Agenda item

1.         The Cabinet Member, Mr Gough, and the Corporate Director, Mr Leeson, gave their verbal updates and highlighted work undertaken since the last meeting of the Education Cabinet Committee meeting, which included the following:

Chaucer Technology School - Proposed Closure

2.         Mr Gough explained that proposing to close a school was a difficult issue.  A public consultation on the proposal to close Chaucer Technology Schoolwas currently being held from 25 February until 8 April 2014.  Members of this Cabinet Committee would have the opportunity to discuss the proposed closure of Chaucer Technology School at the additional meeting on 22 April 2014.

Basic Need Allocation

3.         Notification of the Basic Need allocation was received before Christmas in 2013 and it was disappointing compared to the previous allocation which kept pace with the number of additional primary school places that had been identified in the Commissioning Plan.  It had been advised that there was still funding held back by government which could be applied for by local authorities.  Discussions were being held with the Department of Education for additional funding identifying Kent’s requirements to meet the targets identified in the Commissioning Plan for 2015/17.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

4.         Mr Gough advised that £2.7 million had been allocated for Kent maintained schools and £300k for voluntary aided schools.  A survey and audit of Kent schools kitchen facilities concluded that the funding allocation fell short as there were still 141 schools without facilities.  A meeting with the Funding Forum was to be held on 25 March to discuss the allocation of that funding. 

Academies and Free schools

5.         Mr Gough advised on a recently published document submitted to the Education Select Committee on the relationship between the local authorities and academies and free schools.   The document sets out the local authorities responsibilities for the welfare and education of children in its area.  Mr Gough reflected that on the whole Kent had forged excellent relationships with all schools in Kent although the relationships were different.  He had concerns that the national policy was not wholly consistent on what the relationship should be with academies and free schools and clarification was being sought.  Mr Gough was clear that Kent should avoid opting out of being accountable, as other local authorities had, for academies and free schools.  Kent’s view was that they are all Kent children and the local authority needed to play its part in ensuring they received a good education. 

Development of Preventative Services

6.         The new Preventative Services Unitwould operate from 1 April 2014 within the newly named Education and Young People’s Services Directorate [formerly Education, Learning and Skills Directorate] to provide a joined up service for vulnerable young people from 0 to 19 year olds.  Every district of Kent would have a dedicated team as a single point of access. There would be one process where the needs of those young people can be identified and responses made to those needs.  There would be a clear systematic allocation of resources from both KCC in house and commissioned services. There was already commitment from Police, Health and other colleagues to work in this way too.  The target was to greatly reduce the young people need for statutory care over 2 to 3 years.  A detailed report would be submitted to a future meeting of this Cabinet Committee on how the model worked and specific targets.

7.         Mr Gough and Mr Leeson responded to comments and questions which included the following:

a)     There would be a correlation with the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services

b)     Members were advised that the expansions of primary schools taking place now included in the provision of providing free school meals although the allocation of funding was still to be decided. This all had to be managed in a tight deadline to be in place by September 2014.  Mr Leeson advised that this Infant free school meals policy was not funded properly and Kent required £7m and had a shortfall of £4m, this was a national issue.  It was putting school in a difficult position.  There was some leeway as the government has said that initially a hot meal did not have to be provided to every child in the first year. 

c)     In reply to a question regarding the implication of the 31% shortfall of Basic Need funding on secondary school places in the future, Mr Gough advised that the need to for additional secondary school places would start to manifest in 2016 and this would vary district by district in tandem with the significant uncertainties with housing developments.  It would be better to consider the 2013 to 2015 period which was Kent’s focus and then look at 2015 to 2017 period which there were concerns about.  Kent was focused on drawing to the attention of government the short fall in its Basic Need funding allocation.

d)     In reply to a question, Mr Leeson ensured that any plans for new school buildings would have the provision of being able to provide serve and cook hot food. 

e)     In response to a question, Mr Leeson explained that children could be obese and still have poor nutrition the two went hand in hand.  There was a close correlation between poverty and obesity.  There were issues with child poverty and health.  There was a lot of joining up with agencies and coordinating what we do for troubled families.  Mr Gough advised that the Health and Wellbeing Board was seeking to put more focus on children’s issues.  One of its five key elements in the Strategy was “best start in life” with a focus on children which would be added to a revised Strategy this year. 

f)      Mr Gough advised that Kent had been in discussions with the Weald of Kent School regarding the establishment of a grammar school annex in Sevenoaks, since the Secretary of State’s ruling.  Kent had been providing information on the overall needs case for selective education in the Sevenoaks area.  The consultation, which was being held over the next weeks, was an issue for the Weald of Kent School.

g)     In reply to a question regarding the use of “free school meals as a marker” regarding attainment etc, Mr Leeson advised that schools would continue to encourage parents to indicate that they required free school meals to allow the school to receive the Pupil Premium which was the proxy indicator for significant amounts of funding. 

8.         RESOLVED that:-

a)     a detailed report on the new Preventative Services Unit would be submitted to a future meeting of this Cabinet Committee; and

b)     the responses to comments and questions by Members and the information given in the verbal update be noted with thanks.