Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR. View directions

Contact: Sandra Pentelow (0113) 24 74792  Email: sandra.pentelow@leeds.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

78.

Late Items

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

 

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

Minutes:

In accordance with her powers under Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local

Government Act 1972, the Chair agreed to accept the following late information:

 

Agenda item 7, Supplementary Information in relation to membership of the Children’s Trust Board 2014 and 2013 and the Children’s Trust Governance Structure 2014 and 2013.  (Minute No. 83 refers)

 

Agenda item 8, Late report – Free School Meals. (Minute No. 84 refers)

 

The above information was not available at the time of agenda despatch and was subsequently made available on the Council’s website.

 

79.

Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

 

80.

Apologies for Absence and Notification of Substitutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillor K Mitchell and Co-opted Member T Kayani – Young Lives Leeds (13-19 age group). Councillor K Mitchell was substituted by Councillor J Lewis.

 

81.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) formally welcomed Kauser Jan as a Teacher Representative Co-opted Member (non-voting).

 

The Chair thanked all members of the Board for their commitment and hard work throughout the 2013/14 municipal year and also thanked all officers for supporting the work of the Scrutiny Board.

 

82.

Minutes - 13 February 2014 pdf icon PDF 63 KB

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2014.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2014 be approved as a correct record.

 

83.

Report back to the Scrutiny Board on progress against the recommendations identified in the Scrutiny Committee Report on the Children's Trust Board pdf icon PDF 193 KB

To consider the report of the Director of Children’s Services which provides an update on progress against the recommendations identified in the Scrutiny Boards Report on the Children’s Trust Board since March 2013.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In March 2013 the Scrutiny Board received a report on the history and development of the Children’s Trust Board (CTB) and the subsidiary groups, committees, partnerships, boards and forums which support the CTB. Members were also presented with information to assist them in assessing strengths and areas for development for the CTB in respect of the three key questions agreed for the Scrutiny reviews of Strategic Partnership Boards.

 

·  What contribution the Partnership Board is making to tackle poverty and inequality, and the progress being made against this?

·  How successfully the Board’s partnership arrangements are working?

·  To what extent are significant benefits being seen from partnership working? How has partnership working ensured increased pace of change to address the issue in hand?

 

A number of recommendations were made by the Scrutiny Board.

 

The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report providing an update on the progress against the recommendations. 

 

The following late information was appended to the report:

 

-  Membership of the Children’s Trust Board 2014 and 2013

-  Children’s Trust Governance Structure 2014 and 2013

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children’s Services

-  Councillor Judith Blake, Executive Board Member (Children’s Services)

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Member (Education)

-  Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer Partnership Development Business Support

-  Ann Pemberton, Young Lives Leeds

-  Sharon Yellin, Consultant in Public Health Medicine.

 

The key areas of discussion were:

 

·  The establishment of the Early Years Board and the engagement with the Early Years Sector through Voluntary Action Leeds.

·  The appointment of an Adult Social Care representative to the CTB, Dennis Holmes.

·  The refreshed integrated commissioning program with Health, evidence based investment and the potential to align activities with the clinical commissioning groups and health community.

·  Cluster governance arrangements, accountability for funding and spending. 

·  The benefit of having a Children’s Trust Board in Leeds, positive partnership engagement and the capacity for a multi-agency CTB to tackle city wide issues and have a common focus on the three obsessions. The importance of the 3rd sector in raising funds to support the obsessions.

·  Concern about the partnership engagement at a Cluster level and the confidence in cluster arrangements to meet the challenge of providing devolved services.

·  The challenge of increased demand for services whilst budgets reduce and the need for partnership working to meet that challenge.

 

RESOLVED – The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) noted the content of the report.

 

84.

Free School Meals pdf icon PDF 150 KB

To consider the report of the Director of Children’s Services.

 

(Report to follow)

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Board commissioned a report in response to previous debate regarding assisting families in poverty and due to the introduction of the Children and Families Act, which will require a commitment from schools to offer a free school meal to all children in reception, year one and year two from 1 September 2014. The Director of Children’s Services submitted a late report providing the Board with the requested information.

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children’s Services

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Member (Education)

-  Paul Brennan - Deputy Director of Children’s Services: Learning

-  Andrea Richardson – Head of Early Years Help Services

-  Gail Webb – Head of Learning Improvement

-  Mandy Snaith – Head of Catering, Enterprise Leeds

 

The key areas of discussion were:

 

·  The challenge of timescales and the process of assessing the requirements of every primary school for equipment and capital investment.

·  The levels of communication with head teachers and governors regarding infant free school meals and the link to learning improvement.

·  Catering for children with religious dietary requirements and parental confidence in the food provided.

·  The School Food Plan, the education of children to understand the nutritional value of foods and reintroduction of food preparation in the curriculum.

·  Funding of free school meals and the potential for schools to use any surplus funding to provide breakfast clubs.

