Committees
A meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 17 September 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 2008/09 Outturn and 2009/10 Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-34-09 dated 21 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sets out the Revenue Budget monitoring position for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 July 2009, highlighting known budget pressures and proposed compensatory savings measures. Details of progress with the achievement of the outstanding budget savings targets for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are also provided as well as details of the 2008/09 year-end financial position for individual schools.
The Committee is asked to:-
i. agree the corrective actions to off-set known budget pressures as detailed
in the report;
ii. agree that progress on recovering the position of schools in deficit be
reported to the Committee during the remainder of this financial year; and
iii. note the progress being made with the outstanding budget savings
targets.
4. Capital Expenditure 2009/10 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-35-09 dated 3 September 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sets out the Capital Programme net expenditure position for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 July 2009 and seeks approval to declare the former Fodderty Primary School and the redundant part of Abernethy Primary School building as surplus to requirements.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. note the capital expenditure monitoring position; and
ii. agree that the former Fodderty Primary School and the redundant building
at Abernethy Primary School be declared surplus to Service requirements.
5. Body Currents Community Dance Project
There is circulated Report No ECS-36-09 dated 31 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport introducing a presentation by the Director of Eden Court Theatre on the partnership project already agreed by Committee involving the Council, the Theatre and the Plan B dance company called “Body Currents”. This Scottish Arts Council funded project will see a number of significant community dance events take place across the Highlands.
The Committee is invited to comment on the presentation and the expected outcomes of the project and otherwise note the previous agreement of the Committee to be a partner in delivering “Body Currents”.
6. Highland Culture Update
There is circulated Report No ECS-37-09 dated 21 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport updating Members on a range of cultural developments that have come to fruition as part of the legacy of Highland 2007. In particular, information is provided on the formation of the Highland Culture Strategic Board, the Highland Culture Programme, Highland Homecoming Programme and Homecoming Scotland St Andrew’s Day Celebration.
The Committee is invited to comment upon the remit and membership of the Highland Culture Strategic Board and Project Team and otherwise note the report.
7. Building Cleaning and Schools & Welfare Catering - Best Value
Report
There is circulated Report No ECS-38-09 dated 28 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport advising Members that the Building Cleaning and Schools & Welfare Catering activities deliver best value for the Council evidenced by service level agreements, periodic bench-marking and regular performance monitoring.
The Committee is invited to agree that:-
i. a Catering and Cleaning Best Value Report be produced annually;
ii. progress with the improvement actions identified in the report be
incorporated within the ECS Service performance reporting framework; and
iii. on the basis that the Catering activity is becoming inextricably linked with
the delivery of the curriculum through statutory health promotion and
nutrition requirements, the statutory obligation to produce trading accounts
on a commercial basis be reviewed in conjunction with the Director of
Finance and Audit Scotland and a further report be submitted to the next
meeting of the Committee.
8. Fourth Employee Survey – Progress on Improvement Themes
There is circulated Report No ECS-39-09 dated 4 September 2009 by the Director of Education. Culture and Sport providing an update on the actions being taken by the Education, Culture and Sport Service in response to the findings of the fourth employee survey carried out by the Highland Council in December 2007.
The Committee is invited to note the progress made towards the Education, Culture and Sport Service improvement themes agreed in January 2009 in response to the Council’s fourth employee survey.
9. Healthy Snacks in Schools – Guidelines
There is circulated Report No ECS-40-09 dated 21 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport summarising the support and guidance that has been developed by the Education, Culture and Sport Service in partnership with NHS Highland that is now provided to all Highland School Communities to implement the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007. The report details, in particular, the approaches taken to ensure school snacks provided in schools are compliant with the Nutritional Regulations 2008 and an approach taken by the Education, Culture and Sport Service to extend the Act further to promote healthy packed lunches.
The Committee is invited to comment on the approach and agree the guidance for healthy snacks in schools.
10. Outdoor Learning and the Curriculum for Excellence
There is circulated Report No ECS-41-09 dated 31 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport highlighting the value that outdoor learning can bring to a young person’s educational development and seeking approval of a contribution from Highland Council to a Cairngorm National Park initiative that will develop the availability of outdoor learning opportunities for school pupils in Highland.
