There was submitted a joint revenue and capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources and the Director of Children's Services for the period to 13 September 2024.

The report intimated that the projected revenue outturn at 31 March 2025 for Children’s Services was an overspend of £0.659 million (0.9%) against the revised budget for the year. The projected capital outturn at 31 March 2025 for Children’s Services was a breakeven position. A number of revenue and capital budget adjustments were detailed at sections 6 and 7 of the report respectively.

 DECIDED:

(a) That the projected revenue outturn position for Children’s Services, detailed in Table 1 of the report be noted;

(b) That the projected capital outturn position for Children’s Services, detailed in Table 2 of the report, be noted; and

(c) That the budget adjustments, detailed in sections 6 and 7 of the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the proposed school holidays for the 2025/26 school session. A table detailing the proposed holiday schedule was attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

The report advised that consultation had taken place with staff, parent councils, pupil councils and teaching and other trade unions on the proposal and that the recommended arrangements were the best possible match to those being considered by neighbouring councils given the varying fair holiday arrangements.

DECIDED: That the Director of Children's Services be authorised to set school holiday arrangements for academic year 2025/26 in line with the table set out at Appendix 1 of the report.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to Renfrewshire’s annual Education Standards & Quality Report (September 2024) and Education Improvement Plan (2024/25) which were set out at Appendices 1 and 2 of the report respectively.

The report advised that both the Education Standards & Quality Report and Education Improvement Plan aligned to the National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education and set out the data inputs which were used to produce the content and assess progress of the priorities for 2023/24 and to identify the priorities for improvement for the period 2024/25.

The report made reference to the six priority areas for 2024/25 and set out the portfolio planning approach which would be used to help achieve these. Further detail on each priority was included in the appended Education Improvement Plan.

DECIDED: That the content of the Education Standards & Quality Report (September
2024), as set out at Appendix 1 of the report, and Education Improvement Plan (2024/25), set out at Appendix 2 of the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the performance of Children's Services against the Service Improvement Plan. The Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2024/25 Six-monthly progress update was attached as Appendix 1 of the report.

The report stated that the Service Improvement Plan 2024/27 for Children's Services, approved at the meeting of this Policy Board held on 23 May 2024, set out the priorities for the development of the service over a three year period, the actions which would ensure continuous improvement across the service and the performance indicators which ensured the impacts could be measured. The report provided details of the key achievements of the service during the reporting period; a progress update on implementing the action plan linked to the Service Improvement Plan; an assessment of performance in relation to the service scorecard of core performance indicators; and an overview of priorities for the service over the next six months.

DECIDED:

(a) That the content of the report be noted; and

(b) That the achievements of Children’s Services during the first six months of 2024/25 which fell within the remit of this Policy Board be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to attainment in the Scottish Qualification Authority National Qualifications in 2024 based on key measures contained within the Insight benchmarking tool.

The report detailed how the Insight benchmarking tool was used by schools and education authorities and the four key measures which were used to analyse attainment. A summary was provided for each key measure at S4, S5 and S6 together with comparisons to national averages.

DECIDED:

(a) That the content of the report be noted;

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

(c) That it be agreed that a further report be submitted to a future meeting of this Policy Board when leavers data became available.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the provision of early learning and childcare (ELC) within Renfrewshire.

The report set out the Council's duty under the Scottish Government's legislation to provide the entitlement of 1140 hours of free ELC for all children aged three and four, and also for some eligible two-year-olds, and provided an update on the current position which saw a lower than expected number of eligible children as well a lower rate of both local and national uptake.  Accordingly, the Scottish Government had adjusted the funding approach for funded ELC by replacing the specific annual grant funding with an annual core quantum funding based on the numbers of eligible children.

Approval was sought to engage with parents and carers on future delivery models of ELC provision for establishments in the Renfrewshire Council area and to undertake a review of wraparound fee rates with a view to submitting a report on proposals for future provision to the meeting of this Policy Board scheduled to be held on 16 January 2025.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the proposed engagement with parents and carers with the purpose of informing a further report to be submitted to the meeting of this Policy Board scheduled to be held on 16 January 2025 on Early Learning and Childcare provision in Renfrewshire Council establishments be approved; and

(b) That a review of wraparound fee rates in Renfrewshire Council Early Learning and Childcare establishments, as outlined in Section 6 of the report, be agreed.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the development of a full-estate pupil projection model, in conjunction with Edge Analytics, which set out expected pupil numbers across Renfrewshire for the next 10-year period.

