Committees

A meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 21 May 2009 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 2009/10 - Monitoring

There is circulated Report No ECS-14-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sets out the Revenue Budget monitoring position for the period 1 April 2009 to 30 April 2009 and the progress to date with the achievement of the residual 2008/09 and 2009/10 savings targets.

The Committee is asked to note:-

i. the potential budget pressures identified in the report; and
ii. the progress to date with the achievement of the residual 2008/09 and
2009/10 savings targets.

4. Capital Expenditure 2009/10 - Monitoring

There is circulated Report No ECS-15-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport setting out the current position of the 2009/10 Capital Programme as at 30 April 2009 pending the closing of the 2008/09 year end capital accounts.

The Committee is invited to note the report.

5. Maryburgh and Conon Bridge Primary Schools – Options Appraisal

There is circulated Report No ECS-16-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing details on the option appraisal exercise carried out by Caledonian Economics Limited in relation to the future provision of Pre School and Primary School education in Conon Bridge and Maryburgh.

The Committee is invited to agree that, on the basis of the findings contained within the options appraisal report produced by Caledonian Economics Limited, a new amalgamated school for the communities of Conon Bridge and Maryburgh is built on the site of the existing Conon Bridge Primary School as agreed by the Highland Council in 2005 following statutory consultation.

6. Development of the Education, Culture and Sport Estate Strategy

There is circulated Report No ECS-17-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport outlining a proposal for taking forward the future development of the Education, Culture and Sport (ECS) Estate on an integrated basis taking into account both educational and community requirements and providing a rationale for investment in the medium to long term.

The Committee is invited to agree that:-

i.   the next phase of the Education, Culture and Sport Estate Strategy
     focuses on reporting options for co-located educational and community
     facilities within the larger centres of population with the initial focus on the
     Greater Fort William area, followed by Wick, Thurso, Golspie, Tain,
     Invergordon and Alness;
ii.   the decision making process is informed by the creation of a transferable
     options appraisal template that will be produced in partnership with
     external partners during the Greater Fort William project;
iii. the options appraisal timetable as outlined in the report;
iv. the creation of a procurement framework to identify an external partner
     to provide “light touch” support for the future option appraisals identified
     in the report;
v.  a further report be brought to the Education, Culture and Sport
     Committee to seek approval for the template and methodologies created
     during the Greater Fort William review to be adopted for future options
     appraisals taking into account future legislative requirements deriving from
     the current Schools Consultation Bill; and
vi. the timescale for investment be determined by the availability of the
     funding required.

7. Primary Gaelic Medium Provision in the Glenurquhart Area

Arising from requests from parents, the Director of Education, Culture and Sport recommends that, in terms of the Council’s agreed procedures, a consultation process should commence on providing Gaelic Medium Education in the Glen Urquhart area.

The Committee is invited to agree:-

i. that a consultation be undertaken on the provision of Gaelic Medium
    Education at Glen Urquhart Primary School; and
ii. in order that locally based consultation can commence, consultation papers
    be drawn up by the Director in consultation with the Chairman and Vice
    Chairman of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee.

8. Review of Administrative and Clerical Support Staff

There is circulated Report No ECS-18-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing details of the redesign and implementation phase of the Education, Culture and Sport administrative and clerical review across the Education, Culture and Sport Service.

The Committee is invited to agree the redesign and implementation phases of Education, Culture and Sport administrative and clerical support staff which will result in the creation of new support structures across the Education, Culture and Sport Service.

9. Standards and Quality Report 2008/09

There is circulated Report No ECS-19-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport providing an overview of the progress which the Education, Culture and Sport Service has made in achieving its outcomes and improving the Standard and Quality of Education Provision. The report is structured around the current Education, Culture and Sport Service Plan and, in respect of the Service Plan, Service and school self-evaluation, covers the period from the last report in May 2008 up to the present. The section on attainment of schools relates primarily to school session 2007/08.