The Committee is invited to agree to contribute the sum of £10,000 to a £115,000 partnership project to research, develop and deliver learning opportunities for Highland pupils in the Cairngorm National Park.
11. Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Plan
There is circulated Report No ECS-42-09 dated 31 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport updating Members on the Implementation Plan for 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.
The Committee is invited to note and comment on the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Plan and seek further reports as appropriate.
12. More Choices More Chances - 16+ Learning Choices
There is circulated Report No ECS-43-09 dated 28 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members that Highland Council is one of 21 early implementers of 16+ Learning Choices, the Government’s new model for ensuring that every young person has an offer of learning made to them well in advance of their school leaving date. During the 2008/09 session 13 schools have been piloting 16+ Learning Choices and more will join in 2009/2010. To support its implementation, Highland has been asked to be one of 10 pilot local authorities for Activity Agreements for young people who need tailored support to move on to positive destinations after school.
The Committee is invited to note and comment on the implementation of 16+ Learning Choices and the piloting of Activity Agreements in Highland.
13. Curriculum for Excellence – Raising Standards and Increasing
Capacity for Leadership
There is circulated Report No ECS-44-09 dated 4 September 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport outlining the work undertaken by the Quality Improvement Team in supporting Leadership for Learning at all levels within the Highland Council’s schools. The report covers the established processes of School Improvement through Self-Evaluation and reflects on the completed project of Support for Leadership in Highland together with the present work on the ‘next generation’ leadership programme for 2009/10.
The Committee is invited to note and comment on:-
i. the strategies of the service in increasing the quality of learning and
teaching;
ii. the work of the School Improvement through Self-Evaluation project; and
iii. the “Next Generation” Leadership Programme.
14. Initial Report on SQA Performance
There is circulated Report No ECS-45-09 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport outlining the key information arising from the SQA examination diet of 2009 bearing in mind that, at this stage, results are subject to alteration following appeals and other modifications of data.
The Committee is invited to note and comment on the outcomes of the SQA examinations.
15. Developing Partnerships for Sporting Excellence
There is circulated Report No ECS-46-09 dated 31 August 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members of opportunities to form partnerships with other funding agencies to identify and nurture young talented sports men and women in advance of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
The Committee is invited to agree:-
i. the proposed partnership funding to target support to Highland athletes to
increase their chances of being selected to compete in the 2014
Commonwealth Games in Glasgow;
ii. the use of external funding of £150,000 over three years on offer to
employ a post to provide additional support to competitive sports
competitions in schools and to employ a swimming coach; and
iii. the use of £10,000 a year for three years from existing sports budgets as
the Council’s contribution to the project.
16. Statutory Consultation – Milton of Leys Primary School
Inshes Primary School, which has already had a two classroom extension, is exceeding its operational capacity. School roll projections indicate that the number of primary children in the Inshes and Milton of Leys area will steadily increase due to pre-school children already living in the area and to future housing development and it is therefore necessary to consider the provision of a new school to serve the Milton of Leys community.
The Committee is invited to agree, in terms of the Council’s agreed procedures, that:-
i. a statutory consultation be undertaken on the provision of a new school for
Milton of Leys, on a site for the school and on the catchment area for the
school; and
ii. in order that locally based consultation can commence, consultation papers
be drawn up by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport in consultation
with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee.
17. Statutory Consultation – Uig Primary School
The pupil roll at Uig Primary School has decreased considerably and consideration is required to be given to the closure of the school.
The Committee is invited to agree, in terms of the Council’s agreed procedures, that:-
i. a statutory consultation be undertaken on primary school provision in the
area currently served by Uig Primary School; and
ii. in order that locally based consultation can commence, consultation papers
be drawn up by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport in consultation
with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee.
18. Minutes of Meetings
There are circulated the following Minutes of Meetings:-
i. Education Transport Appeals Committee held on 4 August 2009 (for
noting); and
ii. Duncraig Trust Scheme Sub Committee held on 26 August 2009 (for
noting).