The report referenced the Council's Learning Estate Strategy, approved at the meeting of this Policy Board held on 22 August 2024, and advised that a full-estate pupil projection model which spanned the next 10-year period was required to help shape this. The model offered an estimate of the number of pupils expected to attend each of Renfrewshire’s primary and secondary mainstream schools, taking into account a number of key factors as detailed within the report.

The findings from the projections were outlined, together with an analysis of the implications and next steps for the schools where future capacity planning interventions would require to be considered. The report provided an explanation of the approach taken and key components which supported the construction of the roll-projection model, as well as supporting detail to outline bespoke adjustments that had been made by Edge Analytics to align the model to a Council wide school estate approach.

DECIDED:

(a) That the content of the report, including the final 10-year roll-projection estimates for each of Renfrewshire’s primary and secondary mainstream schools, be noted;

(b) That the approach being taken to assess all schools identified in the report as requiring future capacity planning to be undertaken, and the planned next steps for each, be noted;

(c) That it be noted that the recently approved Learning Estate Strategy approach would be used to provide a strategic framework to progress planning for any long term and permanent intervention considerations for the estate; and

(d) That the information provided on the approach and key components used to create the roll-projection model, including the detail about the specific model created for Renfrewshire’s mainstream school estate by the Council’s commissioned partner, Edge Analytics, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to progress made towards the projects contained within the Learning Estate Programme.

The report provided an update on the delivery of seven projects contained in the programme: Paisley Grammar School Community Campus; Park Mains High School extension and internal alterations; new Dargavel Primary School; Thorn Primary School new build; Dargavel Primary School internal alterations; Bishopton Primary School classroom block; and Castlehead High School roof strengthening works. Detail on progress with each of these projects was set out in the body of the report and it was noted that they all continued to progress in line with agreed timescales and scope of delivery.

DECIDED:

(a) That the content of the report be noted; and

(b) That the plans to upgrade the sports pitch at Dargavel Primary School to 3G astro turf to support school and community use be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the results of an inspection of Ralston Primary School and Early Learning & Childcare Class carried out by Education Scotland. A letter sent by Education Scotland to the parents and carers of pupils detailing the outcome of the inspection was attached as Appendix 1 of the report.

The report advised that an inspection of Ralston Primary School and Early Learning & Childcare Class had been carried out by Education Scotland in May 2024 with a focus on two quality indicators, learning, teaching and assessment; and leadership of change. Both inspection areas were evaluated as 'Very Good' for the school and 'Good' for the Early Learning & Child Care Class. The inspection report was appended to the report and detailed four areas of key strength and two areas for further improvement.

DECIDED: That the key strengths highlighted in the Education Scotland inspection report on Ralston Primary School and Early Learning & Child Care Class be noted and celebrated and that the areas for further improvement be recognised.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the Care Inspectorate's joint inspections of services for children and young people at risk of harm in the Renfrewshire community planning partnership area.

The report advised that the Care Inspectorate's joint inspection commenced on 8 April 2024 and concluded 18 September 2024, covered the range of partners in the area that had a role in meeting the needs of children and young people at risk of harm and their families and considered the period 8 April 2022 to 8 April 2024. Detail of the inspection methodology was provided in the report together with a link to the full joint inspection report which detailed the findings and was published on 22 October 2024.

The joint inspection team awarded Renfrewshire a grade of 'Very Good' for quality indicator 2.1, which related to how children at risk of harm: feel valued, loved, fulfilled and secure; feel listened to, understood and respected; experience sincere human contact and enduring relationships; and get the best start in life, and found that there were major strengths with very few areas for improvement.

DECIDED: That the publication of the report of a joint inspection of services for children and young people at risk of harm in Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership and the very good evaluation for quality indicator 2.1 be noted.