Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies had been received from Councillors Seymour, Waddell and Watson.

The minutes of the Family and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Meeting held on Thursday 1 June 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 Committee held on Thursday 1 June 2023, as circulated, be agreed and signed by the Chair as a true record.

The Cabinet report sets out an analysis of the representations and responses received from interested parties and stakeholders during the four-week statutory consultation in relation to proposals for schools in the Berwick Partnership.  Cabinet is being asked to make a final decision on whether or not to approve the proposals set out in the statutory proposal and whether or not to approve the non-statutory proposals relating to the voluntary schools within the Berwick Partnership as set out in the Report of the Executive Director of Children, Young People and Education - Berwick Partnership Organisation, 9th May 2023.  The report is for pre-scrutiny and comments made by this Committee will be reported to Cabinet when making their decision on 20 July 2023. 

The Cabinet report set out an analysis of the representations and responses received from interested parties and stakeholders during the four-week statutory consultation, which commenced on 11 May and closed on 8 June 2023, in relation to proposals for schools in the Berwick Partnership. 

Cabinet was being asked to make a final decision on whether or not to approve the proposals, including school closures, set out in the statutory proposal. At the same time, Cabinet was being requested to make a final decision on whether or not to approve the non-statutory proposals relating to the voluntary schools within the Berwick Partnership.  The decision of the DfE’s Advisory Board in relation to the proposed changes to St Cuthbert’s Catholic First School and Berwick Academy, which formed an integral part of the overall proposed reorganisation, was also to be noted by Cabinet.

S Aviston, Head of School Organisation and Resources provided a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the report advising that the background papers for the report were available on the Council’s website as part of the Cabinet papers.   The Chair advised that as Cannon P Rickeard, the representative of the Church of England Diocese, had been unable to attend the meeting in person he had joined virtually and whilst he would be unable to take part in any vote he could however comment or ask questions on the report.

In response to questions from Members of the Committee the following information was noted:-

·       Assurance was provided that the ethos and standards of the good and outstanding schools which were to close would be preserved and carried through to the new systems.  The Local Authority had been working with Headteachers regarding the staffing protocol with consultation undertaken on the new staffing structure so that good and outstanding teaching staff were not lost.  Protecting the ongoing employment of existing staff was paramount and fundamental in order to manage the transition and provide continuity for pupils.  In view of the low participation process by residents, schools with support from the Local Authority would provide reassurance to parents on such issues as pastoral care for pupils.  The Headteachers were all in support of the changes to the partnership and wished to ensure that the transition was as smooth as possible for all involved.

·       The Local Authority with the agreement of Schools Forum had set a contingency budget through the DSG to support some of the additional pastoral staff that would be required and any personal development identified as part of the training needs analysis.

·       If agreed by Cabinet, an Implementation Group would be set up, which would be chaired by S Aviston, and would bring all together to ensure that wrap around support was in place to support the transition.  The School Improvement team would provide continuous monitoring ensuring standards were maintained and changes were in the best interests of all the young people within the partnerships, and close working would continue with Berwick Academy to continue the trajectory of improvements. The possible need for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

(a)        Forward Plan

To note the latest Forward Plan of key decisions. Any further changes to the Forward Plan will be reported at the meeting.

(b)        Family and Children's Services OSC Work Programme

To consider the work programme/monitoring report for the Family and Children's Services OSC for 2023/24.

C Angus, Scrutiny Officer advised that following the Scrutiny Review and revisions to the Constitution that the Cabinet Forward Plan and Scrutiny Work Programmes would now be presented together.  The Forward Plan would now reflect decisions that had already been taken to allow monitoring of those decisions to be undertaken by scrutiny.  It would also allow future items to be viewed further in advance in order to allow scrutiny to have some influence on decisions when required.

The first meeting of the SEND Task and Finish Working Group would take place after this meeting and the date of the next meeting was noted as Thursday 7 September 2023.