Agenda item

This Council believes that every child in the city should have the option of going to a good local school.

 

Council therefore regrets the situation that arose in North Leeds during this year’s allocation of school places, where nearly 90 families did not receive any of their five primary school preferences.

 

Council welcomes the subsequent steps taken to secure more school places in the areas affected, but believes that recent events have illustrated the sheer scale of the challenge facing the city over the lack of school places. Parents and children across the city deserve nothing less than a comprehensive and far-reaching response.

 

Council recognises the reservations from some quarters to certain types of school governance, but believes that the authority needs to look at all viable options that could help the city meet demand for school places.

 

Council therefore calls on the Director of Children’s Services to bring a report to Executive Board which:

 

• explains how the authority can take a more pragmatic approach to addressing the basic need issue, embracing the full range of options and tools available;

 

• reviews the systems used to plan for school places in the city and sets out what steps can be taken in the short and long terms to ensure that the authority is effectively anticipating demand, so there is no repeat of this year’s problems in North Leeds.

 

It was moved by Councillor Lamb, seconded by Councillor Cohen that this  Council believes that every child in the city should have the option of going to a good local school.

 

Council therefore regrets the situation that arose in North Leeds during this year’s allocation of school places, where nearly 90 families did not receive any of their five primary school preferences.

 

Council welcomes the subsequent steps taken to secure more school places in the areas affected, but believes that recent events have illustrated the sheer scale of the challenge facing the city over the lack of school places. Parents and children across the city deserve nothing less than a comprehensive and far-reaching response.

 

Council recognises the reservations from some quarters to certain types of school governance, but believes that the authority needs to look at all viable options that could help the city meet demand for school places.

 

Council therefore calls on the Director of Children’s Services to bring a report to Executive Board which:

 

• explains how the authority can take a more pragmatic approach to addressing the basic need issue, embracing the full range of options and tools available;

 

• reviews the systems used to plan for school places in the city and sets out what steps can be taken in the short and long terms to ensure that the authority is effectively anticipating demand, so there is no repeat of this year’s problems in North Leeds.

 

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor J Bentley, seconded by Councillor Campbell that;

 

Delete all after ‘should have’ in para 1 and replace with ‘a good local school to attend.’

 

Insert two new paras, after para 1, to read:

 

“Council notes the recent report from the National Audit Office which confirmed the positive impact that Pupil Premium funding has had on narrowing the attainment gap, helping to increase standards across the city.

 

However, Council also recognises the challenges presented by this Government’s removal of the ring-fencing from the national education budget, with the resulting increase in uncertainty around school planning that this has caused.”

 

Delete all after ‘arose in’ in para 2 and replace with ‘in Leeds during this year’s allocation of school places, where 550 families across the city did not receive any of their five primary school preferences.”

 

Delete para 4

 

Remove first bullet point.

 

Delete ‘North’ in second bullet point.

 

Insert two new bullet points after second bullet point, to read:

 

• sets out how attainment will be increased in all schools so that they all deliver the same high standard of education, reducing the need for parents to choose schools based on performance; and
• sets out the improvements planned for the communication strategy so that all parents can clearly see how attainment has improved in their local schools, reducing historic-based bias towards and against specific schools.

 

Revised motion would read:

 

This Council believes that every child in the city should have a good local school to attend.

 

Council notes the recent report from the National Audit Office which confirmed the positive impact that Pupil Premium funding has had on narrowing the attainment gap, helping to increase standards across the city.

 

However, Council also recognises the challenges presented by this Government’s removal of the ring-fencing from the national education budget, with the resulting increase in uncertainty around school planning that this has caused.

 

Council therefore regrets the situation that arose in Leeds during this year’s allocation of school places, where 550 families across the city did not receive any of their five primary school preferences.

 

Council welcomes the subsequent steps taken to secure more school places in the areas affected, but believes that recent events have illustrated the sheer scale of the challenge facing the city over the lack of school places. Parents and children across the city deserve nothing less than a comprehensive and far-reaching response.

 

Council therefore calls on the Director of Children’s Services to bring a report to Executive Board which:

 

• reviews the systems used to plan for school places in the city and sets out what steps can be taken in the short and long terms to ensure that the authority is effectively anticipating demand, so there is no repeat of this year’s problems in Leeds;
• sets out how attainment will be increased in all schools so that they all deliver the same high standard of education, reducing the need for parents to choose schools based on performance; and
• sets out the improvements planned for the communication strategy so that all parents can clearly see how attainment has improved in their local schools, reducing historic-based bias towards and against specific schools.

 

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Yeadon, seconded by Councillor R Lewis that

 

Delete all after “This Council believes that every child in the city should” and replace with:

 

“….be able to go to a good local school.

 

The progress made by schools across Leeds means that the number of primary schools judged to be Good or Outstanding is now at 90.1% putting Leeds top in the Yorkshire and Humber region.  However, ensuring that we have the appropriate number of school places in the areas where they are needed is an issue we continue to address.

