Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

To receive apologies for absence (if any).

RESOLVED:  To note that apologies for absence had been received from Mr R Chauhan and Mrs J Rammelt.

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to the business transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 March 2008 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 March 2008 be deferred until printed in the next Council Bound Minute Volume.

To consider any matters arising from the last meeting.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no matters arising that did not appear on the agenda.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at this meeting under the provisions of the Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 14 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at this meeting under the provisions of Advisory Panel and Consultative Forum Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4E of the Constitution).

Report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development.

The Forum received the report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Development which detailed the progress made in regard to the Strategic Approach to School Reorganisation and how the implementation of the proposals would impact upon education in Harrow.  The Director of Schools & Children’s Development informed the Forum that the Vision of Education in Harrow had been agreed by Cabinet at its meeting on 21 May 2008 and would underpin the development of the project.

The Director of Schools & Children’s Development explained that the proposed changes would establish separate first schools (Reception to Year 3) as infant schools (Reception to Year 2), separate middle schools (Year 4 to Year 7) as junior schools (Year 3 to Year 6), combined first and middle schools (Reception to Year 7) as primary schools (Reception to Year 6) and high schools (Year 8 to Year 11) as secondary schools with 6th form provisions (Year 7 to Year 13).  The Director of Schools & Children’s Development stated that the Strategic Approach to School Reorganisation project was inclusive of the voluntary aided sector.

The Forum was informed that, following the meeting on 19 June, Cabinet had recommended that the progress of the work of the Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) be noted and that a consultation on school reorganisation be undertaken.  Cabinet had also requested that a further report be produced in February 2009 to outline the comments received during the consultation process and to consider whether to publish statutory notices.  As such, consultation had begun in accordance with the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Guidance Stage 1, with local schools producing information packs for stakeholders, the inclusion of an information article in the upcoming edition of ‘Harrow People’, and the provision of public meetings to promote discussion.

The Director of Schools and Children’s Development invited questions and asked the Forum to consider how it could engage with the process as a representative group, and to comment on how stakeholders could be reached effectively.

A Member queried whether the primary capital available to Harrow Council had been confirmed.  The Director of Schools and Children’s Development explained that the total capital sum allocated to Harrow was predetermined, but that the Council was required to make a formal application in order to acquire it.  She commented that the application might need to be adjusted over time to ensure that the full amount was received in April 2009.

A question was raised as to how the Council would deal with capital problems during the implementation of the project and, more specifically, whether the amount of funding available from Building Schools for the Future (BSF) would be considered when deciding whether to proceed with the project.  The Director of Schools and Children’s Development stated that capital problems were not expected and that current plans to provide additional classrooms and accommodation in order to deal with the changing age of transfer would most likely be viewed positively by BSF.  This could impact positively on the funding available from the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.

To note that the next meeting of the Forum is due to be held on 11 September 2008.

RESOLVED:  That the date of the next meeting, 11 September 2008, be noted.