Agenda item

(Report by Mr M Whiting, Cabinet Member, Education, Learning and Skills and Mr P Leeson, Corporate Director, Education, Learning and Skills)

(Mr J Reilly, Principal Policy Officer was present for this item)

1.               The Chairman invited Mr Leeson to introduce the report.  Mr Leeson highlighted the following key points:

• The report and the revised Bold Steps document sets out a review of last years progress and a further development of the Education, Learning and Skills (ELS) vision, priorities and improvement targets from 2013-2016.
• The aspirations and level of challenge had been increased in a number of target areas.
• Mr Leeson stated that he would not rest until Kent was one of the best Education authorities in the country.
• The Bold Steps document was the overarching document setting out the ELS Directorates targets and priorities overall and was supported by detailed ELS action and business plans for every service areas within the ELS Directorate.
• There were clear milestones and targets detailed in the Bold Steps document for every year from 2013-2016.

2.               Mr Reilly then highlighted  the following key points:

• The Business Plans aimed to provide more consistency with performance management and risk management and consequently the updated Bold Steps “Vision and Priorities for Improvement” document which needed to be read in conjunction with the Bold Steps performance and targets Scorecard and the Directorate Risk Register.
• Mr Reilly sought Members comments on the Bold Steps Business Plan which would inform and develop the draft service plans.  He advised that the final draft document would be presented to Cabinet for approval in April 2013.

3.               Member were given the opportunity to make comments and ask questions which included the following:

a)         A comment was made that information apprenticeships and advice needed to be included in the Business Plan.

b)         Consideration should be made that KCC Directorates and Cabinet Committees needed to be in alignment in what skills and jobs were required in Kent.

c)          It was suggested that in Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 Performance Framework there should be numerical targets for the gender gap.

d)         A comment was made that there was no indicator between children receiving Free School Meals and other Pupils.

e)         A request was made for consideration to be given to alternative ways of presenting the business plans to Members.

f)           Consideration needed to be given to the coordination of factual evidence rather than anecdotal with clear pathways from secondary school to employment and an awareness that the provisions did not meet the sector profiles.

4.               Mr Leeson advised that there were issues with the consistencies of independent guidance and advice for young people.  The responsibility for careers education and advice and guidance had passed to schools from September 2012.  This was monitored by Ofsted as part of the school inspections.  Mr Leeson gave an assurance that the County Council continued to monitor this.  It was critical that young people received the right advice to choose the best pathway which was a key focus in the 14-24 Strategy.  The partnership issues between providers, employers and the alignment of what ELS Directorate and Economic Development were doing was a key focus in the 14-24 Strategy as were the partnership arrangements in locality between FE base learning providers and  Schools in order to get those issues right.

5.               Mr Leeson said that he would be look again at the risk assessment but gave Members his assurance that those issues were set out in detail and were a priority in the 14 -24 Strategy.

6.               RESOLVED that:

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

b)              the updated Education Bold Steps 2013-2016 document within Appendix A of the report, which sets out the priorities and target, with more detailed actions and milestones in the draft 2013/14 Education, Learning and Skills service area business plans be noted;

c)               the draft Education, Learning and Skills service area business plans set out in Appendix B be noted; and

d)              the key headline Directorate risk set out in Appendix C of the report be noted.