Agenda item

EDUCATION SELECT COMMITTEE SESSION

Councillor Peter Dean, Chair, Development Control Committee, Councillor Peter Fortune, Portfolio Holder for Education and Councillor Colin Smith, Deputy Leader of the Council are invited to attend the Education PDS Committee for this select committee session, convened to review services and consider a full range of issues and future work streams for the Education Portfolio.

Minutes:

Report ED15101

 

The Chairman was pleased to welcome the Portfolio Holder for Education, the Chairman of Development Control Committee and the Deputy Leader of the Council to join the Education PDS Committee for the Education Select Committee Session which would consider a range issues across the Education Service.

 

In reviewing the position statement of Education Services, a number of issues were discussed.

 

School Place Planning

 

Demand for primary-level pupil places across the Borough continued to be high and this trend was expected to continue until at least 2017/18 when demand was expected to reduce slightly before levelling out to 3,900 pupil places.

 

Demand for secondary-level places across the Borough was expected to increase significantly in future years with an additional 30 forms of entry projected to be required by 2023.  To support this, work was underway to expand existing secondary schools.  A number of free school provisions were likely to be established across the Borough, and work continued with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark Commission for Schools and Colleges on the proposed new Catholic Secondary School, which it was hoped would contribute towards meeting the increased demand for secondary-level places as well as providing the option of a Catholic Secondary education for Bromley pupils.  The Catholic Church had a national policy of not opening schools via the free school route, which meant that there was a need to identify a significant funding stream before a new Catholic Secondary school could be established.  There was an ongoing issue with the proposed re-development of the former All Saints Catholic School site, which would be considered by the Planning Inspector in December 2015.

 

The Local Authority continued to work closely with neighbouring Boroughs to ensure that sufficient school places were available across the region.  The Local Authority had a statutory duty to provide places for all children resident in the Borough, and every child in London had been offered a place for the 2015/16 academic year. 

 

A significant piece of place planning work would be undertaken during Summer 2015 which would review a range of issues affecting the future demand for school places including the projected birth rate, migration into the Borough, the number of Bromley pupils who lived out-of-Borough and identifying where demand for pupil places would be highest for future years.

 

Members generally agreed that the Planning Service should be involved in all discussions around potential new schools and expansions of existing schools to resolve planning issues at an early stage.  There was also a need to identify education sites for development in the Local Plan to meet future demand for school places, and the Chairman of Development Control Committee emphasised that this was likely to include Green Belt land.  The Local Authority continued to work with La Fontaine Academy to identify a permanent location for the school.

 

Section 106/Community Infrastructure Levy Funds

 

Member noted a recent case where a developer had been able to negotiate a significant reduction in Section 106 funds allocated for education purposes, and underlined that Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy funds allocated for education purposes should be used as effectively as possible.

 

Family and Children Centres

 

The potential for Children’s Centres to be used as an operational base for General Practitioners was highlighted.

 

It was requested that additional information around the usage rates of Children’s Centres and how they improved the educational outcomes for children be provided to Members following the meeting.

 

Schools Update

 

There were eleven Local Authority Maintained primary schools across the Borough that did not appear to be actively exploring conversation to academy status at this time, and the Local Authority would continue to work with them. 

 

Members generally agreed that a meeting of the School Improvement Panel should be convened in the new academic year to consider schools making no active progress towards becoming academies.

 

Commissioning

 

The market testing process for Education Services was ongoing.  Submissions to deliver Lot 1: Education Services had been evaluated, and eligible providers had been asked to submit detailed solutions.  Dialogue meetings were currently taking place with eligible providers and it was expected that the Submission of Final Tender stage of the market testing process, including due diligence and identification of a preferred bidder (if appropriate), would take place from August to October 2015.  A report would be provided to Members in Winter 2015 around the recommended outcome of the market testing process.

 

Cooperation with Partners

 

The Local Authority continued to work with key partners to deliver a range of services.  Work was also underway to develop closer links with the Education Funding Agency to support better communication.

 

School Governance

 

As schools converted to academy status, work was being undertaken to promote the benefits of retaining a Local Authority Governor.  Schools that had already converted to academy status were encouraged to reintroduce the Local Authority Governor role, and two Bromley academies had recently chosen to do this.  Local Authority Governor Panels were held on a regular basis to interview prospective Local Authority Governors and identify the key skills each applicant could bring to a Governing Body.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1)  The issues raised be noted;

 

2)  Additional information around the usage rates of Children’s Centres and how they improved the educational outcomes for children be provided to Members following the meeting; and,

 

3)  A meeting of the School Improvement Panel be convened in the new academic year to consider schools making no active progress towards becoming academies.

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