To confirm the record of the meeting of the People (Children) Scrutiny Panel held on Thursday, 14 January 2016 (previously circulated).

The record of the People (Children) Scrutiny Panel held on 14 January 2016,  copies  of  which  had  been  previously  circulated,  were  confirmed  and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman announced his intention to take item 10 and then item 12 after item 6 on the agenda.  Thereafter agenda items would resume the order listed in the published agenda.

In accordance with the Regulations, Members are invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests in respect of items on this Agenda and/or indicate if Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Mr Walters declared an interest in item 9 of the Agenda on the grounds of probity and confirmed that he would not take part in the debate on this item.

Mr Baines confirmed that he had grandchildren attending schools in Rutland.

Mrs Stephenson confirmed that she was teacher at Leighfield School and that her children attended the Uppingham Church of England Primary School.

To receive any petitions, deputations and questions received from Members of the Public in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 217.

The total time allowed for this item shall be 30 minutes.  Petitions, declarations and questions shall be dealt with in the order in which they are received.  Questions may also be submitted at short notice by giving a written copy to the Committee Administrator 15 minutes before the start of the meeting.

The total time allowed for questions at short notice is 15 minutes out of the total time of 30 minutes.  Any petitions, deputations and questions that have been submitted with prior formal notice will take precedence over questions submitted at short notice.  Any questions that are not considered within the time limit shall receive a written response after the meeting and be the subject of a report to the next meeting.

No petitions, deputations or questions from members of the public had been received.

To consider any questions with notice from Members received in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rules No 219 and No. 219A.

A question had been received from Miss G Waller.  The question had been circulated to members in advance of the meeting:

There have been press reports recently about education and school results.  First was a report that disadvantaged pupils in rural secondary schools are performing far less well than their counterparts in urban schools and, more recently, that the “Northern Power House” developments will not succeed because young people are not getting the results they should.  In this latter case the Chief Inspector of Schools highlighted Liverpool and Manchester and made it clear that these local authorities should be doing more –despite the preponderance of academies in these areas.

This Panel, in this municipal year, has considered Rutland’s Education Strategic Plan but has had no report on its impact nor has the Panel received reports on Key Stage 2 (end of primary school) nor Key Stage 4 (GCSE) following national verification of the results for 2015.  We have not been advised, therefore, of how Rutland’s schools are performing compared with statistical neighbours, that is similar authority areas, nor on improvement/deterioration over time.

Can the Portfolio holder for Lifelong Learning therefore assure us that each child in a Rutland school is receiving the best education possible and that each school leaver in 2015, whether a primary or secondary leaver, achieved the best possible result he/she was able to achieve and if this is not the case when members of this Authority might be provided with a report on educational outcomes and the opportunity to discuss education in the County?

Mr Wilby, Portfolio Holder for Lifelong Learning, gave the following answer:

Councillor Waller, thank you for your continued interest in education and your tabled question which I received on Tuesday. You cite a recent address by Sir Michael Wilshaw which was a very hard hitting statement regarding the achievements of our education system throughout the country – it was not good reading but I would be delighted to forward it to members if required. There would also seem to be differing interpretations of what the Local Authority should or should not do in terms of Academies and, perhaps more importantly, what their funding should allow. I am hoping to discuss this with the Secretary for Education in the near future.

I will deal with your further points by first addressing last year’s results at both primary and secondary schools and then go on to give you a feel for whether we are doing our best for the educational needs of our young people in Rutland.

Whilst no formal report has been made to Scrutiny Panel, reports on standards have been made to:

* Education Performance Board: 4 November;

* Head teachers: 2 November (prior to Board);

* Chairs of Governors: 9 February;

* Informal Cabinet: 5 January.

You asked for Rutland’s latest results for the end of primary school (Key Stage 2) and secondary school key stage 4. This was initially reported on at the dates above. I am giving you the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 643.

To consider any Notices of Motion from Members submitted in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule No 220.

No Notices of Motion were received from Members.

