To receive a brief verbal update from the Executive Member for Children’s Services.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services provided the Committee with an update on current activities pertaining to his portfolio, which were not already included on today’s agenda. These covered the following issues:-

·               With reference to the minutes of the previous meeting (CS/12/32) regarding the impact of Academies on the performance of schools in Central Bedfordshire, the Executive Member confirmed that he would submit a report to a future meeting (tentatively February 2013);

·               With reference to the minutes of the previous meeting (CS/12/36) regarding the Children with Disabilities Service, the Executive Member confirmed that he would provide an update to a future meeting early in the new calendar year;

·               The schools funding formula consultation, which had now closed and which would now be the subject of consideration by the Schools Forum. With regard to this issue, a Member requested a more detailed update concerning school funding reforms to a future meeting, which was agreed;

·               Key Stage (KS) results and the very good performance at KS1 and KS2, with the latter placing the Council’s performance 6^th best in England & Wales. GCSE results had however deteriorated, with the achievement of 5 or more A* to C grades (including Maths & English) down 2% to 57%. The Executive Member explained that these results still required final validation (by January 2013), and also needed to be considered in the context of the continuing controversy regarding the sudden drop in GCSE results across the country. He confirmed that the Council had recently agreed a motion regarding representations to the Secretary of State for Education about the issue and furthermore, he had recently committed the Council to a related joint legal challenge, led by Leeds and Lewisham Councils. Mention was also made of recent international surveys of educational performance, which had confirmed that the UK had fallen behind in English but had risen slightly in Maths & Science; and

·               Healthy eating in schools. The Assistant Director, Children’s Services (Learning & Strategic Commissioning) confirmed that all schools in Central Bedfordshire were currently meeting the required nutritional standards for school meals and had been since 2009, even though academies were exempt. He further confirmed that schools regularly improve and update their healthy eating policies and do so with the approval of NHS colleagues. The Assistant Director also referred to the excellent participation rates of the Making the Most of Me programme and his recent action in writing to the Secretary of State for Education regarding the ability of partners to share health data to help tackle obesity rates. Whilst Members acknowledged the good work being done in schools, they raised concerns about the need to educate children and parents about healthy eating at home and the eating habits of those children allowed to leave the school premises at lunchtime. Members also referred to the recent lowering of architectural standards for school building, which may have an indirect impact on the use made of school meals, and the need to encourage activities such as gardening clubs.

During the verbal update, Members raised two further issues regarding:-

·              School organisation planning and the growth in places for children with special educational needs. The Executive Member agreed that this was a worthwhile topic for consideration at a future meeting; and

·              The Council’s policy and practice regarding CRB checks (given the recent news coverage regarding the late Jimmy Savile). Both the Executive Member and Assistant Director were able to reassure the Committee that robust policies and procedures existed within Central Bedfordshire and individual schools regarding CRB checking of those persons (staff and volunteers) having contact with children.