Agenda and minutes

23.1    The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2022.

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

24.1     There were none.

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

25.1     There were none.

 26.1    A copy of the reports referred to below is included in the minute book.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services.

27.1    The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services regarding the publication of the East Sussex Childcare Sufficiency Duty report 2023.

DECISION

27.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to approve the publication of the East Sussex Childcare Sufficiency Duty report for 2023.

REASON

27.3     The Local Authority has a duty to publish a Childcare Sufficiency Duty report annually. The document supports the Local Authority’s statutory obligation of on-going assessment of childcare provision for children aged 0-14 years old (and up to 18 years old for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability) in East Sussex.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services.

28.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services regarding the admission arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools in East Sussex for the 2024-25 academic year (and the proposed co-ordinated schemes of admission for the same year), as required by the School Admissions Code 2021.

DECISIONS

28.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) agree the admission arrangements for 2024-25 including the changes to give priority to children of staff and to alter the community areas for Polegate and Willingdon Primary Schools and Willingdon Community School as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

2) agree the Published Admission Number (PAN) increase for Robertsbridge Community College and PAN decrease for Iford and Kingston CE Primary School, and the PANs for other schools as set out in Appendix 2 of the report; and

3) agree the adoption of the co-ordinated schemes of admission as set out in Appendices 3, 4 and 5 of the report.

REASON

28.3     The School Admissions Code 2021 (“the Code”) states that admission authorities must determine their admission arrangements annually.

Report by the Director of Children’s Services.

29.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services regarding the Household Support Fund.

DECISIONS

29.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) approve the proposed use of £2,052,500 of the Household Support Fund, to provide support to households with children between 1 April – 30 September 2023; and

2) delegate to the Director of Children’s Services authority to implement the scheme

REASON

29.3     The scheme provides a further opportunity to extend the support to households with children, households with pensioners, households with a disabled person and other vulnerable households within East Sussex who are experiencing financial challenges.