Skip to main content
Business - Renfrewshire Council
You are in Meetings

Meeting Details

Education and Children's Services Policy Board
31 Oct 2019 - 13:00 to 14:00
  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests

Documents

Agenda

Agenda
Standard Items
Further Information

This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. 

A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx

For further information, please either email
democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk or telephone 0141 618 7112.

Members of the Press and Public
Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting.
Chair
Councillor Paterson, Convener, presided.
In Attendance
S Quinn, Director of Children’s Services; J Trainer, Head of Childcare & Criminal Justice, L McAllister, Acting Head of Early Years & Broad General Education and G McKinlay, Head of Schools (all Children’s Services); and G McLachlan, Senior Finance Manager, R Devine, Senior Committee Services Officer and N O’Brien, Assistant Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources).
Declaration of Interest
Councillor Graham having previously declared an interest in the following item, remained in the meeting.
Section 1 Heading
Items of Business
Section 1
Apologies
Apologies from members.

Councillors Kennedy and Kerr.




Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest.
Councillor Graham declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 9 (Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2019/22: Mid-Year Monitoring Report) as he was a volunteer with Barnardos and indicated his intention to remain in the meeting but to take no part in any discussion or voting on the matter.
Section 2 Heading
BUDGET MONITORING REPORTS
Section 2
Joint report by Director of Finance & Resources and Director of Children's Services.

1
There was submitted a joint Revenue Budget Monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Children's Services for the Service to 13 September 2019.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.
Joint report by Director of Finance & Resources and Director of Children's Services.
2
There was submitted a joint Capital Budget Monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Children’s Services for the Service to 13 September 2019.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.
Section 3 Heading
EDUCATION
Section 3
Report by Director of Children's Services.

3
Under reference to Item 1 of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 22 August 2019 there was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services providing an update on the progress of the 1140 expansion in early learning and childcare.

The report advised of action taken, to date, which included the development of an expansion plan, the allocation of Scottish Government funding and infrastructure developments to support the expansion.  Renfrewshire’s plan continued to ensure a mix of provision which included local authority, independent and third sector providers, including child minders, across geographical areas.  An interim framework arrangement was in place for the period August 2019 to August 2020, with the option of a further year, enabling approved providers in the independent and third sector to continue as partners in the delivery of funded early learning and childcare.  Discussions were ongoing in relation to future commissioning arrangements to reflect recent guidance from Scotland Excel and the Scottish Government model of the ‘funding follows the child’, a key aspect of which would be a National Standard that all providers wishing to deliver funded entitlement would have to meet.  The risks in delivering the 1140 expansion were outlined in the report together with actions being taken by the Council to manage those risks which included the recruitment of qualified staff and supporting the sustainability of independent and third sector providers.  The report also detailed the options offered to parents for the provision of early learning and childcare.






It was proposed that arrangements be made to circulate to members of the Policy Board (i) a breakdown of the overall provision of the 1140 expansion of early learning and childcare being delivered by the independent and third sectors and referred to in paragraph 3.6 of the report; (ii) the number of children currently receiving 1140 hours of early learning and childcare as a percentage of those eligible; and (iii) the number of children from SIMD areas currently receiving 1140 hours of early learning and childcare as a percentage of those eligible.  This was agreed.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the progress made, to date, in the 1140 expansion of early learning and childcare be noted;

(b)  That continued engagement with approved providers to explore options for the allocation of additional funding to support them in the transition towards 1140 expansion be approved; and

(c)  That arrangements be made to circulate to members of the Policy Board (i) a breakdown of the overall provision of the 1140 expansion of early learning and childcare being delivered by the independent and third sectors and referred to in paragraph 3.6 of the report; (ii) the number of children currently receiving 1140 hours of early learning and childcare as a percentage of those eligible; and (iii) the number of children from SIMD areas currently receiving 1140 hours of early learning and childcare as a percentage of those eligible.
Report by Director of Children's Services.

4
There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to Renfrewshire schools’ attainment in the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examinations in 2019.

