Committees
A meeting of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 14 January 2010 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. Appointment of Representatives to Outside Bodies
i. Board of Partnerships for Wellbeing
Partnerships for Wellbeing is a Company Ltd by Guarantee with Charitable Status, the aim of which is to identity and manage projects which will improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Highlands.
The Administration will move that Mr H Wood be appointed as a representative of the Council on the Board of Partnerships for Wellbeing.
ii. Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme – Member Representation on
the Highland Award Partnership
The Council is currently represented on the Highland Award Partnership of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and there is a vacancy for one Liberal Democrat Member. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was established nationally to promote the achievement and self-confidence of young people through participation in voluntary and outdoor activities.
The Administration will move that Mr A M Millar be appointed as a representative of the Council on the Highland Award Partnership of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
4. Revenue Budget 2009/10 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-1-10 dated 23 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which sets out the Revenue Budget monitoring position for the period 1 April 2009 to 30 November 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.
The Committee is asked to:-
i. note the current year-end expenditure estimates;
ii. agree the corrective actions to off-set known budget pressures as
detailed in the report;
iii. agree that progress on recovering the position of schools in deficit
continues to be reported to the Committee during the remainder of the
financial year; and
iv. note the progress being made with the outstanding budget savings
targets.
5. Capital Expenditure 2009/10 – Monitoring
There is circulated Report No ECS-2-10 dated 5 January 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 30 November 2009 and proposes budget revision in light of changes in levels of expenditure in the capital programme and the impact upon over programming. The report also provides an update on the Wick High School Feasibility Study and the options under consideration, an update on the procurement of replacement accommodation at Roy Bridge Primary School, further information on the estimated costs of extending Inverness Gaelic School (Bun-sgoil Ghaidhlig Inbhir Nis), progress on major approved projects and detail on the proposals to undertake essential repairs to the Cromarty Court House and to declare the Area Education Office, Inverlochy surplus to Service requirements.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. note the content of the monitoring statement;
ii. agree the expansion of the Wick High School Feasibility Study to include
other sites in Wick as detailed in the report;
iii. agree the revised specification for accommodation and works at Roy Bridge
Primary School as detailed in the report;
iv. note the position with respect to the development of an extension to
Inverness Gaelic School (Bun-sgiol Ghaidhlig Inbhir Nis);
v. note the progress on major projects;
vi. agree the works to Cromarty Court House as detailed in the report at a
cost of £84,680 and that funding be identified from other sources within
the approved Education, Culture and Sport Capital programme; and
vii. agree to recommend to the Resources Committee that Rowan House be
declared surplus to Service requirements.
6. Review of Education Provision
There is circulated Report No ECS-3-10 dated 5 January 2010 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport setting out a rationale for review of the Highland School Estate and makes proposals regarding the planning and implementation of the review.
The Committee is invited to agree that:-
i. a review of education provision be commenced;
ii. action is taken in line with Council contract standing orders to procure a
framework agreement for the services of an external team to take
forward the review in its entirety;
iii. the process of review be considered for Spend to Save funding by the
Resources Committee; and
iv. prior to the commencement of any review, a report with input from the
external team is brought to Members seeking their agreement to the full
detail of the process.
7. Response to Parliamentary Petition on All Weather Primary Sports
Facilities
There is circulated Report No ECS-4-10 dated 15 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which informs Members that the Public Petitions Committee of the Scottish Parliament wrote to the Council on 4 November 2009 requesting a response by 1 December 2009 to a petition urging the Scottish Parliament to provide additional targeted funding to ensure that all primary schools would have access to appropriate all weather sports facilities to encourage an active lifestyle from an early age. The report outlines the response submitted, given that the deadline required officers to reply before the matter could be referred to Committee, and invites Members’ comments so that any additional response can be forwarded.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. note and comment on the response sent to the Public Petitions
Committee; and
ii. agree any additional response required.
8. Validated Self Evaluation – Partnership with Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Education (HMle)
There is circulated Report No ECS-5-10 dated 23 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members of the work to date in securing continuous improvement in the Education, Culture and Sport Service through a pilot process of service self-evaluation in partnership with and validated by HMle.
The Committee is invited to agree:-
i. to welcome the opportunity to work jointly with HMle through the
validated self-evaluation model to improve the quality of provision and
outcomes offered to learners;
ii. the importance of the core areas;
iii. that the Highland Council Education Culture and Sport theme represents a
central and important focus for validated self evaluation; and
iv. to participate in processes of self-evaluation as necessary.