To consider any matter referred to the Panel for a decision in relation to call in of a decision in accordance with Procedure Rule 206.

No matter was referred to the Panel for a decision in relation to call in of a decision in accordance with Procedure Rule 206.

To receive the OfSTED Inspection Report for Langham CofE Primary School Academy

The Ofsted report for Langham C of E School was introduced by Mr M Fowler, Head of Service: Learning and Skills.  Mr Fowler explained that Langham School had been judged as Outstanding by Ofsted in 2009 and had converted to a stand-alone academy in 2013.  The academy failed to respond to concerns expressed from the Local Authority regarding performance.  The School is being supported by the Rutland Learning Trust since the retirement of the long-serving Head Teacher in September 2015.

Mrs D Rowland  Head of School,  Mr R Gooding  Executive Head Teacher and Mr N  Horrigan  Chair of Governors had been invited to the meeting to give an overview of the work being done in order to address the issues highlighted by the Ofsted Report and also those identified from their own findings. 

During the presentation, Mr Gooding, raised the following points:

•          Rutland Learning Trust was a multi-academy trust comprising Ketton Church of England Primary School, St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Whissendine Church of England Primary School and now Langham Church of England School;

•          Rutland Learning Trust had been approached to work with Langham in 2015, they had been excited by the prospect making of a difference at the school, but understood that some significant changes would be necessary. Four weeks into their own investigation in order to establish some initial lines of enquiry, Ofsted arrived;

•          Ofsted were confident that the trust could implement rapid intervention and without the involvement of the Trust the School would have been at risk of being put into special measures;

•          The Governance, policies and strategies within the school had all been reviewed and updated;

•          The financial deficit had been addressed through redundancies and refining practice;

•          Teachers were positive about the changes that had been put in place and recognized the need to improve.  They were working together to achieve the targets that had been set;

•          Standards of teaching were inconsistent and this was being addressed;

•          There was now a more rigorous approach to accountability;

•          There had been a considerable change in the strength and effectiveness of the Governors since the inspection report; and

•          Children’s’ attitudes and learning behaviours were improving.

The following points were raised during discussion:

     i)        The external review recommended by Ofsted had already taken place.  An action plan had been put in place as a result of that review;

    ii)        Children with Special Educational Needs had been identified as failing to reach targets in line with other children.  Measures had now been put in place in order to address this which included greater accountability for the inclusion manager, review of the curriculum, training of the teachers and a provision map for each child which is kept under review;

   iii)        Results had shown that children remained at the same level throughout the Early Years Provision.  The Executive Head Teacher believed that this was caused by inadequate assessment methods and lack of funding;

   iv)        A teaching assistant with a Special Educational  ...  view the full minutes text for item 646.

To receive a presentation from Youth Service Officers regarding youth service provision within Rutland.

A presentation was given by staff from Youth Services, Lesley Hawkes (Senior Early Intervention Officer), Julia Thomas (Youth Services Coordinator) and Steph Logue (Health and Wellbeing Development Officer).

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Mr P Goringe left the meeting

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Mrs B Caffrey, Head of Families Support-Intervention and Early Years introduced the presentation and explained that the aim was to give an overview of the services provided and the offer for young people.  Early Help was a high priority in identifying need at the early stages and providing interventions to prevent the escalation of issues.  Work had also been done to ensure that the service engages and works in conjunction with partners in Schools and the Health Service.

The presentation is included as an addendum to these minutes.

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Mr P Goringe re-joined the meeting

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The following points were raised during discussion:

      i)        A leaflet was provided to members on the activities available as part of the Aiming High – Short Breaks service.  These activities provided a break for the parent and an interesting and enjoyable activity for the child;

     ii)        There was a Parent Carer Forum which ensures that the voice of disabled children in Rutland was heard and taken into account in formulating programmes of activities;

    iii)        There was an annual school offer which promoted events and services to all schools and academies;

   iv)        There was some concern regarding the awareness that young people have of the services and support that they can access.  Effective sign-posting should be a high priority;

    v)        Referrals were received from a variety of sources including Jules House, Website, schools, parents and the Leicestershire Hub;

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Mr Walters left the meeting and did not return

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   vi)        Members requested further information regarding the outcomes for those not in education, employment or training; and

  vii)        There was some concern regarding the Universal Provision and how this might be accessed by those living in more remote areas.  It was confirmed that this would be addressed as part of the review.

