Issue - meetings

Report CEF20033

The report provided an overview of the representation on the Schools Forum.

It was noted that arrangements needed to be put in place to ensure that Members of the Schools’ Forum were appropriately trained and the Head of gave a commitment to arrange some training for new members of the Forum prior to the next meeting.

In relation to the issue of public attendance at meetings, it was agreed that the Constitution would explicitly reference that fact that these were meetings held in public and that the public were entitled to attend meetings in an observer capacity.

The Chairman suggested that in future years it may be helpful to include the pupil numbers that were used to calculate the relative number of representatives in the different categories.

The Forum discussed the issue of alternate members.  The Chairman highlighted that there were several benefits from having alternate members such as widening circulation of papers and helping to generate a body of people who had further experience of the Schools Forum.  It was agreed that it should be at the discretion of members of the Schools’ Forum whether they wished to seek an alternate in the event that they were unable to attend meetings.  The Local Authority would offer training to any alternate members who required training and once an alternate had been accepted, meeting agendas and papers would be provided to any alternate members who were proposed to the Clerk in advance of meetings.

In relation to the Officers who attended Schools’ Forum meetings, the Head of Finance agreed to check whether the wording in Paragraph 1.14 of the constitution was taken directly from the Regulations.

RESOLVED: That

1. The report be noted;

2. The list of Officer attendees at the beginning of the Constitution be revised to reflect the list set of in Paragraph 1.14 of the Constitution, and

3. The Constitution of the Schools Forum be amended to explicitly reference that meetings are held in public and members of the public are entitled to observe meetings.