Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel Date: Thursday 11 March 2010 Time: 2:00pm Venue: Edwards Room, County Hall, Norwich Persons attending the meeting are requested to turn off mobile phones. Membership Mr J Carswell (Chairman) Mr R Bearman (Spokesperson) Ms D Irving Mr B Bremner (Spokesperson) Mr M Kiddle-Morris Miss C Casimir (Vice-Chairman) Mr W Nunn Mrs J Chamberlin Mr M Scutter (Spokesperson) Mrs D Clarke Mr B Spratt Mr G Cook Mr P Wells Mr T Garrod Mr A Wright Mr B Hannah Parent Governor Representatives Mr P East Dr L Poliakoff Church Representatives Mrs J O’Connor Mr A Mash Non-Voting School’s Forum Representative Dr B Carrington Non-Voting Cabinet Member Mrs S Hutson Non-Voting Deputy Cabinet Member Mrs J Murphy Education Mrs A Thomas Vulnerable Children Non-Voting Co-opted Advisors Mrs S Cooke Primary Education Mr P Large Secondary Education Mr L Poulson Post-16 Education Mrs H Rowlinson Special Schools Mr M Sale Norfolk Governors Network For further details and general enquiries about this Agenda please contact the Committee Officer: Kristen Jones on 01603 223053 or email [email protected] A g e n d a 1 To receive apologies and details of any substitute members attending 2 Minutes To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Services (Page 1) Overview & Scrutiny Panel held on 14 January 2010. 3 Members to Declare any Interests Please indicate whether the interest is a personal one only or one which is prejudicial. A declaration of a personal interest should indicate the nature of the interest and the agenda item to which it relates. In the case of a personal interest, the member may speak and vote on the matter. Please note that if you are exempt from declaring a personal interest because it arises solely from your position on a body to which you were nominated by the County Council or a body exercising functions of a public nature (e.g. another local authority), you need only declare your interest if and when you intend to speak on a matter. If a prejudicial interest is declared, the member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed unless members of the public are allowed to make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter, in which case you may attend the meeting for that purpose. You must immediately leave the room when you have finished or the meeting decides you have finished, if earlier. These declarations apply to all those members present, whether the member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area. 4 To receive any items of business which the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency 5 Public Question Time Fifteen minutes for questions from members of the public of which due notice has been given. Please note that all questions must be received by the Committee Officer by 5pm on Monday 8 March 2010. Please submit your question(s) to the person named on the front of this agenda. For guidance on submitting public questions, please view the Council Constitution, Appendix 10, Council procedure rules. www.norfolk.gov.uk/reviewpanelquestions 6 Local Member Issues/Member Questions Fifteen minutes for local members to raise issues of concern of which due notice has been given. Please note that all questions must be received by the Committee Officer by 5pm on Monday 8 March 2010. Please submit your question(s) to the person named on the front of this agenda. 7 Cabinet Member Feedback Scrutiny Items 8 Forward Work Programme: Scrutiny (Page 11) Report by the Director of Children’s Services Overview Items 9 Future Provision for Environmental and Outdoor Learning (Page 18) Opportunities Report by the Director of Children’s Services 10 Children’s Services Integrated Performance and Finance (Page 24) Monitoring Report for Quarter 4 2009-2010 Report by the Director of Children’s Services 11 School Closures in Emergencies (Page 48) Report by the Director of Children’s Services 12 Admission Arrangements for September 2011 (Page 64) Report by the Director of Children’s Services 13 Fair Funding (Page A1) Report by the Director of Children’s Services 14 School Organisation Issues: Consultation on the Closure of The (Page 76) Park High School, King’s Lynn and Academy Update Report by the Director of Children’s Services 15 Children’s Services Service Plan 2010-13 (Page 110) Report by the Director of Children’s Services 16 Norfolk Youth Offending Team Service Plan 2010/13 (Page 114) Report by the Director of Children’s Services 17 Annual Approval of the Statement of Purpose of Norfolk’s (Page 157) Residential Children’s Homes and a Summary Review of the Year Report by the Director of Children’s Services Group Meetings Conservative 1:00 pm Colman Room Liberal Democrats 1:00 pm Room 504 Chris Walton Head of Democratic Services County Hall Martineau Lane Norwich NR1 2DH Date Agenda Published: 3 March 2010 If you need this document in large print, audio, Braille, alternative format or in a different language please contact Kristen Jones on 0344 800 8020 or 0344 800 8011 (textphone) and we will do our best to help. Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel Minutes of the Meeting Held on Thursday 14 January 2010 Present: Mr J Carswell (Chairman) Mr R Bearman (Spokesperson) Mr B Hannah Mr B Bremner (Spokesperson) Ms D Irving Mr M Carttiss Mr M Kiddle-Morris Miss C Casimir (Vice Chairman) Mr R Rockcliffe Mrs D Clarke Mr M Scutter (Spokesperson) Mr G Cook Mr B Spratt Mr T Garrod Mr A Wright Parent Governor Representatives: Mr P East Dr L Poliakoff Church Representatives: Mr A Mash Non-Voting School’s Forum Representative: Dr B Carrington Non-Voting Cabinet Member: Mrs S Hutson Non-Voting Deputy Cabinet Members: Mrs J Murphy Education Mrs A Thomas Vulnerable Children Non-Voting Co-Opted Advisors: Mrs S Cooke Primary Education Mr P Large Secondary Education Mrs H Rowlinson Special Schools Mr M Sale Norfolk Governors’ Network 1. Apologies and substitutions Apologies were received from Mrs J Chamberlin (Mr R Rockcliffe substituting), Mr W Nunn (Mr M Carttiss substituting), Mr L Poulson, and Mr P Wells. 2. Minutes The minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2009 were agreed by the Panel and signed as an accurate record of the meeting. 3. Declarations of Interests Members declared the following interests: Mr B Hannah Item 15 Prejudicial 4. Items of Urgent Business There were no items of urgent business. 5. Public Question Time There were no public questions. 6. Local Member Issues/Member Questions There were no local member issues or questions. 7. Cabinet Member Feedback The Cabinet Member explained that the closure of schools due to the recent inclement weather would feature in a report at the next meeting of the Panel. In regards to the GCSE exam results, nearly 50% of Norfolk young people achieved the ‘gold standard’, or 5 A*-C, including English and Maths. Scrutiny Items 8. Forward Work Programme: Scrutiny The annexed report (8) by the Director of Children’s Services was received. The report asked Members to review and develop the programme for scrutiny, to consider the Outline Programme and agree the scrutiny topics listed and their reporting dates, to approve the Terms of Reference for the scrutiny review of the recruitment and retention of head teachers, and to consider new topics for inclusion on the scrutiny programme in line with the criteria set out in the report. 2 The Panel AGREED: The scrutiny topics listed and reporting dates laid out in the paper To approve the Terms of Reference for the scrutiny review of the recruitment and retentions of head teachers. 9. Carbon Management and Sustainability The annexed report (9) by the Director of Children’s Services was received. The report set out the current and planned Children’s Services actions to address the carbon reduction imperative in the context of the wider sustainability agenda. The report asked the Panel to consider and comment on the position set out in this report, to endorse the current and proposed actions and offer any additional proposals to support the sustainability agenda in schools. During the discussion the following points were made: It was noted that from 2011, schools in the county would contribute to the carbon reduction obligations of Norfolk County Council under the Carbon Reduction Commitment. Members asked whether schools or the local authority would be ultimately responsible for the carbon footprint produced by Norfolk schools. The Head of Planning and Buildings for Children’s Services replied that Norfolk County Council was ultimately responsible for the total carbon footprint of schools and that the penalties and rewards would fall to the county council. It was added that the Schools Forum had formed a sub- group to look at the mechanisms for how the penalties and rewards mechanisms should apply to individual schools in the light of any government guidance given. It was mentioned that there was a 17% increase in energy consumption from last year. The Head of Planning and Buildings for Children’s Services replied that it was apparent that new school buildings did not necessarily use less energy. This is partly because updated buildings allow for new and more computers and ICT equipment, using significant power to operate. Therefore, it was important that the Council focuses on other solutions, such as renewable energy, as from 2016 all new school buildings would be required to be carbon neutral.