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Mrs MacDuff left the meeting

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To receive Report No. 27/2016 from the Director for Resources

(Previously circulated under separate cover)

Report No. 27/2016 from the Director for Resources was received.

The following points were raised during discussion:

      i)        The underspend of £273,000 due to vacancies had not had an impact on service provision.  It would be included in the overall savings at the end of the year; and

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Mrs D McDuff Returned to the meeting

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     ii)        The amount of Capital Allocations budgets being carried forward was highlighted and in terms of this funding how schools were supported to ensure they could complete these projects.  The Capital Allocations Board had oversight of this funding.  The schemes were usually administered by Property on behalf of the schools.  Further information would be provided outside of the meeting.

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Mrs D Greaves left the meeting and did not return

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RESOLVED

1)    The panel NOTED the contents of the report.

To receive Report No. 37/2016 from the Chief Executive

(Previously circulated under separate cover)

Report No. 37/2016 from the Chief Executive was received.

The following points were raised during discussion:

      i)        The number of Children’s Social Care referrals resulting in Common Assessment Frameworks (CAF’s) had increased but this could be an indication of better practice.  These figures were monitored very closely at authority level and by the Safeguarding Board.  The figures reported were within statistical norms, but would continue to be monitored.

RESOLVED

1)    The panel NOTED the contents of the report.

To receive Report No. 41/2016 from Paul Burnet, Chair of the Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding Children and Adults Boards.

Report No.41/2016 was received.  Mr Paul Burnett Chair of the Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding and Children Adults Boards introduced the report, the purpose of which was to receive the comments and feedback from the panel on priorities before they are set.  Mr Burnett explained that the Business Plans this year would focus on areas that remained a concern and those which required improvement.  The aim was to focus on 6 main priorities to include Child Sexual Exploitation, Signs of Safety and Mental Health.

The following points were raised during discussion:

      i)        The focus on signs of safety will be important as the most significant area of abuse resulting in a child being on a child protection plan is neglect.  Signs of safety is a model which ensures that the risk to the child is the key focus with parents taking responsibility for the child’s safety and the provision of help at an early stage;

     ii)        Members were invited to email Mr Burnett with their suggestions;

    iii)        Members agreed that special provision should be included to deal with the possibility of an influx of refugees;

   iv)        Proportionately more was paid to the Children’s Board than the Adults Board, this was in the process of being reviewed and it was likely that the funding of the boards would become more balanced in the future.  The costs represented good value for money since recent and significant changes to the support received form the Boards;

    v)        The recent serious case reviews would be published in late summer 2016.  These did not relate to Rutland, Rutland had never had a serious case review, but the learning points would still be relevant and would inform future training sessions;

   vi)        Members were assured that the avenues for reporting CSE were well publicised and the thresholds for taking further action were low.  Analysis was done of the number of cases coming forward and the moment that cases came forward they were acted on, addressed and Members would be kept informed;

  vii)        All referrals deemed to be CSE would be reported through the Hub at Leicestershire Police.  Once received the Early Help Team would respond quickly to the referral in order to assess the case and put in place strategies;

 viii)        The Director for People encouraged Members to sign up to CAESE a national initiative to prevent CSE;

   ix)        Members requested information regarding the source of referrals for Children’s cases be included in Quarterly reports in future; and

    x)        Customer Services staff had received basic training in how to deal with referrals, but the front door service was currently under review.

RESOLVED

1)    The Panel NOTED the report and provided comments as detailed above.  Members would forward any further suggestions directly to the Chair of the Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding and Children Adults Boards.

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Mr Baines and Mrs Stephenson left the meeting and did not return

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To receive Report No. 55/2016 from Mark Fowler, Head of Service: Learning and Skills

Report No. 55/2016 from the Director for People was received.

