Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Kathy Bance and Mr Hilary Richardson.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Brian Humphrys and Father Owen Higgs.

The Chairman was pleased to welcome Mr Terry Parkin, the new Executive Director of Education and Care Services to the meeting.

The Chairman reminded the Committee that the Declarations of Interest made at the meeting on 12^th June 2012 were taken as read.

The Portfolio Holder for Education declared he was a Ward Councillor for Copers Cope Ward in relation to Item 6c: Review of Primary School Development Plan: Outcomes.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th September 2012 be agreed.

To hear questions to the Committee received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5.00pm on Wednesday 31^st October 2012 and to respond.  Questions must relate to the work of the scrutiny committee.

No questions had been received.

To hear questions to the Portfolio Holder received in writing by the Democratic Services Team by 5.00pm on Wednesday 31^st October 2012 and to respond.  Questions must relate to the work of the Portfolio.

No questions had been received.

The Education Portfolio Holder to present scheduled reports for pre-decision scrutiny on matters where he is minded to make decisions.

The Portfolio Holder for Education gave an update to Members on work being undertaken across the Education Portfolio (attached as Appendix A to the minutes).

In considering the update, the Chairman agreed a review of the Education Portfolio Plan should be undertaken to define specific targets and timescales as well as ensure the Plan continued to reflect the current activities of the Portfolio.  There was also a need to provide an update on progress in developing sold services across the Portfolio.

A Co-opted Member highlighted the need to ensure that training continued to be provided to early years and childcare providers, particularly following changes to the early years foundation stage curriculum.  The Portfolio Holder confirmed that there was still a programme of support for early years and that the Council would continue to fulfil its statutory obligations for early years training.

In considering school improvement, another Co-opted Member noted the benefits of using experienced head teachers as schools’ advisors.  Ofsted inspections were now more results driven with a focus on the progress pupils had made, and it was important to ensure that school improvement continued to be prioritised.

Report ED12056

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining LA Governor appointments to five schools and academies in the Borough.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the following LA Governor appointments, subject to CRB checks:

Burwood School  Mrs Jane Clark

  (Orpington)

  Mrs Dolores Ward

  (West Wickham)

Midfield Primary School  Mrs Linda Sokoloff

  (Orpington)

Princes Plain Primary School  Reverend Roger Bristow

  (Bromley)

Scotts Park Primary School  Mr Adrian Donoghue

  (Bromley)

St Anthony’s RC Primary School  Mr Jonathan Appleby

Report ED12057

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining the revised Instrument of Government for Farnborough Primary School.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the revised Instrument of Government for Farnborough Primary School, and that the Instrument be made by the Common Seal of the Council of the London Borough of Bromley.

Report ED12058

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report providing details of the outcomes and recommendations of the Primary School Development Plan Working Party, which had met on 9^th August 2012 to consider the strategic planning of primary school places and school organisation in the Borough.

The Head of Access and Admission highlighted that the number of reception pupils in Bromley schools had risen from 3165 in January 2007 to 3706 in January 2012.  The number of reception pupils was projected to remain at between 3790 and 4070 until at least 2020 which would continue to place pressure on the number of Reception class places and would have an impact on Secondary class places in due course. 

In considering the report, a Co-opted Member underlined the need to ensure that schools were not adversely impacted where bulge years were introduced at a neighbouring school.  The Portfolio Holder confirmed that key drivers for the introduction of a bulge year included the impact on neighbouring schools as well as the number of school places needed in the local area.

Councillor Brian Humphrys was concerned at the recommendation to formally consult on extending the age range of Bromley Road Infant School, to become a 1 Form of Entry (FE) Primary School and Worsley Bridge Junior school to become a 2 FE Primary School with the potential to expand to 3 FE.  He noted that the introduction of a 1 FE Primary School would reduce the number of school places available to infant pupils in the area of Bromley Road Infant School, and that it could be difficult to recruit Head Teachers for 1 FE Primary Schools which leads to issues with sustaining standards.  He was also concerned any additional places created by expansion of Worsley Bridge Junior School would largely benefit out-of-Borough pupils.  The Portfolio Holder confirmed that discussions had been held with the London Borough of Lewisham around the implications of any expansion of Worsley Bridge Junior School but that there was significant housing development in the Copers Cope Ward which would increase the demand for school places in the area by Bromley residents.

