Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chair of the Committee for the Municipal Year 2004/2005.

Nominations having been sought to the office of Chair, it was

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Gate, a member of the Local Education Authority group, be appointed Chair of the Committee for 2004/2005 Municipal Year.

In the absence of the Chair, Councillor Gate, it was

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Stephenson be appointed Chair for this meeting.

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)             after notifying the Chair at the start of the meeting.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Reserve Member:-

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from all Members present.

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 the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

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

To consider the appointment of a Vice-Chair to the Committee for the Municipal Year 2004/2005.

RESOLVED:  That Mrs C Millard, a member of the Schools group, be appointed Vice-Chair of the Committee for the 2004/2005 Municipal Year.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2004, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 March 2004, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put at the meeting under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 18.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at the meeting under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 15.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at the meeting under the provisions of Paragraph 15 of the Committee’s Constitution.

Report of the Executive Director, People First

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director (People First) which outlined the strategy agreed by Cabinet for shaping schools for the future.

An Officer informed the meeting that Cabinet had established a Working Group consisting of Members, Headteachers, Officers and other Stakeholders, to develop options and proposals for the Shaping Schools for the Future programme.  Officers explained that the purpose of the Working Group was to develop options to match school place provision with pupil demand and increase opportunities to provide local community services and resources through schools.  There were currently Extended School pilot projects under way in the South Harrow, Harrow High and Canons clusters.

Cabinet had also agreed that the Working Group would finalise the draft Amalgamation Policy, which sought to achieve the Council’s preferred model of school organisation by creating ‘all through’ schools.  At their first meeting, the Working Group had emphasised the importance of the policy being clear, and wanted to ensure that sufficient resources were made available to keep stakeholders informed.  The Working Group had also agreed to extend the consultation period on the Shaping Schools for the Future document.  Officers confirmed that the Terms of Reference of the Working Group were available with the Cabinet papers.

In response to a question from a Member, officers explained that the Working Group had been selected from a variety of representative Groups and included cross-party Member representatives, Headteachers, Governors and Union/Professional association representatives.  Special schools were not specifically represented on the Working Group, but members had extensive experience of SEN within mainstream schools.

Following further questions from members, officers explained that the Community Schools pilot would be carefully monitored in extended schools to ensure there was not an over-provision of services.  Officers added that the activities provided by extended schools would form part of Area working in the People First Directorate.  Officers recognised the expertise of the voluntary sector and explained that they would be key to providing extended skills.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the membership and the Terms of Reference of the Working Group be noted;

(2)  the Committee’s comments on the circumstances when amalgamation is considered by Governing Bodies and the financial support for the first year be noted;

(3)  the Committee’s comments on the development of the support packages for schools through the process of the amalgamation policy be noted; and

(4)  officers refer the Committee’s comments to the Working Group.

REASON:  To enable the Council to establish a range of Extended Schools, bring forward proposals for school reorganisation that will enable a change in the age of transfer to high school and manage the supply of school places.

Report of the Executive Director, People First

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director (People First) which provided updated school roll projections.

Officers reminded the meeting that they had seen the framework of the projections previously.  The roll projections were the first to be based on the new Wards, and the Planning Areas had been adjusted slightly to fit the new Ward Boundaries.  Officers explained that turbulence in the figures following the 2001 Census was beginning to settle down and that the fertility ratios had now been factored in.

Officers referred the meeting to an analysis of previous projections outlined in the officer report which showed that, for each individual year group, the majority of projections were within 5% of the actual roll.

The number of four to ten year olds was predicted to decline until 2007 but to increase thereafter.  Officers explained that they intended to wait for the following year’s projections to confirm the trend.  High School numbers were projected to decline over future years.

Members welcomed the use of new Ward boundaries in the production of the projections.  Officers confirmed that birth information from Northwick Park Hospital was used to inform local projections and that this data did not include births to families living outside Harrow.  Following comments from Members, officers informed the meeting that the population projections underlying the school roll projections were the same as those used for the Harrow Vitality profiles.

In response to questions from a Members, officers confirmed that they were able to provide a gender breakdown on some statistics.

RESOLVED:  To note the content of the report.