the council would achieve the aspiration that all our children and young people with SEND would:

• Feel safe and be safe
• Enjoy good health and emotional wellbeing
• Recognise and achieve their potential.

The SEND Inclusion Plan 2017-2020 had been contributed to by stakeholders, partners and families through various consultations, including conferences, workshops and meetings with specific individuals and groups (e.g. education leaders, health professionals, Parents’ Involvement and Participation (PIP) Forum). It had also been informed by the Primary and Adolescent / College Lifestyle Surveys, the outcomes of local Young Voice and ‘Make Your Mark’ activity, the SEND Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and a SEND Peer Challenge that took place in May 2017. It was therefore very much a partnership plan.

The council’s success would continue to lie in the effectiveness of the partnership with families, communities and between the range of services and agencies that were there to support children, young people and their families. By continuing to work closely together, in an environment of high support and high challenge of each other, the council could be assured that outcomes for our SEND children and young people would continue to improve.

Outcomes for children and young people with SEND were positive and many better than statistical and national comparators. Whilst a significant amount had been achieved there was still more to be done to ensure that children and young people with SEND in North Lincolnshire achieved even better outcomes. The plan identified what more would be done and the report summarised the journey so far.

Once the Cabinet Member had approved the report, the terms of reference of the SEND Standards Board required the report to be presented to the Health and Well Being Board for additional scrutiny.

Resolved – That the publication of the SEND Annual Report 2017/18 on the Local Offer website be approved.

19 (19) LOCAL AUTHORITY SCHOOL GOVERNORS – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report recommending candidates to serve as local authority governors on the governing body of Berkeley Primary School.

Governing bodies were the key strategic decision making body for schools. It was the governing body’s role to set a school’s strategic framework and to ensure that all statutory duties were met. The Department for Education identified three main duties which were:

• ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction
• holding the head teacher to account for the educational performance of school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff
• overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money was well spent.

When a LA governor vacancy occurred, the relevant governing body identified the necessary skills, knowledge and experience that would be required of the successful candidates. The LA nominated suitable candidates to the school and the governing body decided whether the nominee met their requirements. The governing body may choose to reject or appoint the candidate accordingly.

Resolved – That the following applicant be recommended for appointment as Local Authority Governor to the board of governors of the school listed below:

School	Applicant
Berkeley Primary School	Ms Michelle Lally

20 (20) SCHOOL GOVERNORS – INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT THE WINTERTON FEDERATION – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report seeking approval of the instrument of government for The Winterton Federation.

The governing boards of Winterton Church of England Infant School and Winterton Junior School agreed at a special meeting on 6 September 2018 to consider forming a hard federation of the two schools.

A formal proposal was subsequently produced by the governing boards confirming the nature of the hard federation. This led to a statutory consultation being undertaken to seek stakeholders’ views regarding the proposal.

On 3 December 2018 Winterton Church of England Infant School and Winterton Junior School governing boards considered the consultation responses and agreed to form a hard federation of the two schools from 1 January 2018.

In order for the federated governing board to be formed a new instrument of government was required confirming the constitution. A draft instrument of government had been developed by the governing board, in consultation with The Lincoln Diocese of Education and had been submitted to the council for approval.

If the council was not content with the draft instrument of government it must advise the board of governors and give reasons. If it was not possible for the council and the board to agree on a revised draft, the council would produce a final draft for the school as it thought fit, having regard to the category of school to which the school belonged.

Resolved – That the instrument of government for The Winterton Federation be approved.

21 (21) SCHOOL GOVERNORS – INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT THE HUMBER ESTUARY FEDERATION – The Director: Learning, Skills and Culture submitted a report seeking approval for the instrument of government for The Humber Estuary Federation, to be effective from 1 January 2018.

The governing boards of New Holland Church of England/Methodist Primary School and The Goxhill & East Halton Schools Federation agreed at a special meeting on 16 July 2018 to consider forming a hard federation of the three schools.

On 27 November 2018 New Holland Church of England/Methodist Primary School and The Goxhill & East Halton Schools Federation governing boards considered the consultation responses and agreed to form a hard federation of the three schools from 1 January 2019.

If the council was not content with the draft instrument of government it must advise the board of governors and give reasons. If it was not possible for the council and the board to agree on a revised draft the council would produce a final draft for the school as it thought fit, having regard to the category of school to which the school belonged.

Resolved – That instrument of government for The Humber Estuary Federation be approved.