Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10^th April 2025 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

To receive presentations at the meeting.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee received briefings from the Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership and the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities outlining the priorities for their portfolios for the Municipal Year 2025/26. The Committee noted a number of potential issues for consideration by them including:

·  One Coventry Plan

·  Job Shop

·  Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence

·  Modern Day Slavery

·  Deaths by irresponsible cycling – new legislation

The following items were identified as potential items for the Boards indicated:

·  Illegal activity relating to electric bikes and parking enforcement, including the use of digital technology - Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4)

·  Diversity and Inclusion, and Community Inclusion - Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1)

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee notes the priorities outlined by the Cabinet Member for Policy and Leadership and the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities for the Municipal Year 2025/26 and the potential issues for consideration by the Committee.

Report of the Director of Children and Education Services

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Director of Children and Education, that would also be considered at the meeting of Cabinet on 10^th June 2025, on the proposed Coventry One Strategic Plan for Primary, Secondary and Special Educational Needs (SEN) Education 2024-2028. The Plan was attached as an Appendix to the report.

Under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996, Coventry City Council had a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places and fair, appropriate access to education. It was the Council’s role to plan, commission and organise school places in a way that raised standards, and managed supply and demand.

The Coventry One Strategic Plan set out pupil forecasts for primary and secondary schools, as well as Special Education Needs (SEND) across education planning areas in response to rising or falling pupil cohorts across the city. It was proposed that this Strategy would be a flexible plan, able to adapt to shifting mechanisms of parental preference, unforeseen changes in supply and demand of school places, and future birth rates. To do this, the One Strategic Plan would be monitored and updated annually with presentation to the Cabinet Member whose portfolio included education, and Cabinet, alongside a wider process of constant review of School Place Planning. In addition, the procuring of school places would take place annually so as not to create an unstable number of school places.

There was commitment through a statement of intent to collaborate and work in partnership to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people in Coventry, ensure the sustainability of Coventry schools, and to enable the City Council to meet its statutory obligations. The options within the Strategic Plan had been discussed at Coventry Education Partnership meetings including headteachers and education colleagues from across the city.

The Strategy outlined within the One Strategic Plan Appendix was in line with the statutory requirement as outlined by the DfE to:

i.  Spend capital funding efficiently

ii.  Safeguard the quality of places in the system

iii.  Utilise spare capacity in the estate where it exists.

Capital allocations to meet projected shortfalls in provision were provided by the Department for Education (DFE) to all Local Authorities based on the data provided in the annual School Capacity return (SCAP). Demand for places minus the supply of places was multiplied by a cost per pupil place to inform the final allocation. This return informed the DFE of the expected change in pupil numbers over the next few years, the current capacity of schools to meet those numbers and the planned changes to that capacity. Funding was also secured via S106 contributions from housing developers in response to new housing estates. With recent financial allocations this proposed Strategy was sustainable and in keeping with the financial allocations announced. 

Since the 2021/22 academic year there had been a large increase in the number of pupils moving into the city in year. The impact of this in-year movement had been that more places were required in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee received a report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator that provided the draft Work Programme for Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee for 2025-26. The draft was attached as an Appendix to the report and included issues carried over from the Committee’s Work Programme 2024/25, and suggested for meetings of the Board in 2025/26.

Scrutiny Work Programmes were working documents and would adapt and change over the year to react to Members’ requirements.

The Committee requested that the reference in the Work Programme relating to ‘Cost of Living and Poverty’ be amended to the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing, Councillor K Caan.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee notes the draft Work Programme 2025/26 attached as an Appendix to the report.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of public business.