The report intimated that schools had been engaging with a performance evaluation tool, Insight, which was provided to schools and education authorities by the Scottish Government as a way of benchmarking performance in relation to four key measures: attainment in literacy and numeracy; improving attainment for all; attainment versus deprivation; and leavers’ destinations.

The report also provided data on the first three of these four measures for years S4, S5 and S6 in relation to the last three years and set this data against Renfrewshire’s comparator authorities. It was highlighted that information in connection with leavers’ destinations would be available during February 2020 and would be included within the report to be submitted and considered by this Policy Board in spring 2020.

DECIDED:

(a)  That the report be noted;

(b)  That the efforts of pupils and the school communities in bringing about these results be noted; and

(c)  That it be agreed that a further report be submitted to this Policy Board in spring 2020.
Report by Director of Children's Services.

5
There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to progress achieved in relation to the Scottish Government’s three long-term outcomes to improve learning and teaching; improve health and well-being; and to close the poverty-related attainment gap.

The report intimated that, following an authority inspection in October 2018, Education Scotland had concluded that the Council had made excellent progress in improving learning, raising attainment and closing the poverty-related attainment gap.  Work-streams continued to deliver high quality, evidence-based approaches and interventions which had a positive impact on the teaching of literacy and numeracy and the health and wellbeing of Renfrewshire pupils, with continued focus on the sustainability of the programme.

DECIDED:  That the report be noted.
Report by Director of Children's Services.

6
There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the inspection, by Education Scotland, of Langbank Primary School.

The report intimated that the purpose of the inspection was to evaluate the quality of education, focussing on two quality indicators: learning, teaching and assessment; and raising attainment and achievement.  The outcome of the inspection had been very positive, with an evaluation of ‘good’ for learning, teaching and assessment and an evaluation of ‘very good’ for raising attainment and achievement.  The letter to parents, appended to the report, identified three key strengths and two areas for improvement.  Children’s Services would continue to monitor the improvement in the school and the inspection report would be used by the school and Service to support and develop the quality of educational provision.

DECIDED:  That the key strengths and the areas for improvement in the Education Scotland report on Langbank Primary School be noted.
Report by Director of Children's Services.




7
Under reference to Item 6 of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 14 March 2019, there was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to proposals to amend school holiday arrangements for school session 2020/2021.






The report advised that there had been an administrative error in the approved 2020/2021 school holiday options previously considered.  The approved option for 2020/2021 had teachers returning on Tuesday, 11 August 2020, which should have been Wednesday, 12 August 2020.  In order to correct this error, it was proposed that the end of May 2021 holiday be reduced to a 1-day break instead of the approved 2-day break, as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report.

DECIDED:  That the Director of Children’s Services be authorised to amend the school holiday options for 2020/2021 as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report.
Report by Director of Children's Services.

8
Under reference to Item 3 of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 23 May 2019, there was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the proposal to consult on a catchment review affecting Kilbarchan and East Fulton Primary Schools; Kilbarchan and Woodlands Primary Schools; St Margaret’s and Our Lady of Peace Primary Schools; and Johnstone and Linwood High Schools.

The proposed consultations, which were being requested in terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, were required due to new housing developments within the area.  The report advised that the initial proposal had been to undertake a statutory consultation on a catchment review affecting Kilbarchan and East Fulton Primary Schools.  However, further assessment in the area identified a requirement to consider the additional catchment reviews detailed above.

A ‘procedures for consultation’ and consultation document created for each of the undernoted proposals were attached as appendices to the report:

(i)   Proposal 1: to revise catchment arrangements affecting Kilbarchan and East Fulton Primary Schools (Appendix 1);

(ii)  Proposal 2: to revise catchment arrangements affecting Kilbarchan and Woodlands Primary Schools (Appendix 2);

(iii)  Proposal 3: to revise catchment arrangements affecting St Margaret’s and Our Lady of Peace Primary Schools (Appendix 3); and

(iv)  Proposal 4: to revise catchment arrangements affecting Johnstone and Linwood High Schools (Appendix 4).