 

We have already seen great progress in tackling this challenge by proactively creating an additional 1273 places since 2010, we must continue this momentum to meet the need in future years.

 

Council has recognised that basic need is an issue that requires a corporate response and a cross-Council approach.  This recognition is underlined by both the Cross-Party Basic Need Group which has been in place since 2012 and the Cross-Directorate Basic Need Steering Group led by the Deputy Chief Executive.

 

We acknowledge that it took longer this year to resolve difficulties for some parents and understand the concern this has caused families.  We believe that this illustrates the scale of the basic need challenge facing the city. 

 

We welcome the steps taken to secure more school places in the areas affected, both before and after offer day and thank all schools for working with us to address this challenge and we look forward to continuing this positive dialogue in the future.

 

Council recognises the complexity of the basic need issue and believes it is exacerbated by Government legislation removing the ability of local authorities to open new community schools, separating local authorities from the process of opening free schools and failing to provide funding for the acquisition of land and buildings to be used for educational purposes.

 

We recognise the desire of many parents who wish to send their children to a local authority run community school and the constraints that the current national policy has on delivering this. 

 

Council, therefore, supports the position of the LGA cross-party Children and Young People’s Board, calling for these powers to be reinstated and calls on all Members to continue to lobby Government to give Local Authorities the power to build and open new community schools and to provide meaningful funding to allow this to take place.”

 

Full motion will then read:

 

“This Council believes that every child in the city should be able to go to a good local school.

 

The progress made by schools across Leeds means that the number of primary schools judged to be Good or Outstanding is now at 90.1% putting Leeds top in the Yorkshire and Humber region.  However, ensuring that we have the appropriate number of school places in the areas where they are needed is an issue we continue to address.

 

We have already seen great progress in tackling this challenge by proactively creating an additional 1273 places since 2010, we must continue this momentum to meet the need in future years.

 

Council has recognised that basic need is an issue that requires a corporate response and a cross-Council approach.  This recognition is underlined by both the Cross-Party Basic Need Group which has been in place since 2012 and the Cross-Directorate Basic Need Steering Group led by the Deputy Chief Executive.

 

We acknowledge that it took longer this year to resolve difficulties for some parents and understand the concern this has caused families.  We believe that this illustrates the scale of the basic need challenge facing the city. 

 

We welcome the steps taken to secure more school places in the areas affected, both before and after offer day and thank all schools for working with us to address this challenge and we look forward to continuing this positive dialogue in the future.

 

Council recognises the complexity of the basic need issue and believes it is exacerbated by Government legislation removing the ability of local authorities to open new community schools, separating local authorities from the process of opening free schools and failing to provide funding for the acquisition of land and buildings to be used for educational purposes.

 

We recognise the desire of many parents who wish to send their children to a local authority run community school and the constraints that the current national policy has on delivering this. 

 

Council, therefore, supports the position of the LGA cross-party Children and Young People’s Board, calling for these powers to be reinstated and calls on all Members to continue to lobby Government to give Local Authorities the power to build and open new community schools and to provide meaningful funding to allow this to take place.”

 

The amendment in the name of Councillor J Bentley was declared lost.

 

The amendment in the name of Councillor Yeadon was carried and upon being put to the vote, it was

 

RESOLVED - That this Council believes that every child in the city should be able to go to a good local school.

 

The progress made by schools across Leeds means that the number of primary schools judged to be Good or Outstanding is now at 90.1% putting Leeds top in the Yorkshire and Humber region.  However, ensuring that we have the appropriate number of school places in the areas where they are needed is an issue we continue to address.

 

We have already seen great progress in tackling this challenge by proactively creating an additional 1273 places since 2010, we must continue this momentum to meet the need in future years.

 

Council has recognised that basic need is an issue that requires a corporate response and a cross-Council approach.  This recognition is underlined by both the Cross-Party Basic Need Group which has been in place since 2012 and the Cross-Directorate Basic Need Steering Group led by the Deputy Chief Executive.

 

We acknowledge that it took longer this year to resolve difficulties for some parents and understand the concern this has caused families.  We believe that this illustrates the scale of the basic need challenge facing the city. 

 

We welcome the steps taken to secure more school places in the areas affected, both before and after offer day and thank all schools for working with us to address this challenge and we look forward to continuing this positive dialogue in the future.

 

Council recognises the complexity of the basic need issue and believes it is exacerbated by Government legislation removing the ability of local authorities to open new community schools, separating local authorities from the process of opening free schools and failing to provide funding for the acquisition of land and buildings to be used for educational purposes.

 

We recognise the desire of many parents who wish to send their children to a local authority run community school and the constraints that the current national policy has on delivering this. 

 

Council, therefore, supports the position of the LGA cross-party Children and Young People’s Board, calling for these powers to be reinstated and calls on all Members to continue to lobby Government to give Local Authorities the power to build and open new community schools and to provide meaningful funding to allow this to take place.”