Agenda and minutes

Councillor Judith Cooper declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 7 – School Places – Verbal Update as she was a Governor of Charville Foundation Primary School and St Andrews C of E Primary School. She remained in the room during the item and took part in the discussion.

Councillor Peter Curling declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 7 – School Places – Verbal Update as he was a Governor of Mellow Lane School and Harefield Academy. He remained in the room during the item and took part in the discussion.

Councillor Catherine Dann declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 7 – School Places – Verbal Update as she was a Governor of Newham Junior School and Bishop Ramsay C of E School. She remained in the room during the item and took part in the discussion.

Councillor John Hensley declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 7 – School Places – Verbal Update as he was a Governor at Breakspear Junior School and Abbotsfield School. He remained in the room during the item and took part in the discussion.

Councillor Kuldeep Lakhmana declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 7 – School Places – Verbal Update as she was a Governor of Cranford Park Primary School, Wood End Park Primary School and Harlington Community School. She remained in the room during the item and took part in the discussion.

It was agreed that all items of business were considered in public.

Agreed as an accurate record subject to the inclusion of Tony Little in the list of attendees. 

Members were reminded that the aim of the review was to look at aspects of the 14-19 curriculum, in particular Diplomas, and look at the impactthe introduction of Diplomas had had on 14-19 Education.

The Deputy Director of Learning, Effectiveness & Major Transformation informed Members the aim of the changes to 14-19 education was to address criticism of existing qualifications around the lack of rigour felt to be inherent in GCSEs and A Levels and the need for a more vocational qualification to improve pupil’s skills and training.

The following witnesses attended the meeting and provided the review with the following information:

Laraine Smith – Principal Uxbridge College 

Uxbridge College offered an Engineering Diploma which was taught at Level 3. The first Cohort had finished and all 10 students had been successful. There were so many different elements to the qualification and students had to pass all elements to gain the Diploma.

The retention rate on this qualification was 90%, but it was difficult to evaluate as Diplomas were new qualifications. Support was expected from awarding bodies and some elements of the material for this qualification was not always of the highest standard.

A first Cohort of Students for the Business School had started last year. The College had attempted to recruit students for the Hair and Beauty Diploma but had been unsuccessful.

The development of Diplomas was the last Government’s attempt to bridge the divide between vocation and academic education and was an attempt with time to replace other tried and tested qualifications. The development of Diplomas had now been stopped by the new Coalition Government.   

Members were informed that the present numbers taking Diplomas was sustainable but if the numbers dropped it would not be sustainable for the College.

Diplomas were an alternative to GCSE’s and were beneficial for those students who were more practical than academic   

The original intention for Functional skills was for them to be compulsory for all students at Key Stage 4, and their purpose was to address concerns from employers that young people were not numerate, literate or proficient in IT, in spite of achieving GCSEs in English, Maths and IT. This had now been reversed leaving the Diploma as the only qualification which required the extra hurdle of all three Functional Skill qualifications to be passed in order to achieve a Diploma.  This had caused concern to the College.

Reference was made to Apprenticeships which were on the increase. Apprenticeships were work based qualifications and they were offered at two levels:

·        Level 2 qualification, comprising National Vocational Qualification, technical certificate and key skills

·        Advanced Apprenticeships were Level 3 qualifications.

Members were informed of the major Government drive to expand the Apprenticeship route, with employers encouraged to seek funding from the Government. Uxbridge College sometimes waived the employer’s contribution to the Apprenticeships but the new Coalition Government may possibly take Apprenticeships away if employers did not contribute funding.

Reference was made to Foundation Learning and Members were informed that this could be taught  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Members noted the information which had been sent to them by email which provided details about the schools in the Borough which required additional classrooms to deal with the increase in the number of school pupils. The additional classrooms would be in the form of temporary mobile classrooms and teaching provision was in place for these.

In addition Members were informed that Pinkwell Primary School was another school which would require an additional classroom to deal with increased numbers. The mobile classroom for this would be delayed until spring time and Members expressed concern at this delay.

During discussions Members asked that a report be submitted to the next meeting of this Committee providing an update on the allocation of school places in the Borough and the provision the Council was making to accommodate the increased pupil numbers.

Resolved –

1. That a written report be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee providing an update on the allocation of school places in the Borough and the provision the Council was making to accommodate the increased pupil numbers.

The Deputy Director Children & Families provided Members with an update on the audit of safeguarding children’s cases. Reference was made to a report which was considered at this Committee in December 2006 when it was recommended that managers should undertake random audits of safeguarding cases to ensure full compliance with the procedures and quality of recording.

Members were informed that a procedure had been put in place and Members had been updated on progress in February 2008, November 2009 and January 2010. The Head of Safeguarding had updated the procedure for audits in Children & Families in June 2009 but since then there had been no progress reports submitted to the Committee.

Members were informed that due to personnel changes within Children’s Services, the procedure had not been fully complied with other the last few months.

The procedure had now bee re-instated and the importance of the audits had been reinforced. Monthly audit reports from randomly selected cases were to be returned to the relevant Services Manager and the Deputy Director.

A report would be produced on the findings / actions to this Committee on a quarterly basis, starting with their next meeting on 21 October 2010. 

Resolved –

That the information provided be noted.

Members were provided with a schedule which gave updates on the recommendations made by this Committee on their previous reviews.

Officers were congratulated for the comprehensiveness of the information and Members asked that a short update report be provided at the next meeting of this Committee on the Review into Developing Short Breaks Provision.

Resolved –

1.      That the information report be noted.

Members noted the item on the Forward Plan for Cabinet on 23 September relating to the Award of contracts for the appointment of a design team and quantity surveyor for developing the designs and expansion of Ruislip High School and it was agreed that information on this item be included in the School Places report which would be considered at this Committee’s next meeting..  

Resolved –

1. That the information contained on the Forward Plan be noted.

The work programme be updated to reflect the items added to the agenda of the next meeting.