Subject to the necessary agreements, it was anticipated that the new catchment arrangements would take effect from August 2021.







DECIDED:

(a)  That the consultation procedures and documents relating to the undernoted proposals and attached as appendices to the report, be approved:

(i)   Proposal 1: to revise catchment arrangements affecting Kilbarchan and East Fulton Primary Schools (Appendix 1);

(ii)  Proposal 2: to revise catchment arrangements affecting Kilbarchan and Woodlands Primary Schools (Appendix 2);

(iii)  Proposal 3: to revise catchment arrangements affecting St Margaret’s and Our Lady of Peace Primary Schools (Appendix 3); and

(iv)  Proposal 4: to revise catchment arrangements affecting Johnstone and Linwood High Schools (Appendix 4); and

(b)  That a report on the outcome of the consultations be submitted to the meeting of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board to be held on 21 May 2020.
Section 4 Heading
PERFORMANCE PLANNING
Section 4
Report by Director of Children's Services.

9
Under reference to Item 8 of the Minute of the meeting of this Board held on 14 March 2019, there was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan, highlighting performance over the period 1 April to 30 September 2019.

The report outlined the key achievements of the Service, detailed future priorities and provided an update on progress to implement the action plan.  A copy of the Children’s Services: Service Improvement Plan 2019/22 Mid-year report; 2019/22 Performance Scorecard; and 2019/22 Financial Year Scorecard were appended to the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted;

(b) That the progress made on service performance be noted;

(c) That the progress made on actions and performance in the action plan be noted;

(d) That it be noted that an out-turn report would be submitted to this Policy Board in spring 2020; and

(e) That it be noted that this mid-year report had also been submitted to the Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board in respect of the actions relating to criminal justice social work.
Report by Director of Children's Services.

10
There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the development of Renfrewshire’s Education Standards & Quality Report for September 2019 and Education Improvement Plan 2019/20, copies of which were appended to the report.

Both the Report and Plan aligned to the National Improvement Framework (NIF) for Scottish Education.  Self-evaluation information and a wide range of data had been used to report on the progress and impact of local improvement during 2019/20.  The Plan contained four improvement priorities which were to: develop high quality learning and teaching that led to improved levels of attainment and achievement in all establishments; reduce inequalities and deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for children; develop high quality leadership to promote empowerment at all levels; and improve employability skills and support all of our young people to enter positive and sustained destinations.

It was proposed that arrangements be made to circulate to members of the Policy Board, details of local schools where Place2Be counselling services were provided and an invitation extended to all elected members to view the available services.  This was agreed.

DECIDED:

(a) That arrangements be made to circulate to members of the Policy Board details of local schools where Place2Be counselling services were provided;

(b)  That it be noted that an invitation had been extended to all elected members to view the available services; and

(c) That otherwise the report be noted.
Report by Director of Children's Services.
11
There was submitted a report relative to the West Partnership Regional Improvement Plan 2019/22 (the Plan), a copy of which was appended to the report.

The report stated that the Plan set out the structure, governance and vision of the Partnership and provided detailed action plans for each of the Partnership's workstreams of: Collaborative Learning Networks; Families and Communities; Curriculum; Health and Wellbeing; Leadership; Systems Improvement; Evaluating and Reporting; and Career Long Professional Learning. 


It was highlighted that the Improvement Plan had been approved at the meeting of the Glasgow City Region Education Committee held on 27 August 2019 and had also been submitted to Education Scotland.  An evaluation of the Regional Improvement Plan was attached as Appendix 2 to the report.

DECIDED:  That the West Partnership Regional Improvement Plan and evaluation be noted.
Section 5 Heading
Section 5
Section 6 Heading
Section 6
Section 7 Heading
Section 7
Section 8 Heading
Section 8

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
Councillor Neill Graham9Councilllor is a volunteer with BarnardosNon-PecuniaryRemained in the meeting but took no part in the discussion or voting thereon

Visitors

Visitor Information is not yet available for this meeting