Agenda and minutes

25.1     The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2017.

Disclosure by all Members present of personal interests in matters on the Agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the Member regards the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct

26.1     There were no disclosures of interest.

Notification of items which the Lead Member considers to be urgent and propose to take at the end of the appropriate part of the Agenda

27.1     There were no urgent items.

28.1     Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

29.1     The Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services which sought approval of the Dedicated Schools Grant Allocation for 2018/19.

29.2     RESOLVED to: approve the Dedicated Schools Grant budget for 2018/19.

Reasons

29.3     The report provided the Lead Member with information relating to the use of the four blocks which the Dedicated Schools Grant budget is divided into for 2018-19.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

30.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services which sought approval for the publication of the Education Commissioning Plan for 2017-2021.

30.2     RESOLVED to: 1) approve the publication of the Education Commissioning Plan 2017-2021;

                                       2) delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services to amend the plan prior to its publication if required; and

  3) request that the Lead Member be informed of any changes made to the Plan prior to publication.

Reasons

30.3     The Council has a statutory duty to ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet recent and future demand for early years, primary, secondary and special school places. The Education Commissioning Plan aims to understand the projected demand for places in the future, and sets out where the Council thinks additional places will need to be commissioned or where existing provision needs to be reorganised.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

31.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services seeking approval to expand Willingdon Community School from 1000 places to 1200 places with effect from 1 September 2020.

31.2     RESOLVED to:  approve the expansion of Willingdon community School from 1000 to 1200 places effective from 1 September 2020, contingent upon:

                                    1)         the Council consulting on, and the Lead Member determining, an increase to the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN) from 200 to 240 effective from 1 September 2020; and

                                    2)         planning permission for the enlargement of the premises being granted under Part 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990(a).

Reasons

31.3     The Council has a statutory duty to ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet demand for school places. The proposal to expand Willingdon Community School will create additional capacity to serve the new housing developments in the area.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services

32.1     The Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability considered a report by the Director for Children’s Services which set out a number of options relating to increasing the number of primary school places in Hailsham. This included a proposal to:  lower the age range at Hailsham Community College to establish an all-through school creating an additional 420 primary places to serve the Hailsham area.

32.2     RESOLVED to:  approve Option 4, the Council working with Hailsham Community College to lower its age range with effect from September 2019 to establish an all-through school thereby creating an additional 420 primary places (two forms of entry) to serve north Hailsham.

Reasons

32.3     Hailsham Community College has demonstrated a long term investment and commitment to improve provision and outcomes for children in Hailsham. The creation of an all-through school will provide the opportunity to expand provision to the primary phase, which will offer further diversity of provision, support the transition of learners from KS3 to KS4 and help improve outcomes at KS4.