Minutes attached.

Matters Arising

Children’s Centres

The Board received an update from Elaine Hammans, as requested at the last meeting, regarding Children’s Centres, summarised below:

·         It had been a challenging year but improvements were taking place;

·         Occupancy levels were being monitored and already seeing a steady increase;

·         Emphasised that it was the integrated services within the Children’s Centres and not solely the occupancy of the building/premises;

·         Working with Family Action to maximise occupancy and usage;

The Board asked a number of questions covering a number of issues which were responded to by officers, summarised below:

·         How are health services being held to account? It was recognised that health were delivering their statutory duties/requirements but it was about what else can be done in addition and how services come together;

·         The capacity / occupancy information needs to be validated;

·         Clearer definitions of capacity and occupancy were needed;

·         The Board should receive a programme for each Children’s Centre and the need to formulise what happens next;

·         Important that the Governance is effective and there are lines of accountability.

It was agreed that the Success for All Group (SFAG) validate the occupancy information and formulise the next steps for Children’s Centres in terms of integration, etc and the Vulnerable Learners Sub Group receive the information on occupancy, etc.

30 Hour Entitlement

The Board considered a report from Elaine Hammans which provided an update on the progress of the implementation of the 30 Hours entitlement for working parents of 3-4 year olds.

The Board discussed the report and expressed their concerns regarding the financial implications and future sustainability of funding for the additional 15 hours per week and the additional pressures this will bring for providers.  The Board also drew attention to the providers’ capacity to provide for both types of offer (15 hours or 30 hours entitlement) and agreed that financial modelling will need to be carried out.

Resolved:

1. That the update on 30 hours entitlement be noted.

2. That all schools delivering nursery provision where the children are not registered pupils of the school be required to complete the termly Early Years Headcount and Census Information from January 2018 and that the completion of this information should be a condition of funding.

3. That the criteria for the mandatory deprivation funding be reviewed.

4. That the level of inclusion funding for funded children in light of the extended hours be reviewed and reported back to the next Education Board meeting.  This should include financial modelling.

Provision of Secondary School Places

The Board were provided an update in respect to the provision of secondary school places in the borough.  The Board noted that a new Free School was still a main consideration unless school places can be secured through other means.  It was unclear when the next phase (Wave 13) will be announced.

Further updates will be provided to future meetings.

Resolved:

1. That the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th June 2017, subject to the inclusion of D Parker and G Glazier in the list of apologies, be confirmed as a correct record.

2. That the minutes of the Special meeting held on 6^th July 2017, subject to a minor amendment in Agenda Item 2 (High Needs Revised Budget 2017/18) to clarify that the YMCA had 50 places in the High Needs Block, be confirmed as a correct record.