Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Vice-Chair for the Municipal Year 2005/06.

The Chair having called for nominations for Vice-Chair from non-Council Members of the Committee, it was

RESOLVED:  To appoint Reverend P Reece as Vice-Chair of the School Organisation Committee for the 2005/2006 Municipal Year.

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 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:

(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 the following interests were declared:

(i)             Councillor Bill Stephenson declared an interest in that he was the Local Education Authority representative for Harrow College.

(ii)           Councillor Miss Bednell declared an interest in that she was a member of the Governing Bodies of Whitmore School and Stanmore College.

(iii)          Councillor Jean Lammiman declared an interest in that she was a Governor of Nower Hill School.

(iv)          Councillor Gate declared an interest in that he was the Local Education Authority representative for St Dominic’s Sixth Form College.

(v)            Councillor Branch declared an interest in that his wife was Chair of Harrow High School.

(vi)          Mrs Janice Howkiss declared an interest in that she was Headteacher of Bentley Wood School.

(vii)         Mrs P Langdon declared an interest in that she was a temporary teacher at Bentley Wood School.

(viii)       Mr J Coyle declared an interest in that he served on the Board of Governors at Sacred Heart School.

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 (1) in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the following agenda item be admitted late to the agenda by virtue of the special circumstances and grounds for urgency detailed below:-

(2) all items be considered with the press and public present.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2005, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2005, 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 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 Committee Procedure Rule 16.

Report of the Executive Director People First

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director (People First), which outlined the invitation from the London West Learning and Skills Council to bid for capital funding for 1000 post-16 places at Harrow High Schools. The officer informed the Committee that the bid would build on existing work undertaken on 14-19 provision, and the development of the Harrow Sixth Form Collegiate. The officer also briefed Members of the Committee on the role of the Post-16 Collegiate Core Group, the definition of the Collegiate, curriculum planning and learning numbers, school site development, revenue and capital funding, Information and communication technology, applications and admissions, and the statutory process and timetable.

In response to questions, a member from the Learning and Skills Council confirmed that College Sixth Form students were funded differently from Sixth Form students attending schools. This meant that if proposals were accepted for schools to change their age-range to 12-18 years, they would be funded under schools regulations, rather than colleges regulations. The same member stated that the Central Consortium comprised six schools, but that the Collegiate would be made up of all the schools and colleges in Harrow. He also informed the Committee that although the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) had requested an estimate of costs for the Collegiate, the LSC would provide all capital funds for accepted proposals. The funding for 16-18 year olds would be funded under schools regulations.

Noting that the Central Consortium would offer post-16 learners AS level provision at their High Schools from September 2006, but that the Collegiate would not be established until September 2007, a member highlighted the need to ensure the Central Consortium was not disadvantaged in the bid. The officer informed the Committee that the bid was being submitted in line with the long-term needs of the Collegiate, and that, as a result, no school would be disadvantaged. A member stated that although the LSC would consider the bid as a complete package, it would also look closely at each school’s proposal to ensure value for money.

Members congratulated all involved on their efforts, and were appreciative of the cross-party nature of work undertaken. Noting that young people had previously left the Borough for Sixth Form education, Members believed the Collegiate to be an exciting prospect. It was also noted, however, that there was still much hard work to be done to make the bid successful.  Although Harrow already had one of the highest levels of post-16 participation in the country, Members emphasised the need to strive for constant improvement, which would entail identifying the reasons why some young people did not participate in post-16 education.

A member from the Learning and Skills Council stated that an independent panel would be established and would form part of the LSC’s assessment. Noting that the Harrow Sixth Form Collegiate might act as a magnet to students from outside Harrow, a member asked whether this could result in dissatisfaction with the places provided. The officer responded that there was an expectation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 95.

(i)            Membership

The Chair reported that Ms M Roe was no longer a member of the Committee but had been listed as a member on the agenda in error.

(ii)         Children and Young People’s Plan

A member of the Committee, who was also a member of the Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Sub-Committee, informed the Committee that the latest version of the Children and Young People’s Plan had been tabled at the meeting of the Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Sub-Committee held on 10 January 2006, but that Members had not been given the opportunity to read the document prior to the meeting. Consequently, it had been decided at the meeting to refer the report to the joint meeting of the Health and Social Care and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Sub-Committees that was being held on 18 January 2006.

RESOLVED: To request that the joint meeting of the Health and Social Care and Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Sub-Committees formally respond to the School Organisation Committee after considering the Children and Young People’s Plan on 18 January 2006.