Agenda item

To receive a verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education and the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education.

1.    Roger Gough (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

Wave and Funding Announcements from Government:

Announcements were received from Government in relation to funding and the national Free School ‘Wave’ process.  The Basic Need allocation for Kent County Council within a whole £680m national announcement was £23.3m; this was lower than Kent County Council had originally forecast in the Kent Commissioning Plan. It was also a small figure in relation to what Kent had estimated to be the overall total need; this was being raised with Government and had been for a long period of time.  Government had announced both Wave 13 (mainstream schools) and Wave 14 (Special Schools and alternative provision).  The aim is to create 110 new free schools over the next three years. 35 of these free schools would be approved this year. The 35 free schools would need to be placed in an area where there was evident basic need and issues of relatively poor performance.  In Kent, three areas had been identified which fit the Basic Need criteria: Gravesham, Thanet and Ashford.  Mr Gough said that the delays in Wave 13 had been a major problem for Kent in terms of meeting ever-increasing demand and the need for school places. For Wave 14, focusing on special schools and alternative provision, local authorities would be asked to submit proposals, and the DFE would make the selection.  More details would be available later in the year.

2.    Matt Dunkley (Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

High Needs Funding update:

Meetings had been held recently with head teachers in Kent which were well attended, and head teachers had engaged in the events well. In the meetings with head teachers, further consultation took place with regards to High Needs Funding and how it would be managed from 2019 onwards. A range of constructive contributions were received from head teachers during the consultation, as were strong and helpful suggestions from head teachers from special schools in Kent. Mr Dunkley and Mr Gough had focused on exploring ways in which the number of children sent to out-county schools and independent placements could be reduced. Mainstream colleagues were offered a number of options in relation to how the support provided to children in mainstream schools could be changed and how the support was allocated, they decided that they preferred to remain using the new arrangements that came into place from April 2018, rather than the new arrangements that would be introduced from April 2019. Support and input from head teachers allowed a clear plan to be devised and presented to the Schools Funding Forum in September 2019.

New Appointments:

Matt Dunkley congratulated Sarah Hammond and Stuart Collins as Directors of Integrated Services. He also congratulated James Roberts in his new role as the CEO of The Education People.

a)    In response to a question, Matt Dunkley commented on a recent news event that had featured in the media. He said that Kent County Council needed to ensure that measured, proportionate and evidence-based approaches were taken under all circumstances.

b)    The Chairman suggested that a report be received by the Committee in a future meeting which would highlight the challenges that Thanet had been faced with, Members of the Committee supported this.

3.    RESOLVED that the verbal updated be noted.