Councillor Brian Humphrys also highlighted the potential introduction of a primary school as part of the Harris Beckenham school offer and noted the importance of working with Harris Beckenham to ensure that this would not impact the number of secondary places provided.  The Head of School Access and Admissions confirmed that representations had been made to Harris Beckenham around the increased demand for secondary places from 2016/17 to encourage the school in considering expansion to 8 FE.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the recommendations of the Primary School Development Plan Working Party, taking into account the views of the Education PDS Committee, and authorise the Director of Education and Care Services to undertake consultation with schools and other key agencies on the proposed temporary and permanent expansion of places and to implement the proposals where feasible as set out below.

Planning Area 1  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47c

Report ED12063

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining recent changes to the strategic management of the Bromley Adult Education College and briefing Members on future plans for school workforce development and staff training at the College. 

Following transfer of strategic management responsibility for the Bromley Adult Education College to the Education Portfolio in September 2012, proposals had been developed to relocate courses currently delivered at the Education Development Centre to the Widmore site of the Bromley Adult Education College to create a joined-up service for adult education, workforce development and employee training. It was also proposed to relocate remaining staff and functions based at the Education Development Centre to alternate sites including the Widmore and Bromley Civic Centre sites, to release the Education Development Centre site for educational purposes.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder agree in principle to recommend future use of the Education Development Centre site for educational purposes.

Report ED12059

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report providing details of the outcome of consultation undertaken with schools around the 2013/14 review of funding for schools, which aimed to simplify the local funding arrangements for 2013-14 and to introduce a new approach to high needs funding that would help to improve transparency, quality and choice for young people and their families and carers. 

Following agreement at the meeting of Schools’ Forum on 18^th October 2012, the Local Authority released four proposed funding models to all schools as part of the consultation on the proposed funding formula for 2013/14.  The Local Authority received 38 consultation responses, comprising 33 from Primary Schools (including six individual responses from one school and three from another school), one from a Special School and four from Secondary Schools, and at its meeting on 18^th October 2012, the Schools’ Forum endorsed the Local Authority’s recommendation for funding model version 12 to be adopted as the new funding formula for 2012/13.  Maintained primary school representatives also agreed that funding for contingencies, free school meal eligibility and staff costs supply cover would be de-delegated back to the Local Authority, but that funding for support for Ethnic Minority pupils and for the Behaviour Support Services would not be de-delegated.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to agree that funding model version 12 be used for the 2013/14 funding formula.

The items comprise:

• Education Portfolio Plan: Mid Year Performance Report 2012/13
• Education and Care Services Contract Reports - Education Contracts
• Minutes of the Education Budget Sub Committee held on 25th September 2012

Members and Co-opted Members have been provided with advance copies of the briefing via e-mail.  The briefing is also available on the Council's Website at the following link: http://cds.bromley.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=559&Year=2012

The Portfolio Holder Briefing comprised two reports:

• Education Portfolio Plan: Mid Year Performance Report 2012/13
• Education and Care Services Contract Reports - Education Contracts
• Minutes of the Education Budget Sub Committee held on 25th September 2012

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder Briefing be noted.

Report ED12060

The Committee considered a report outlining the current school improvement strategy to support underperforming schools in Bromley and the future challenges in the light of the evolving education agenda. 

The Local Authority had a statutory duty to intervene in Local Authority maintained, community and voluntary aided schools where there were serious concerns that needed to be addressed, including schools where performance was consistently below floor targets or where there was a serious drop in performance.  If necessary improvements were not made within a set timescale, the Local Authority could use appropriate statutory powers of intervention, including requiring the Governing Body to work with another school for the purpose of school improvement, the suspension of delegated authority or to seek academy sponsorship for the school.  The Local Authority also had a statutory responsibility to take action when a school went into an Ofsted category of concern, with an expectation by the Department for Education that where a school has been judged by Ofsted to require ’Special Measures’, conversion to an academy with a strong sponsor would be the normal route to secure improvement.  There were currently three primary schools in Bromley that had been judged to require ‘Special Measures’, with one convertor academy judged as ‘notice to improve’.  Two Local Authority Maintained Schools in Special Measures would become sponsored academies by September 2013.

