To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June 2014 and to note actions taken since that meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June, 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To receive from Members any declarations of interest and of any political whip in relation to any agenda item.

Councillors declared the following interests in the business to be transacted:-

·         Cllr Bowater as Chair of Governors at Leighton Buzzard Middle School;

·         Cllr D Jones as Chair of Governors at Hawthorn Community Primary School;

·         Cllr Pepworth as Chair of Governors at St. Augustine’s Academy and a member of the Ashton Foundation;

·         Cllr Duckett as a Governor at Maulden School; and

·         David Morton as Church of England Co-optee.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and outlined the process by which members of the public who had registered to speak would be invited to do so at item 9.  The Chairman advised those in attendance that filming and recording of the meeting was not permitted.  Those present were also advised that if there was a need to discuss the information contained within the exempt pages the Committee would decide whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting so that the confidential matters could be discussed.

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

None.

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of part A4 of the Constitution.

The Chairman confirmed that five members of the public and elected Members had registered to speak.  Speakers would be invited to speak at the commencement of Item 9.

To consider any decision of the Executive referred to this Committee for review  in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.10 of Part D2. 

None.

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

None.

To consider representations received, and the final business plans submitted, following the publication of statutory notices in relation to the following schools:-.

10.00 - 10.45am                   Brewers Hill Community Hill

Middle School

10.45 - 11.30am                   Streetfield Community Middle

School

11.30am - 12.15pm              Ashton Church of England Voluntary Aided Middle School

                             To ensure that the Committee gives equal consideration to each of the three schools, the above times have been provided as an indication of the start time for each school.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services advised that following the previous Executive meeting it had been agreed the business cases produced by Brewers Hill Middle School, Streetfield Middle School, Ashton Middle CofE VA School would be submitted to the Committee prior to a decision on the proposals being taken by the Executive on 19 August 2014.

The Executive Member clarified that the purpose of the meeting was to consider the responses received by the Council to the statutory consultation which included the viability of each of the three business cases, which had been prepared by the schools as alternatives to closure.  Input from Members of the Committee would be invaluable to the Executive prior a decision being made.  The Executive Member commented that in his view the business cases were not viable and did not provide a suitable alternative option to closure of the schools.  However, the Executive Member had not yet decided upon the final proposal he would make to the Executive, which would be determined after the Committee had challenged and scrutinised the business cases.

In light of the size of the report and the further clarification provided by the schools within their amended business cases Members commented on the inconvenience of receiving late reports.  The Assistant Director of School Improvement advised that the schools and officers had been required to work to very short time scales, so this was unavoidable in this instance.

Brewers Hill Middle School

The Chairman invited three speakers to address the Committee in relation to Brewers Hill Middle School.  Speakers raised issues that in summary related to the following:-

·         The school felt they had presented a financially viable alternative, which would have minimal impact on other age ranges.

·         Concerns that the consultation process had not ascertained the views of parents in Dunstable.

·         Concerns that the proposal to close the middle school would affect key stage 1 and 2 results.

·         Requests that further investment be provided to schools in order to provide greater parental choice.

·         Concerns that opening academies in the area had a negative impact.

·         The importance of the Executive’s decision and the Committee’s recommendations ensuring the best outcomes for education and the development of children

In light of the report and the comments raised by speakers in relation to Brewers Hill Middle School Members discussed the following issues in detail:-

·         The ways in which the school felt greater pupil numbers could be generated, bearing in mind the different age ranges in schools in Dunstable and whether an increase in pupil numbers would have a negative impact on schools outside Dunstable and Houghton Regis.  In response representatives of the school commented the report reflected growth data from Dunstable and Houghton Regis.  The forecast growth and housing developments proposed locally had led the school to be confident that surplus school places would be filled as a result of that growth by 2019.  The Head of School Organisation and Capital Planning advised the Committee that the schools had been provided with current local data and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.