Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor C Dunbar,  A Hodgson and C Angus.

The minutes of the Family and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Meeting held on Thursday 2 March 2023, as circulated, to be agreed as a true record and be signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Family and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Meeting held on Thursday 2 March 2023 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting; 

1. Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

2. Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion  or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

3. Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being  (and is not  DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

4. Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

5. Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it. 

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk.  Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

P Rickeard advised that he was both the Director of Education for the Diocese who had responded to the consultation and the Church Representative on this Committee.

To note the latest Forward Plan of key decisions for May to August 2023.  Any further changes made to the Forward Plan will be reported to the committee.

RESOLVED that the information be noted.

The report for Cabinet presents the outcomes and analysis of feedback received from stakeholders arising from Phase 2 pre-statutory consultation with stakeholders in the Berwick Partnership area approved by Cabinet on 22 October 2022. The Phase 2 consultation set out possible models of school organisation within both the current 3-tier system and within a 2-tier (primary/secondary) system. Consultation was also undertaken with stakeholders on proposals for increased specialist provision within the Berwick Partnership area and feedback and analysis arising from this aspect of the consultation is also set out in the report. Feedback received during consultation has been used to assist with the determination of the final conclusions and recommendations. Cabinet is now asked to approve the recommendation to publish statutory proposals for the implementation of a 2-tier (primary/secondary) structure in the Berwick Partnership, which includes the proposed closure of some schools.

Comments made by this Committee will be reported to Cabinet when they consider the report on Tuesday 9 May 2023.

A comprehensive introduction to the report was provided by S Aviston, Head of School Organisation and Resources with the recommendations for the next steps outlined.  Councillor Renner-Thompson, Portfolio holder for Children’s Services spoke on the background and reasoning behind the consultations for the Berwick Partnership and advised that the proposals had cross-party support going forward. 

Members thanked officers for the detailed report and sought clarification and reassurance on a number of areas. The Committee sought a plan for supporting smaller, rural schools to ensure their sustainability in light of the recommendations of this report. Officers explained that many small schools worked in mutual partnership with larger schools to ensure they could deliver high quality education.  Members were also advised that the opportunity would be taken to do any programmed maintenance work whilst on site as part of any works to be undertaken as part of these proposals should they be agreed.  Detailed plans for leisure and community use would need to be discussed with partners. 

Members expressed concerns that some students might be moved from schools rated as ‘Good’ to schools rated as ‘requires improvement' however, they were assured that the schools in the Berwick Partnership had been evolving and improving over recent years.  Officers reiterated to the Committee that the Council worked closely with the Regional Schools Director to offer strong support networks to these schools and that staff would be protected throughout the process with them moving with the pupils.  Members were also informed that the Berwick Partnership had requested the Schools Improvement Team to be their significant partner over the next year.  P Rickeard advised that he had recently spent time in Berwick Academy and had been impressed with the changes and the engagement between pupils and staff and the work being undertaken with the Local Authority.  In relation to the previous drift of pupils out of the Partnership no one reason for this had been identified, however there were indications that some pupils were now returning.

In response to a question regarding the possibility of expanding the existing setting for SEND pupils or opening a new SEND school, it was highlighted that an expansion had not been supported either by the Governors or staff at the existing school, it was not possible for the Local Authority to open a school themselves and the timeline for a free school to be provided was too extensive. 

RESOLVED that Cabinet be advised that this Committee supported the recommendations as outlined in the report.

A verbal update will be provided at the meeting on the Family and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2023/24.

The work programme would be discussed at the next meeting.