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Prayer
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The Meeting was opened with prayer led by
Rev Andrew W F Coghill.
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MINUTES
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Minute of
Meeting of 30 September 2003
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1
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The Minute of
Meeting of 30 September 2003 was approved.
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FINANCE
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Second Quarter
Revenue Forecast Out-turn 2003/04
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2
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The Director of Finance submitted a
Report relating to the Comhairle’s Forecast Revenue Out-turn 2003/04 at the
end of the second quarter.
It was
agreed to recommend approval of the recommendations detailed in the Report by
the Director of Finance concerning the Second Quarter Revenue Forecast
Out-turn 2003/04, insofar as the Committee’s interests were concerned.
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General Fund Capital Monitoring: 1 April
2003-30 September 2003
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3
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The Director of Finance submitted a
Report relating to changes in the Capital Programme as at 30 September 2003.
It was agreed to recommend approval
of the recommendations detailed in the Report by the Director of Finance
concerning the General Fund Capital Monitoring: 1 April 2003-30 September
2003, insofar as the Committee’s interests were concerned.
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Capital
Programme 2003-2004
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4
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The Director of Finance submitted a Report
relating to slippage in the Capital Programme 2003/2004. It was stated that
in order to maximise the likely level of future loan charge support, capital
consent for 2003/2004 needed to be fully utilised.
It was
agreed to recommend approval of the recommendations detailed in the Report by
the Director of Finance concerning the Capital Programme 2003/2004, insofar
as the Committee’s interests were concerned.
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General Fund Capital Programme 2004-08:
Abbreviated Project Evaluation Reports (APERs)
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5
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The Director of Finance submitted a Report
containing a comprehensive list of the Abbreviated Project Evaluation Reports
(APERs) and sought approval for these to enter the scoring process, prior to
ranking, for inclusion in the 2004-2008 Capital Programme. It was stated
that 105 APERs, totalling £58,668K had been received and categorised as new
projects, New Renovation/Composite Programmes and Existing
Renovation/Composite Programmes.
It was
agreed to recommend approval of the recommendations detailed in the Report by
the Director of Finance concerning the General Fund Capital Programme
2004-2008: Abbreviated Project Evaluation Reports, insofar as the Committee’s
interests were concerned.
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Capital
Programme 2004-08: Existing Renovation/
Composite
Programmes
PR110.03
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6
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The Director of Finance submitted a Report
relating to reduction in line with normal tolerances, in bids for Existing
Renovation/Composite Programmes to £12m for the four years 2004-2008.
It was
agreed to recommend approval of the recommendations detailed in the Report by
the Director of Finance concerning the General Fund Capital Programme
2004-2008: Existing Renovation/Composite Programmes, insofar as the
Committee’s interests were concerned.
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2004/05 Education Service Strategy
E01
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7
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report giving information in relation to the current
position with regard to the 2004/2005 Revenue Estimates for Education
elements of the Education and Children’s Services Committee. The Report
detailed that it was anticipated that there would be three significant budget
changes: the cessation of specific grant funding for New Community Schools,
the extension to the Alternative Cirriculum Education(ACE) project and the
revenue costs of the Harris Sports Centre.
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It was
agreed to recommend that it be noted that the three significant budget
changes, intended as part of the 2004/05 revenue estimates exercise, and the
proposals for new and extended projects (funded by centrally held Education
funds for 2004/05) would be submitted to the February 2004 meeting of the
Committee.
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BUILDINGS
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Programme and Progress
E02
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8
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report concerning the Capital Works
Programme and Progress in relation to Education properties.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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R&M (Revenue) Programme 2003/2004:
Quarterly Expenditure Report to 31 October 2003
E02
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9
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report giving information in relation to
the situation in respect of expenditure on the repairs and maintenance of
properties held on the Education account to the end of October 2003 of the
current financial year.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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It was agreed that the public,
including the press, be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the
following item on the grounds that exempt information as defined in Paragraph
6 of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 would be
disclosed, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs
of any particular person (other than the Comhairle).
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Lochcroistean Old School and Schoolhouse
E02.33.01
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10
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The Director of Education and Acting
Director of Corporate Services submitted a Report giving information on the
offers received following advertisement of Lochcroistean Old School and
Schoolhouse on the open market. The Report stated that three offers had been
received for the property and that the offers gave details of the proposed
uses as well as any other relevant terms of the offer as well as price.
