To receive a report detailing the outcomes of a project assessing schools for the future, providing the Committee with the opportunity to monitor progress and future developments in relation to the educational landscape in Central Bedfordshire.

The Executive Member for Children, Education and Families highlighted the challenges facing the local authority due to the mixed economy of schools within the region, acknowledging that similar challenges would arise due to future development in the area and increased pupil numbers. Therefore there was a need to address those issues in order to help shape the landscape of education for the future, working in close partnership with schools.

The Assistant Director (AD) for Education delivered a presentation which set out the development of a coordinated plan to meet growth in the longer term, ensuring alignment with the Council’s strategic priorities. Measures were underway to work with each cluster of schools in order to understand their views and ambitions and ensure that their goals were in the best interests of local children in relation to their education. The local authority, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) and schools all understood the importance of working collaboratively, achieving best value and assuring coherency and transparency when engaging with stakeholders.

In light of the report and presentation, Members discussed the following in summary:-

·         How the Council proposed to engage with the 15% of schools indicating a desire to remain in the three tier model and the need to work collaboratively with them to ensure the best outcomes for those children.

·         That the current hybrid of education provision was wholly confusing to parents and teachers and a need to move towards a simplified model with the council leading the process in a supporting role.

·         That any transition would take time and was part of a long term model of change and that a new communications programme would support effective engagement with parents and stakeholders.

·         The need to ensure that schools currently in the planning stage of development were realigned with the vision for the future.

·         That the current schools estate could not accommodate any more children therefore it was essential that future development was of a flexible and intelligent design.

·         The need to learn from past experiences and coordinate any changes to the educational landscape, rather than allow unstructured changes to occur.

·         That educational outcomes should be a key focus for the new school improvement team regardless of any change in structure.

·         The impact of any structural change on small rural schools.

RECOMMENDED:-

1.    That the Committee acknowledged the position reached on planning for schools for the future.

2.    That the Committee supported the policy as set out in paragraph 19 of the report to be presented to Executive on 7 August 2018.