·  The freedom for schools to utilise different providers and contractors to provide school meals and the complexity surrounding the changes in PFI schools. 

 

RESOLVED – The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families): 

 

a) noted the content of the report

b) recommended that further work is undertaken to increase confidence in communities that food provided in schools meets religious dietary requirements.

 

(Councillor C Gruen left the meeting at 11:00am and Councillor J Lewis at 11:20am during the consideration of this item)

 

85.

An update on progress following the Scrutiny Inquiry into Raising Attainment in Maths and English pdf icon PDF 177 KB

To consider the report of the Director of Children’s Services which sets out the progress made in relation to the recommendations of the Children and Families Scrutiny Board inquiry into Raising Attainment in Maths and English.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report which set out the progress made with regard to recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Inquiry into Raising Attainment in Maths and English.

 

The following information was appended to the report:

 

-  Appendix 1a – Case studies

-  Appendix 1b – Data, understanding different attainment levels in English

-  Appendix 2 – Further information for Recommendation 2

-  Appendix 5 – Examples of the deployment of National and Local Leaders of Education in Leeds and their impact

-  Appendix 6 – Further information for Recommendation 9

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children’s Services

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Member (Education)

-  Paul Brennan, Deputy Director of Children’s Services: Learning

-  Gail Webb, Head of Learning Improvement

-  Kevin Paynes, 11-19 Leadership and Management Lead

-  Sara Harris, School Improvement Advisor

-  Marcia Harding, Closing the Gap Lead.

 

The key areas of discussion were:

 

·  Early entry for examinations and the recent change to the Ofsted indicator with regard to multiple entry for examinations.

·  The requirement to continue to work with schools to look at achievement and learning holistically, looking at progress rather than focusing solely on Ofsted key indicators.

·  The timescales for roll out of programmes linked to the work of the Closing the Gap team, which the Scrutiny Board was advised is ongoing.

·  Concern about inadequately judged Academies with large co-cohorts of pupils who experience multiple disadvantage. The Board were reassured that all bar one of the Academies are working with the School Improvement Team, with a developing relationship with the Academy not currently fully engaged. The route of challenge and intervention for all Academies through the Secretary of State for Education.

·  Supplementary schools, the close links with main stream schools and the need to galvanise the supplementary sector, which is in the main voluntary, to support focus on maths and English.

 

RESOLVED – The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families): 

 

a) noted the information contained in the progress report in raising attainment in Maths and English.

b) thanked officers for their excellent report and the significant amount of action taken in response to recommendations

c)  recommended that work continues with supplementary schools to support learning in maths and English.

 

86.

Annual Standards Report (Early Years Foundation Stage, Primary & Secondary Schools) pdf icon PDF 58 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which refers to the Annual Standards Report (Early Years Foundation Stage, Primary & Secondary Schools) presented to Executive Board 14 February 2014.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which advised the Board of the submission of the Annual Standards Report (Early Years Foundation Stage, Primary and Secondary Schools) to the Executive Board on 14 February 2014.

 

The following information was appended to the report:

 

-  Appendix A – Executive Board Report 14 February 2014 Annual Standards Report (Early Years Foundation Stage, Primary and Secondary Schools)

-  Appendix B – Annual Standards Report 2012-13 – Data Annex

-  Appendix C – Equality, Diversity, Cohesion and Integration Screening

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children’s Services

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Member (Education)

-  Paul Brennan, Deputy Director of Children’s Services: Learning

-  Gail Webb, Head of Learning Improvement

-  Kevin Paynes, 11-19 Leadership and Management Lead

-  Sara Harris, School Improvement Advisor

 

The key areas of discussion were:

 

·  Year on year improvement in many areas however concern was expressed about the pace of improvement which needs to be accelerated.

·  Leeds for Learning and the level of challenge to schools. 

·  That the focus on the obsessions is having an impact on improving attendance and that the impact on standards should become apparent over the longer term. Ofsted results this year are already improved.

·  Concern around the Early Years Foundation Stage low achievers gap and the review on how evidence was gathered to inform this indicator.

·  The difficulties in transition between the key stages, referencing this to minute 85.

 

RESOLVED – The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families): 

 

Noted the information in the Executive Board Report 14 February 2014 Annual Standards Report (Early Years Foundation Stage, Primary and Secondary Schools).

 

87.

Work Schedule pdf icon PDF 51 KB

To consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the Executive Board minutes for 5 March and 2 April 2014.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was submitted by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which advised members that this is the final scheduled meeting of the current municipal year. Executive Board minutes 5 March 2014 and 2 April 2014 were appended to the report.

 

Sandra Pentelow, Principal Scrutiny Adviser, presented the report and responded to Members’ queries and comments.

 

RESOLVED – That the Executive Board minutes be noted.

 

(The meeting concluded at 12:15pm)