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle accept offer C for Lochcroistean Old
School and Schoolhouse, on such terms and conditions as the Acting Director
of Corporate Services, in consultation with the Director of Education, should
determine.
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Schools Asset Management Strategy
E07
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11
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report informing Members of the requirement to
submit core data on the Comhairle’s Schools Asset Management Strategy to the
Scottish Executive by 31 December 2003. It was stated that the initial costs
of preparing the school data were being met by the Scottish Executive and
appropriate software was being purchased to track and analyse all of the
Comhairle’s assets. A Model Asset Management Plan was appended to the
Report.
It was agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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POLICY
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Outcomes of Education and Children’s
Services Seminar
E07
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12
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The Acting
Director of Corporate Services submitted a Report detailing the policy themes
and outlining the main outcomes from the Education and Children's Services
Seminar held on 4 November 2003. The key themes identified at the Seminar
were detailed in the Appendix to the Report. The Report stated that these
themes would form the basis of the Committee’s policy portfolio for adoption
by the Comhairle for inclusion in the Corporate Strategy 2003-2007.
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle:
(1)
approve that the Education and
Children’s Services policy themes set out in the Appendix to the Report form
the basis of the Committee’s policy proposals for adoption by the Comhairle
for inclusion in the Corporate Strategy 2003-07; and
(2)
approve that the Director of Education
would draw up practicable goals for these policies, where relevant, for
consideration by the Committee to form Key Tasks for completion within the
term of this Comhairle.
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Draft
Corporate Strategy 2003-2008
PR11.40
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13
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The Chief Executive submitted a copy of the
draft Corporate Strategy. It was stated that the CIPFA/SOLACE Guidance
Framework advised that local authorities should maintain effective
arrangements for explicit accountability to stakeholders for the authorities’
performance and its effectiveness in the delivery of services and the
sustainable use of resources. It was further intimated that once the
Corporate Strategy had been approved the Comhairle's Departments would use
the strategic objectives to direct their Business Plans for 2004 – 2007.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Draft Corporate Strategy 2003-2007 be approved,
insofar as the Committee’s interests were concerned, subject to the addition of a further Best Value Strategic Objective
concerning all the Comhairle's buildings.
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EDUCATIONAL
POLICY
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Department of Education Vision and
Mission Statements – Ag Amas air Adhartas/Aiming for Advancement
E01
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14
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report seeking agreement for the Department of
Education’s revised Vision and Mission Statements. Draft revised Vision and
Mission Statements which had been drawn up in consultation with a range of
stakeholders to enable schools and the Education Department to focus on the
legal requirement to raise standards of education were set out in the Report.
It was agreed to recommend that the
draft revised Department of Education’s Vision and Mission Statements as
outlined in Appendix A to the Report be adopted as the basis for the
Comhairle's quality assurance policy and procedure and for inclusion in
communications to key stakeholders in education.
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Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act
2000 – Statement of Local Improvement Objectives 2004/2005
E01
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15
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report seeking Members’ views on the Draft Annual
Statement of Improvement Objectives for the Authority for 2004/05. The
Report detailed that the production of such a statement was a legal
requirement and a draft statement of Improvement Objectives was set out in
Appendix A to the Report.
It was
agreed to recommend that the draft Local Improvement Objectives set out in
Appendix A to the Report be adopted as the basis for the Comhairle's
Statement of Local Improvement Objectives for 2004/2005 subject to
appropriate consultation.
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HMI Inspectorate of Education’s Revised
Arrangements for Follow-through Inspection of Schools: Proportionate
Inspections
E01
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16
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report giving information on the revised
arrangements for follow-through after Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education
(HMIE) core inspections of schools and seeking approval for proposals to incorporate
these arrangements in the Department of Education’s quality assurance policy
and procedures.
The Report indicated that the new approach
was a process designed to focus on improvement and concentrating on areas of
the service where the need was most obvious. The new arrangements would
apply to primary schools immediately and to secondary schools from January
2004.
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle:
(1)
note the follow-through arrangements
after core inspection, and;
(2)
approve the proposals to incorporate
the new arrangements for follow-through in the Department of Education’s
policy and procedures for quality assurance.
