Issue - meetings

To consider the joint report of the Director of Children’s Services, the Deputy Chief Executive and the Director of City Development presenting an update on the three year strategy for providing sufficient school places in the city, an update on progress of the projects currently forming part of the Learning Places Programme, seeking approval for further authority to spend on the programme, along with an update on applications made and approved for access to the programme risk fund.

Further to Minute No. 187, 22^nd April 2015, the Director of Children’s Services, the Deputy Chief Executive and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report presenting an update on the three year strategy for providing sufficient school places in the city, and also on the progress made in respect of the projects currently forming part of the Learning Places Programme. In addition, the report sought the Board’s approval for further authority to spend on the programme, and provided an update on the applications submitted and approved for access to the programme risk fund.

Prior to the meeting, Board Members had been provided with an updated version of appendix B to the submitted report, for their consideration, which superseded the version contained within the original agenda papers.

Responding to a Member’s enquiry, the Board received an update on the outcomes of the research undertaken by Leeds Beckett University regarding the relationship between the size of a school and the educational outcomes, and it was undertaken that full details would be provided to the Member in question.

The Board also received an update on the continued work of the cross-party steering group, with emphasis being placed upon the Council’s commitment to continue such work on a cross-party basis.

In discussing the approach being taken by the Council in respect of the Learning Places Programme, it was highlighted that although all available options would be considered as part of the strategy to ensure there were sufficient good quality learning places in Leeds, the key priority was to ensure that the specific needs of the local community were met.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That additional authority to spend on the Learning Places programme for the Roundhay scheme, with a value of £13m, be approved, which resets the overall approval of the schemes currently in the programme to £56.355m;

(b)  That approval be given for the balance of the programme risk fund to be reset to £5.635m, in order to facilitate effective risk management at programme level;

(c)  That approval be given for any savings made on applications to the programme risk fund being returned to the risk fund in order to support the continued management of programme risks;

(d)  That the scale of identified need at primary level, and the indicative financial implications of £146m, be noted;

(e)  That the projected funding deficit which currently stands at £69.5m and is based on Education Funding Agency (EFA) rates, be noted, and that it also be noted that this figure is likely to increase due to a number of factors, as set out in paragraph 4.4.5 of the submitted report;

(f)  That it be noted that the Head of Learning Systems continues to have client responsibility for the programme, and that the Chief Officer, Projects, Programmes and Procurement Unit continues to be responsible for the delivery of the projects in the Learning Places programme.