Agenda item

This verbal update will be accompanied by written details on:

(a)    New Academies

(b)    Comprehensive Spending Review

(c)     School Organisation

(d)    Local Democracy Week

(Verbal Updates by Mr G Cooke, Deputy Cabinet Member (Resources Capital Programme & Infrastructure), Mr K Abbott (Director Resources and Planning Group) and Mr G Ward Director (Capital and Infrastructure Group)) 

(1)         Members received written updates on the New Academies, the Comprehensive Spending Review, School Organisation and Local Democracy Week accompanied by a verbal update which included the following:

(2)         Mr Cooke updated Members on the current position of the schools converting to the new academy status, which revised the information in the written update, advising that 7 schools had now converted since September.  Two schools would convert on 1 November, 3 schools on 1 December and 6 schools on 1 January as detailed in Item B2 on page 22 of the agenda.

(3)          The Chairman then asked Mr Abbott to give his verbal update.  Mr Abbott advised Members that following a meeting of the Funding Forum a consultation was agreed and set out to schools on the schools funding formula the consultation will conclude in December.  In conjunction with this there were also meetings being held with headteachers to discuss ways of simplifying the formula and ways to handle with specific grants through the formula.

(4)         Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and make comments which included the following:

(5)         In response to a question by Mr Pugh, Mr Cooke explained with the funding for the building of the Isle of Sheppey Academy and until there was 100% certainty the County Council would not be prepared to sign a contract of £51m unless that money would be reimbursed by the government.  KCC was committed to this project.  Mr Ward added that Mr Gove, Secretary of State for Education had agreed to 600 BSF schools and a number of Academies moving forward, but in the settlement he has required Partnerships for Schools (PfS) to deliver them all within an overall 40% reduction.  Nationally this was to save £6 billion.  KCC anticipated that there would be no reduction for the Isle of Sheppey academy but to date there had been no confirmation from Partnerships for schools about what the funding would be.  At present Keir had accepted KCC’s assurances through Partnerships for Schools that the funding would be available and was still working with KCC to move this forward, there were other issues to be resolved before the signing of the contract but was on track for a financial close in February 2011, but the letter confirming the funding needed. After financial close the building work would begin and at that time the notion of the apprenticeships on the building work would start up.

(6)         In response to a question by Mr Tolputt, Mr Cooke explained that advice was being given to schools on a district basis.  The headteachers had received advice and as up to date information as available at the time which included financial advice provided by Mr Abbott on the implication of converting to academy status.  On the services for schools to keep up the contact with the schools was to set up a trading facility where the schools were able to buy into the services that KCC provided.  Mrs Hohler added that at the meetings with the schools’ headteachers had said that whether they converted to academies or not they were keen to keep the partnerships they had with other schools and work with KCC.

(7)         In response to a question by Mr Smith, Mr Cooke agreed to set up a briefing for all Members of the County Council, in the January, to include an update on the Education White Paper, KCC’s relationship with Kent schools as requested by Mr Smith and school admissions as requested by Mr Long in Item B5(a) of the agenda.

(8)         RESOLVED that:

(a)   the comments and responses to questions by Members be noted;

(b)   a briefing be set up in the January for all Members of the County Council, in the Spring, to include an update on the Education White Paper, KCC’s relationship with Kent schools and school admissions; and

(c)   the report and verbal updates be noted.