Agenda item

7.1    Councillor Galley introduced the work programme item by emphasising his goal of ensuring that where possible, future reviews and related recommendations have a focus on ‘looking forward’ and helping the Department develop effective policies that anticipate new challenges and opportunities.   

7.2              The Committee then discussed potential topics for future scrutiny reviews. The key discussion points are set out below.

7.3            How schools are coping with change.   The Committee discussed a range of significant developments/issues which schools are currently dealing with.   The Committee want to assess the potential impact of these developments on pupil attainment and school performance.   As a result, the Department were requested to provide further information to the Committee on these issues.   The key changes the Committee discussed included:

o   school funding issues, including data on school funding bids to the Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) and the impact this is having on under-performing schools;

o   the impact of the ‘Federate First’ programme (Federation First is a national campaign developed in 2016 by the National Governors Association to raise awareness of the advantages of federations to school improvement);

o   issues relating to pupil attainment and school performance within different Key Stages and the implementation of the Assessment Without Levels assessment framework;

o   whilst the Committee is interested in developing a clearer understanding of the impact of the key changes it has identified on all types of school within East Sussex, Members also have a specific interest in the sustainability of small schools; and

o   how schools are now increasingly making decisions regarding which services they purchase and the impact this may have on performance and attainment. 

7.4            In response, the Committee were informed that for a variety of reasons, it is currently difficult for the Department to provide a clear overview of the latest developments relating to the above factors.   For example, with regard to the National Funding Formula (NFF) the Department are waiting for the Government to issue guidance on how resources will be distributed at an individual school level.    Given the highly significant impact this may have on how schools operate, Members were advised to postpone undertaking a review of this area until the detail of the NFF is known.  

7.5       With regard conducting a further review within Key Stage 4, the Committee were also advised that the current year is the first year where a new assessment methodology is being applied.   As a result it will be very difficult for the Department to compare this year’s outcomes with previous years.  

7.6       Given the above advice, the Committee agreed to keep the above areas under review and would seek to identify at its next meeting in September 2017 what specific subjects might form the basis of a scrutiny review.

7.7       Children Centres.  The Committee also focused on the changing nature of Children’s Centres and related matters such as proposals to de-designate centres.  The Committee want to develop their understanding of these changes and to investigate their impact on both local communities and on children within the Early Years phase.  The Committee therefore requested that a report is provided for the November meeting which clarifies: 

o   the current status of Children’s Centres in the county; and 

o   what the Department’s plans are for Children’s Centres

7.8       State of School Buildings and Plant.  The Committee want an overview of the current status of school buildings and plant in East Sussex.  This includes reference to the school maintenance programme and school commissioning plan.  Such a review would also include consideration of health and safety issues following the Grenfell Tower fire.

In response, Fiona Wright, Assistant Director, informed the Committee that responsibility for school buildings is shared between the Children’s Services Department and the Business Services Department (where the estates and capital and maintenance teams are based).   Also, academies are separate institutions which are not funded via the local authority.   These two factors make delivering an accurate picture of the current state of school buildings challenging and time will therefore be needed to co-ordinate relevant information for the Committee.   With this in mind, it was requested that a report is provided to the Committee’s November meeting.

7.9        ISEND service pressures.    The Committee have an ongoing concern regarding the high levels of demand the ISEND service is experiencing.  An update on the steps being taken by the Department to address these pressures was therefore requested.   In response, the Committee were informed that the measures set out in the Department’s Action Plan are still being implemented.  As a result, it was suggested that a report be brought to the Committee in the spring, as this will give the Department sufficient time to review the impact of the measures it is taking.

7.10         Representation on the East Sussex Better Together Board (ESBT)

As part of its consideration of the Scrutiny Work Programme item, an election was conducted to determine the Committee’s two representatives on the East Sussex Better Together Board (ESBT).    It was agreed that Councillors Roy Galley and Alan Shuttleworth will act as the Committee’s representatives on ESBT.

7.11   RESOLVED - to update the scrutiny work programme so that it refers to:

1)               in relation to minute  5.3 (2), the Committee’s request that the LSCB  incorporate the findings of its review of the impact of Serious Case Reviews into its annual SCR report to the Committee in June 2018.  

2)               in relation to minute 6.4 (2), the Committee’s request that it receive a further progress report at its meeting in June 2018 is recorded (Raising the Age of Participation).

3)               in relation to minute 7.3, the ‘Potential future scrutiny work’ section of the Scrutiny Work Programme is updated to reflect the Committee’s interest in keeping under review the range of major developments schools are currently dealing with.  It was further agreed that the Committee would discuss the overlapping topics within this subject area at its next meeting in September.   An assessment will then be made at that time as to what specific topic the Committee decide will be the subject of its next scrutiny review.

4)               in relation to minute 7.7, wording is added to confirm that a report on Children’s Centres is provided to the November 2017 meeting which provides an overview of: 

o   the current status of Children’s Centres in the county; and 

o   the Department’s future plans for Children’s Centres

5)               in relation to minute 7.8, wording is added to confirm that a report which updates the Committee on the state of school buildings in the county and wider issues relating to school expansions and closures is provided to the November 2017 meeting.

6)               in relation to minute 7.9, wording is added to confirm that a report which evaluates the impact of the measures set out in the Department’s Action Plan is provided to the March 2018 meeting (ISEND service pressures).  

7)               in relation to minute 7.10, the appointments of Councillor Roy Galley and Councillor Alan Shuttleworth as representatives of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee on ESBT is recorded.