Committees
A meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 18 September 2008 at 10.30 am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
Business
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Successes
Recent successes in the Education, Culture and Sport Service will be tabled at the meeting.
3. Revenue Budget 2008/09 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-40-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sets out the Revenue Budget monitoring position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008.
The Committee is asked to note the budget pressures and the corrective actions identified to address them.
4. Capital Expenditure 2008/09 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-41-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing detail of the net expenditure position for the period 1 April 2008 to 31 July 2008 and which includes projected year-end estimates based upon the Education, Culture and Sport Service approved Capital programme. It also includes information on Public Private Partnership Contracts and Schools curricular equipment purchases and identifies a projected underspend of £827,000.
The Committee is invited to note the capital expenditure outturn position and revised budgets and approve the implementation of the proposed Major Fabric Improvement projects in order to manage potential slippage within the overall Education, Culture and Sport programme.
5. Fourth Employee Survey – Interim Report
There is circulated Report No ECS-42-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing Members with an interim report on the Education, Culture and Sport Service response to the fourth employee survey carried out over November and December 2007.
The Committee is asked to:-
i. note the Corporate improvements with the Employee Survey; and
ii. agree the proposals for developing Education, Culture and Sport Service
specific improvements as outlined in the report.
6. Initial Report on Scottish Qualifications Authority Examinations
Performance
There is circulated Report No ECS-43-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport outlining key information arising from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examination diet of 2008. At this stage results are subject to alteration following appeals and other modifications of data.
The Committee is asked to note the outcomes of the SQA examinations.
7. Class Size Reduction P1 to P3 - Progress Report
There is circulated Report No ECS-44-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing Members with a progress report on the implementation of the Scottish Government’s policy to reduce maximum class sizes to 18 in P1 to P3. A further update will be reported to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee meeting on 13 November 2008 when all relevant information has been gathered at which time there will be a detailed implementation plan for Members to consider.
The Committee is asked to note:-
i. the progress made to date in implementing class size reduction to 18 in P1
to P3 inclusive in all Primary Schools; and
ii. the commitment to bring a more detailed report to the Education, Culture
and Sport Committee outlining indicative costs for full implementation and
an implementation timetable.
8. Safeguarding Rural Schools – Consultative Document
There is circulated Report No ECS-45-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport inviting Members to consider a draft response to the Scottish Government consultative document on the proposed changes in legislation to safeguard rural schools and also to improve school consultation procedures.
The Committee is invited to consider the draft response to the Scottish Government’s proposed changes in legislation to safeguard rural schools and to improve school consultation procedures so that a final response can be submitted by 19 September 2008.
9. Progress Report - “Your Choice to Healthy Living” Initiative
There is circulated Report No ECS-46-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members on the progress of the Your Choice to Healthy Living initiative and the newly revised Your Choice Implementation Plan.
The Committee is invited to note the progress of the Your Choice to Healthy Living Initiative.
10. Implementation of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition)
(Scotland) Act 2007
There is circulated Report No ECS-47-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport updating Members of the planned implementation of the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act and informing them of the successful progress in increasing uptake of school meals in Highland.
The Committee is invited to note the significant increase in school meal uptake since 2000/01 to date and to agree:-
i. to apply the provisions of the Act in all Highland school campuses from
January 2009; and
ii. a further investigation into local circumstances and bye laws on the location
of campus mobile food and drink retailers in the vicinity of schools.
11. Trialling and Consultation on Curriculum for Excellence Health and
Wellbeing
The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee is one of seven authorities in Scotland officially trialling the Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing Outcomes and Experiences. In this connection, there is circulated Report No ECS-48-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport setting out the approach being taken in Highland to ensure that partners and stakeholders have an opportunity to engage in the process.
The Committee is invited to note the trialling in Highland schools of the Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing Outcomes and Experiences and to agree a further report on the results of the trialling be submitted to the next Education, Culture and Sport Committee on 13 November 2008.
12. Development of a Highland Lifestyle Survey
There is circulated Report No ECS-49-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members that a proposed Highland Lifestyle Survey has been developed by a multi-agency steering group over the last year for pupils in P7, S2 and S4. The Steering Group is now at a stage to implement the survey on a bi-annual basis and is seeking approval to proceed. The main purpose of the survey is to provide data to assess performance against key outcomes in the For Highland’s Children’s Plan.
The Committee is invited to approve the questionnaire for implementation as a bi-annual survey for pupils in P7, S2 and S4.
13. Fit for Girls
There is circulated Report No ECS-50-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members that the Youth Sport Trust, sportscotland and the Scottish Government have made funding available to the Council to raise awareness of girls issues in sport by providing advice, funding and support to Physical Education Teachers, Active Schools Co-ordinators and other Education, Culture and Sport staff to improve girls participation in Physical Education, physical activity and sport.
The Committee is invited to agree:-
i. to accept the offer of funding and training from the Youth Sport Trust;
and
ii. the steps to be taken to roll out training to Physical Education staff, Active
School Co-ordinators and other Education, Culture and Sport Service staff.
14. Review of Administrative and Clerical Support Staff
There is circulated Report No ECS-51-08 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing Members with a progress report on the review of administrative and clerical support staff across the Education, Culture and Sport Service including the outcomes of the information gathering phase and details of the design and implementation phases that will be undertaken over the next 6 to 12 months.
The Committee is invited to note:-
i. the progress made with the review of administrative and clerical support
staff; and
ii. that further progress reports will be brought to Members throughout the
period of the review
15. Minutes of Meetings
There are circulated the following Minutes of Meetings:-
i. Sport and Activity Working Group held on13 August 2008 (for approval);
ii. Education Transport Appeals held on 13 August 2008 (for noting); and
iii. Duncraig Trust Scheme Sub Committee held on 3 September 2008 (for
noting).