Agenda item

Report DCYP12009

The Portfolio Holder introduced the eleventh in a series of updates from the Director of Children and Young People Services (Director CYP) on the policy developments within the Government’s reform programme for education and wider children’s services.  The report featured an update on the academy programme, developments within Bromley and the strategic implications for the Council.

In considering the update, the Chairman commended officers on the quality of this report. He also welcomed the publication of the National Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation Action Plan.  The National Plan for Music Education was also highlighted.

The Vice-Chairman requested an update on the Paxton Academy Free School proposal.  The Director CYP confirmed that the initial bid by a parent group to establish a 2 form of entry, 3-18 age group Free School in the North West of the Borough had been unsuccessful. However, the proposers were currently in the process of re-applying to the Department for Education to establish the school in September 2013.

In response to a query from a Member regarding the new cross-Government programme to tackle ‘troubled families’ that had been announced on 15^th December 2011, the Director CYP confirmed that £448m would be available over three years to support Local Authorities and partner agencies with this work. Initial indications from the Government announcements suggested 490 families in Bromley met this criterion. Further detailed guidance was pending, however this funding would need to be match-funded by local authorities and would follow a Payment by Results model where the Government would pay up to 40% of local authorities’ costs where families were supported successfully.  A Member noted the range of issues experienced by these families would require a cross-Portfolio response by the Council. The Director CYP advised that initial discussions would be progressed within the Chief Officers’ Executive and in Cabinet. In addition, the Chairman agreed to meet with PDS Chairmen across all Portfolios to consider the Council’s response to this initiative.

In considering the Education Act 2011, a Member highlighted the measure to replace Exclusion Appeal Panels with Review Panels and was concerned regarding the independence of these panels in considering exclusions across the Borough.  With regard to the academies programme, the Vice-Chairman queried when schools would qualify for a forced conversion to academy status.  The Director CYP confirmed that under the new Ofsted Inspection Framework for schools those Local Authority maintained schools rated ‘satisfactory’ could now be considered for academy conversion if further improvement was not made.

A Member noted the revised School Admissions and Appeals Codes, which had been published on 2^nd November 2011, and queried how the measure to give greater freedom to good, successful schools to increase the number of places they offer to children in their area would impact school place planning.  The Director CYP confirmed that under the Education Act (2011) the Local Authority was responsible for the strategic planning of places. The Council’s policy had always been to expand the most successful schools when further places were required. However, if schools did decide to increase places outside of the Local Authority’s school place planning processes, it was possible that other local schools might be destabilised.

In considering the changes to the free early years education entitlement, a Co-opted Member was concerned that the move to make the free entitlement of 15 hours per week more flexible by allowing it to be taken across two days rather than three placed more emphasis on childcare than on how early education could best be delivered to young children.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the approach being taken by the Director CYP in response to the overall policy changes, including local Academy developments.