A copy of the Standards and Quality Report is circulated separately as Booklet A

The Committee is invited to note the content of the report and to agree:-

i. the action proposed to seek further improvement in the key identified
    areas; and
ii. that copies of the Standards and Quality Report be distributed to Parent
    Councils, schools and libraries and placed on the Council’s website for
    information.

10. Draft Education, Culture and Sport Service Plan 2009-2011

There is circulated Report No ECS-20-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport outlining the proposed objectives and supporting actions which will deliver the Council’s Programme and the statutory and core functions of the Service for the period 2009-2011.

A copy of the Draft Education, Culture and Sport Service Plan 2009-2011 is circulated separately as Booklet B.

(Due to the document size it is not possible to add it to the website but you can request either a paper or CD copy by contacting tel: 01463 702132)

The Committee is invited to agree the Draft Education, Culture and Sport Service Plan for 2009-2011.

11. Curriculum for Excellence Update

There is circulated Report No ECS-21-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport on progress regarding the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence which represents the most radical educational reform in Scotland for a generation and has major implications in learning and teaching, the curriculum, assessment and qualifications and the continuing professional development of staff.

In commenting on the service implementation strategy, the Committee is invited to:-

i. note the report; and
ii. agree to further reports as appropriate.

12. Funding of Additional Support for Learners

There is circulated Report No ECS-22-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport setting out the legislative and policy background to the Council’s provision of Additional Support for Learners. It also gives an overview of the budget and describes the factors which drive the allocation of resources and the work done to date to ensure that resources are appropriately targeted and managed. In addition, in relation to the savings identified from Additional Support for Learners budgets, it presents information about how the savings measures which were expected to have least impact were identified, what savings have been implemented and what the impact of these savings measures is now thought to have been.

The Committee is invited to agree:-

i. ongoing consultation with stakeholder groups about the pressures on
    additional support for learning provision;
ii. a major commitment to build on implementation of Getting It Right For
    Every Child through a review of existing policy and further training on
    additional support for learning with schools and partner agencies; and
iii. to use the standard integrated assessment framework to quantify,
    aggregate and analyse trends regarding the number of children who
    require additional support through education plans and multi-agency plans
    in future years.

13. Proposed Arts Partnerships

There is circulated Report No ECS-23-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members of two proposed partnerships with arts organisations, Eden Court Theatre and the Society of Badenoch and Strathspey Artists, both aiming to create increased arts provision.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   note the award of £590,000 to Eden Court for the “Body Currents”
     project;
ii. agree to formalise a partnership with Eden Court and the Plan B dance
     company to deliver the project to maximum community benefit; and
iii. agree, in principle, to enter into a partnership with the Society of
     Badenoch and Strathspey Artists for it to take over management of the
     Iona Gallery, Kingussie, subject to satisfactory negotiation of lease, Service
     Level Agreement and Resources Committee and Scottish Minister’s
     approval of leasing the building at a peppercorn rent.

14. Council Contribution to O4O Project for Older People

There is circulated Report No ECS-24-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport recommending a way forward in delivering the Council’s commitment to the older people for Older People Project.

The Committee is invited agree that the “in kind” support to the value of €109,502 to the O4O project is replaced with a financial contribution split over three financial years, beginning in 2009-10.

15. Highland Culture Programme Update

There is circulated Report No ECS-25-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members of the outcome of the second funding round of the Highland Culture Programme and which recommends implementation of proposed amendments to the programme guidelines and decision making process in advance of the third funding round in August 2009.

The Committee is invited to:-

i.   note the decisions made during round 2 of the Highland Culture
     Programme;
ii.  agree the proposed changes to the Highland Culture Programme
     Guidelines and decision making process to improve both in advance of
     round 3 in August;
iii. agree the core list of major events proposed;
iv. agree the processes proposed to consider approaches for support from
     existing and new major event organisers;
v. agree that Education, Culture and Sport officials undertake the actions
     detailed in the report;
vi. note the progress made thus far in attracting sponsorship from the public
     and commercial sector in support of developing the events and festivals
     calendar of the region; and
vii. note the Council’s participation in investigations into the feasibility for a
      Year of Island Cultures celebration in 2011.