Agenda item

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

a)    Alkerden School in Ebbsfleet

Aletheia Anglican Academies Trust had launched plans to create the ‘all through’ institution in June 2019. A consultation into the Ebbsfleet proposal began on 12^th June 2019 and would run until 9^th July 2019. If plans were approved, Alkerden School in Ebbsfleet would cater for children aged two to 19, there would also be 26 nursery school places and 15 primary places in a Specialist Resource Provision.

b)   Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) Update

A report had been submitted to Cabinet on 24^th June which addressed the most recent changes in relation to UASC funding. Mr Gough referred to a previous UASC funding consultation which had been launched by government and talked about the outcomes from the consultation, particularly the significant rise in rates for 16- and 17-year olds, which Kent County Council had lobbied hard for.

c)    Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) report

In relation to the actions which had taken place in response to the Kent SEND Local Area Inspection by Ofsted/CQC, the Written Statement of Action had been submitted on 28^th June 2019. Further updates on the matter would be submitted to the Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee when appropriate.

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

a)    Ofsted CQC letter

Mr Dunkley reiterated Mr Gough’s comments in relation to the Ofsted and CQC SEND report outcome and confirmed that a Member oversight group would be set up for Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee Member’s to attend to comment on the improvement plan.

b)   Kent County Council’s Corporate Parenting Panel Takeover Day

Kent County Council’s Corporate Parenting Panel Takeover Day took place on 29^th May and allowed children in care, care leavers and adopted or fostered young people to take charge of the Corporate Parenting Panel and have their voices heard.Mr Dunkley said that the experience was very positive and valuable for Members, officers and young people and he hoped that similar events would take place in the future to strengthen Member’s relationships as corporate parents with the young people that they look after. Mr Dunkley commended the positive leadership skills that had been demonstrated by Chelsea, a Virtual Schools Kent apprentice and care leaver, who had proposed a motion on banning social media from young people due to its harmful effects on their mental health. Chelsea and Mr Dunkley attended an event which took place at the House of Commons with Nadhim Zahawi (Secretary of State for Children and Families) to celebrate the first two years of the Lifelong Links project.

c)    Hadlow College placed into educational administration

Hadlow College were the first of its kind to have gone into administration. Further Education (FE) commissioners were engaged in a process of inviting bids from other FE providers to take over parts of an interim group which had been created to take over the management of the college. The interim group invited FE providers within a 20-mile radius to bid for parts, or the entirety of the group, a land-based provider from London was invited to bid and take over the land-based element of the group. Kent County Council were awaiting the news in relation to the conclusion of the bidding process and a further update would be submitted to the Committee once more information on the matter had been received.

3.          In response to a question relating to Hadlow College, Mr Dunkley said that he and Barbara Cooper (Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport) were in discussion with FE commissioners regarding the process of the competition and the options that were available. He talked briefly about the challenges in relation to travel arrangements for pupils attending the college and how these challenges were being addressed through the interim engagement group with FE commissioners. He added that based on recent discussions, he did not believe that FE commissioners wished to change the land-based element of Hadlow College.

4.          In response to a question relating to the processing of UASC applications, Mr Gough said that whilst processing issues were being addressed, there was still much work to be done with the Home Office in regard to clearing the current UASC application backlog.

5.          In response to a question relating to Hadlow College, Mr Dunkley said that FE commissioners were committed to ensuring that course offers for September 2019 would be honoured to ensure that there was no immediate impact on learners, FE commissioners were also aware of the fact that Hadlow College catered for and had a significant offer for vulnerable learners. He added that Kent County Council’s relationship with FE principles was very strong.

6.          RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.