In considering the report, a Member suggested that it would be useful for the information provided on schools’ Ofsted outcomes to show each schools direction of travel through Ofsted levels to make it easier to identify where schools were showing improvement or where there was a need for school improvement measures to be put in place.  There was also potential to map risk factors for each school, such as having a deficit budget or upcoming senior staff changes to support long term planning.  A Member asked that case studies be used to demonstrate how the school improvement strategy had helped support individual schools to improve.

A Member underlined the importance of the ‘critical friend’ role of a strong Governing Body.  The Chairman also highlighted the value of schools developing links to Higher Education, and it was noted that the Bromley Schools’ Collegiate, which offered training in the Secondary sector was now expanding to the Primary Sector.

RESOLVED that Members’ comments on the current school improvement strategy and how this accords with the local agenda for the future be noted.

Report ED12061

The Committee considered a report providing an update on support for underachieving groups of children and outlining where gaps had been closed.  The groups of children who had been identified as being vulnerable to underachievement had been identified nationally as boys, pupils eligible for Free School Meals, minority ethnic groups and pupils with English as an additional language, pupils with special educational needs and looked after children.  The attainment for all indicators from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 in Bromley was higher than the national average; however in some indicators the gaps in achievement between identified groups were similar.

A number of national strategies had been implemented to support schools to reduce gaps in achievement including the introduction of the Pupil Premium and initiatives such as ‘Every Child a Reader’, ‘Every Child a Writer’ and SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning).  Local strategies introduced to support schools in Bromley included a school by school analysis of data by Research and Statistics to identify underperforming groups, using ‘Closing the Gap’ as a focus for school reviews, providing school based intervention for schools in a category of concern, a dedicated specialist teacher for Family Learning and the Looked After Children team.  Advice, support and training for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) and Inclusion managers was also available and there was a comprehensive ‘Sold Services’ offer which all schools could buy into to provide specialist support.

A number of schools in Bromley had narrowed the gap for some of the most vulnerable pupils with carefully focused and targeted intervention and it was expected that the Annual Standards Report would indicate an increasing trajectory of improvement for those schools with the highest number of vulnerable pupils. 

In considering the report, a Co-opted Member noted that it would be useful to identify the Ofsted grading of schools attended by children who scored lower in attainment in their early years settings, and highlighted that the closure of children’s centres across the Borough might impact the provision of support for underachieving groups of children who had not yet started school.

Early intervention was key in supporting children who were underachieving.  There was also a need to consider the progress of children who were just above the threshold for additional support.  It was noted that the Pupil Premium would allow more sustained support to be provided to children who were underachieving.  A Co-opted Member highlighted the success of the recent ‘Achievement for All’ research project which had been undertaken as part of the recent Pathfinder project.

Another Member underlined the importance of parental challenge to improvement.  The Chairman agreed that there was need to develop a series of standards around what the Local Authority expected from schools to support stronger challenge from parents.

The Executive Director of Education and Care Services advised the Committee that it was key to clarify the Council’s role as a champion for children and their parents and carers.  It was important to have a strong relationship  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

This item was withdrawn.

Report ED12062

The Committee considered the forward rolling work programme for the year ahead, based on items scheduled for decision by the Education Portfolio Holder and items for consideration by the Education PDS Committee.

In considering the work programme for the Committee, the Chairman confirmed that the item on ‘Comparison of Therapy Provision in Bromley Schools and Independent Schools’ that had been withdrawn from the agenda would be considered at the meeting of Education PDS Committee on 23^rd January 2013.  A number of additional reports would also be considered at the meeting on 23^rd January 2013 including ‘Intervention and Support for High Priority Schools’ and ‘The Education Portfolio Budget for 2013/14’.  Scheduled items on ‘Effective Governance (role of the Local Authority)’ and ‘School Governance’ for consideration at the same meeting would be merged into a single report.

The Chairman noted that there was potential for a joint meeting to be held with Care Services PDS Committee to consider future scrutiny of the Children’s Board.

The Chairman reminded all Members and Co-opted Members of the Education PDS Committee that they were all invited to attend the Education Seminar on 15^th November 2012.  This seminar would explore a range of themes and issues that were key to the Education Portfolio including Looked After Children – the role of the Virtual Head Teacher, Raising the Participation Age, SEN Strategy and School Places.

RESOLVED that the Education Programme 2012/13 be noted.