Minutes:
(1) Mr Badman gave a presentation to update Members on the National Children’s Plan and academies as requested by the Committee, using overheads.
(2) Members made comments and asked questions which included the following issues:-
The Children’s Plan
· The Committee congratulated Mr Badman and the officers and the JAR Inspection results.
· In response to a question on whether more resource should be given to secondary schools or primary schools to improve attainment, Mr Badman advised that research evidence to children said that the quality of teaching made a difference. What influenced teaching quality was the size of the class and support. Within Key Stage 1 there cannot be more than 30 children. He felt that this should be reduced to 20, which would mean a third increase to the Revenue Budget. In response to where this money could be found from, he explained that the Government put £20bn into Early Years education that had not reached who is was meant to reach. There was a huge difference of provision for local authority schools based and private and voluntary sector schools. In reception and Years 1 and 2 you would receive the greater value.
· Members felt that the children’s claim should be presented to all Members of the County Council.
· In response to a point raised regarding the transfer of funds from the Learning Skills Council (LSC’s) to the County Council and what role the LSC’s would have with academies, Mr Badman advised that the LSC’s were a consultation with a view based on 16 year old provision, there had never been any other response than positive. The Learning Skills Council Consultation “Raising Expectation Enabling the System to Deliver” was extended to 9 June 2008. There was a fear that this would not bring about a major change with the effect of 16 plus year olds funding transfer. Mr Badman agreed to forward the details of the consultation to the Committee.
· In response to comments on the problems with children with no language and the issue of whether television in children’s bedrooms was a form of abuse, Mr Badman said he shared concerns regarding television and inappropriate television programmes before the watershed but felt that the opinion of televisions in children’s bedrooms being abuse would be on thin ice.
· It was agreed following a question regarding the collaboration of the CFE Directorate and housing officers as they take an holistic look at families to safeguard children, that a report be submitted the POC meeting in September.
· In response to two questions on what strategies there were to make school governing bodies more effective and the French system that Mr Badman had described meant that parents who opted out would not receive benefits, Mr Badman advised that the French system with the introduction of a family book had resulted in a greater take up of children receiving inoculations. The general feelings of governors and the feedback from teachers was that the structure for governors was written in 1976 and the role had now evolved.
Academies Update
· Mr Badman advised that academies were independent and would be monitored by Ofsted and the academies Governing Body.
· A Member suggested that the impact of the academies on other neighbouring schools in the area needed to be monitored. Mr Badman responded that he did not expect any migration of pupils to the academies. He agreed to forward a list of the Kent academies to the Members of the Committee.
· In response to a question, Mr Badman explained that the issue of teaching staff in schools transferring to the academies who wished to resign was not fixed by KCC, it was an issue for the Headteacher and governors, the terms and conditions were the same for those teachers.
· In response to a question, Mr Hodges explained that the percentage of academies finance from sponsors was £2m which were put into an endowment fund.
(3) RESOLVED that the presentation and comments made by the Members be noted.