9. Scotland’s Islands 2011
There is circulated Report No ECS-6-10 dated 15 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport seeking approval to participate in Scotland’s Islands 2011 at a cost of £32,250 to the Council in 2010/11 from the Corporate Discretionary Budget and the Discretionary Budgets of Wards 11 and 22.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. approve, in principle, the request to participate in Scotland’s Islands 2011,
subject to the overall funding package being put in place;
ii. note that half the contribution of £32,250, subject to the normal
governance routes, could come from the Corporate Discretionary Budget
with the remainder from the Discretionary Budgets of Wards 11 and 22,
and could potentially be split over two years; and
iii. note that, should the year itself be delayed to 2012, a further report be
brought forward as appropriate.
10. Outcome of Statutory Consultation on a New Primary School for
the Milton of Leys Area of Inverness
There is circulated Report No ECS-7-10 dated 23 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members of the outcome of the statutory consultation undertaken in connection with the proposal to build a new Primary School for the Milton of Leys area of Inverness.
The Committee is invited to agree that a new primary school is built for the Milton of Leys area of Inverness as outlined in the consultation paper approved by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee on 12 November 2009.
11. Outcome of Statutory Consultation on the Proposal to Establish
Gaelic Medium Provision in Glen Urquhart Primary School,
Drumnadrochit
There is circulated Report No ECS-8-10 dated 23 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which advises the Committee on the outcome of the statutory consultation undertaken in connection with the proposal to establish Gaelic Medium provision at Glenurquhart Primary School, Drumnadrochit.
The Committee is invited to agree that:-
i. in line with Council policy, an outline business case for the provision of
additional classroom accommodation for Gaelic Medium Education at Glen
Urquhart Primary school be produced with the outline business case then
being considered within the corporate Capital review framework;
ii. action in relation to future Gaelic Medium provision at Glen Urquhart Primary
School be taken in accordance with the outcome of Members’
consideration of the outline business case within the review of the
Council’s Capital Programme; and
iii. further work in relation to Pre School Gaelic Medium provision is progressed
in conjunction with all stakeholders including the Glen Urquhart Childcare
Centre.
12. Significant Trading Operations
There is circulated Report No ECS-9-10 dated 23 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which reviews the Catering and Cleaning trading activities and considers whether or not both activities continue to satisfy the definition of significant trading operations as approved by the Education, Culture and Sport Committee in March 2004.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. note that the current Catering and Cleaning trading activities no longer
comply with the definition of significant trading operations as outlined in
the report; and
ii. agree that, with effect from 1 April 2010, the requirement to maintain
statutory trading accounts for the Catering and Cleaning functions should
cease and that instead the delivery of best value by the Catering and
Cleaning activities be demonstrated by the measures outlined in the report.
13. Achievement of Looked After Children
There is circulated Report No ECS-10-10 dated 18 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport informing Members of some of the many achievements of Looked After Children. The report is complimentary to the update reports on the education of Looked After Children presented to the Joint Committee on Children and Young People.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. consider and comment on the achievements of Looked After Children to
date;
ii. agree that work with Looked After Children be a key part of the
Education, Culture and Sport Service’s self-evaluation and improvement
planning;
iii. agree that funding be identified from within present budgets to make
substantive the second post of Education Link Worker; and
iv. agree that further reports be submitted as necessary.
14. Alternative Delivery Mechanisms for all or some of Community
Learning and Leisure Services
There is circulated Report No ECS-11-10 dated 1 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport which invites Members to consider whether they wish to pursue the management and delivery of some or all of the Council’s sports, leisure, community and cultural facilities and services through a Trust type organisation.
The Committee is invited to:-
i. comment on the issues raised in the report and, specifically, give its views
on the suggested next steps; and
ii. agree that the Inverness City Committee’s preferred option for future
management arrangements for events in Inverness being operated
through the establishment of a company be investigated.
15. Creative Scotland 09 – Rural Innovation Programme
There is circulated Report No ECS-12-10 dated 7 December 2009 by the Director of Education, Culture and Sport seeks approval to allocate £100,000 of the Highland Culture Programme budget in 2010/11 in support of a bid to secure £300,000 for the Highlands from the Creative Scotland 09 Rural Innovation Programme.
The Committee is invited to approve the allocation of £100,000 from the Highland Culture Programme budget in financial year 2010/11 in support of the bid for £300,000 from the Creative Scotland 09 Rural Innovation Programme.
16. Minutes of Meetings
There are circulated, for noting, the Minutes of the Education Transport Appeals Committee held on 26 November 2009.