Mr M Fowler, Head of Learning and Skills introduced the report the purpose of which was to provide background information on the current position regarding pupil place planning in Rutland.  The report included information on the key factors influencing demand for pupil places and the projections of future demand.

The following points were raised during discussion:

      i)        No further recommendations had been put forward at this point due to a number of uncertainties detailed in the report.  The situation would continue to be monitored and a further report would be brought back to the panel later in the year when some of the uncertainties would have been addressed and the demand on school places as a result of housing programmes in Rutland and Neighbouring Counties would be clearer;

     ii)         An explanation was given regarding how the admission policies of academies can have a significant impact on the demand and availability of places, for example, where schools are looking to work with a smaller number of feeder schools and so build this into their admissions policy;

    iii)        Building programmes would not always lead to a large influx in demand for school places;

   iv)        The report clearly showed that there were sufficient secondary school places in Oakham and Uppingham at present; and

    v)        The financial implications of the possibility of bussing students to Casterton College should be considered along with how the students would feel regarding moving their provision to this more isolated site.

RESOLVED

1)    The Panel APPROVED the recommendations to:

              i)        Continue to monitor demand for places in Uppingham;

             ii)        Review the situation using the annual SCAP (School capacity survey) process in July.  This will include a further analysis of pupil yield from new housing; and

            iii)        Report to Cabinet/Scrutiny on findings in October 2016.

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Mr P Goringe Left the meeting and did not return

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To receive a verbal report from the Director for People about the recent peer review of certain elements of Children’s Services

The Director for People, Dr Tim O’ Neil, gave a brief verbal update on the recent peer review of certain elements of Children’s Services. 

Mr O’ Neil had received the letter room the Peer Review Team and the outcomes had been broadly positive, but had highlighted some areas where there was aneed for improvement and identified some best practice and advice that could be used in order to develop these areas.  The themes that were identified as needing some improvement were around management oversight and children and adolescent pathways, but some examples of excellent practice were also identified.  All the feedback would be used to inform the improvement journey and a full report would be presented to Members in April.

The following points were raised during discussion:

      i)        The peer review had recommended increased involvement by Members towards looked after children and in their role as corporate parents.  The Portfolio Holder for Safeguarding Children and Young People was looking at ways to do this.

To consider Scrutiny issues to review. 

Copies of the Forward Plan will be available at the meeting.

The panel noted the Forward Plan.

The panel requested that the School Transport Policy be brought to the next meeting.

To receive any other items of urgent business which have been previously notified to the person presiding

There was no urgent business.

Thursday, 28^th April 2016 at 7 pm

Agenda Items:

1.    Mental Health    

Detailed scrutiny of provision of mental health support and services to children and people in Rutland including CAMHS     

2.    Public Health: Children           

Scrutiny review of the public health outcomes for children and young people and the public health commissioning arrangements.           

3.    RALS Performance Report                 

Report from Mark Fowler/Bob Shore

4.    Rutland SACRE Annual Report 2014/15    

Report to be presented by Mr Carl Smith, Headteacher at CCR as discussed at the Rutland SACRE meeting held on the 13/10/15 

5.    School Inspection Outcomes

Headteachers invited to present the findings of their OfSTED inspection.  Annual standing item on the agenda.        

Thursday, 28^th April 2016 at 7 pm

Agenda Items:

1.    Mental Health    

Detailed scrutiny of provision of mental health support and services to children and people in Rutland including CAMHS     

2.    Public Health: Children           

Scrutiny review of the public health outcomes for children and young people and the public health commissioning arrangements.           

3.    RALS Performance Report                 

Report from Mark Fowler/Bob Shore

4.    Rutland SACRE Annual Report 2014/15    

Report to be presented by Mr Carl Smith, Headteacher at CCR as discussed at the Rutland SACRE meeting held on the 13/10/15 

5.    School Inspection Outcomes

Headteachers invited to present the findings of their OfSTED inspection.  Annual standing item on the agenda.