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Active Schools Initiative – Project
Initiation Document
E07
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17
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The Director of Education submitted a Report
seeking approval for the submission of a SportsScotland Project Initiation
Document with a view to participating in their Active Schools Initiative.
The Report indicated that National Priority in Education number 3 provided
that schools should take a lead with regard to the health and well-being of
their pupils and the communities in which they live. The SportsScotland
Active Schools Initiative was considered to be one way of assisting schools
to improve activity levels of pupils with a view to improving their health in
later life.
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Department of Education submit a Sports Scotland Project Initiation Document with a view to participating in the Active Schools
Initiative as part of the wider Comhairle initiative to promote health via
the Health Promoting Schools initiative.
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Review of Policy for School
Rationalisation
E01.04.38
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18
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report proposing the Comhairle adopts the policy on
school rationalisation set out in the Report. The Report stated that the
current main policy statement on rationalisation dated from 1997 and provided
the following:
“The Council
has accepted that schools should only close where there is the clear consent
of the community involved. The rationalisation proposed for the Lochs area
of Lewis where a number of old schools were to be closed and a new school
built was a model that the Council should strive for in the future.
Exceptions to this would be situations where the number of pupils had fallen
to single figures or where a school was not germane to any particular
community”.
The Report
proposed that this provision be replaced by the following approach on Primary
provision:
“The
Comhairle's strategy for improvement in Primary Sector Educational Provision
and the elimination of surplus places will be to establish schools on an area
basis through new build and refurbishment as appropriate. Pupils will not be
required to move school until the receiving premises have been completed to
the agreed standard. While the final decision for each area rests with the
Local Authority every effort will be made to win parental approval through
the Statutory Consultation Process.”
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It was
agreed to recommend that the Comhairle:
(1)
adopt the approach set out above as the
policy framework for Primary Sector Provision; and
(2)
note that the Department of Education
will conduct a Best Value Review of the provision of Secondary Education in
Schools from P1 to S2 and report back as soon as possible.
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Sgoil nan Loch: Inclusion Programme
E07
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19
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The Director of Education and Director of
Social Work submitted a Report giving information on inclusion developments
regarding provision for young people with severe and complex special
educational needs. The Report provided details of the current provision for
such young people, a pilot programme at Sgoil nan Loch, progress to date and
potential future developments.
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It was agreed to recommend that the
Report be noted and that the Directors of Education and Social Work provide
quarterly reports detailing progress on inclusion issues.
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It was agreed that the public, including the
press, be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following
item on the grounds that exempt information as defined in Paragraph 8 of
Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 would be disclosed,
namely information relating to the amount of any expenditure proposed to be
incurred by the Comhairle under any particular contract for the acquisition
of property or the supply of goods or services.
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Public Private Partnership: Outline
Business Case Update
E01.04.38
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20
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The Director
of Education submitted a Report informing Members of the current position
regarding the Public Private Partnership for Schools bid for funding from the
Scottish Executive.
It was agreed to recommend
approval of the new build and upgrading strategy detailed in the Report and
remit to the PPP Member/Officer Working Group authority to submit a revised
Outline Business Case to the Scottish Executive.
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RELATED
MATTERS
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20 MPH Limits around Schools and Related
Safety Capital Project 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06
E07
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21
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The Director
of Technical Services submitted a Report advising of the additional resources
made available from the Scottish Executive and proposing expenditure for the
current year and detailing allocations of £93,000 and £91,000 for 2004/05 and
2005/06 respectively. The Report indicated that due to the late notification
of the current year’s allocation it would not be possible to implement any
20mph areas as there was insufficient time to promote a Traffic Regulation
Order and have associated signing in place.
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It was
agreed to recommend that:
(1)
the £43,000 Capital allocation for this
financial year be added to the existing School Traffic Management budget to
enable additional schemes from the list to be progressed with reference to
Lionaclete School, Laxdale School, The Nicolson Institute (Matheson Road) and
the rear of Stornoway Primary;
(2)
a further Report on the priority list
which is to be for all schools for the following two years budgets be
prepared for a future meeting of the Transportation Committee and the
Education and Children’s Services Committee as soon as possible.
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PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
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Reports Outstanding: Progress
PR33.01.12
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22
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The Acting
Director of Corporate Services submitted a Report concerning Reports
Outstanding arising from decisions of the Education Committee.
It was
agreed to recommend that the Report be noted.
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