Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable interests.

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 October 2014 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Report of the Executive Director, People

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, People advising that in September 2013, the Local Authority (LA) launched its school improvement strategy.  Informal evaluations were made by officers after six months but these lacked an external perspective. As a result, the Senior Management Team of the Education and Inclusion Service agreed to commission an external evaluation one year after the improvement strategy’s launch to identify what had worked well; understand what was working less successfully and provide guidance to school leaders and officers of the Local Authority about what they might do next to refine and improve the process. The Institute of Education was approached and as a result of a proposal submission, Professor Toby Greany and Dr Tracey Allen were commissioned from the London Centre for Leadership in Learning to undertake the external evaluation.

  The results of the consultation undertaken were discussed and the Cabinet Member advised that he had visited schools and had the opportunity of holding discussions with Heads. The Improvement Strategy work being undertaken by the LA had been recognised nationally.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member agrees:

1)  That the key findings of the report be considered and discussed by school leaders and officers of the Local Authority in the autumn term 2014.

2)  That Coventry’s School Improvement Strategy be adapted and modified in late autumn 2014, early spring 2015.

3)  That a revised Coventry School Improvement Strategy be completed in the summer of 2015 and implemented from the beginning of the 2015 academic year.

Report of the Executive Director, People

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, People which summarised the data on pupil behaviour in schools and other educational settings in Coventry. 

National data for 2012/13, released in summer 2014, showed the incidence of fixed term and permanent exclusions in Coventry which continued to be below that for England and low in relation to statistical neighbours.  Local data for 2013/14 indicated that the number of fixed term exclusions and permanent exclusions had risen across mainstream schools but remained below levels seen in the previous three years.  Across special schools the number of fixed term exclusions decreased and there were no permanent exclusions.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member approves the report and the further development of the identified strategies to further improve pupil behaviour.

Report of the Executive Director, People

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director, People that sought permission to consult on proposals to align Coventry’s home to school travel assistance for children and young people with SEND with statutory requirements and with national SEND reforms.

In July 2014 the Department of Education (DfE) published updated statutory guidance for local authorities on home to school travel.  In Coventry, children and young people with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) were currently provided with more assistance than required by the statutory guidance, unlike many other local authorities (e.g. Dudley, Solihull and Warwickshire). These local arrangements were not consistent with the commitment set out in the DfE’s SEND Code of Practice (2014) to promote greater independence for pupils with SEND and greater choice for parents and pupils.

  The appendices attached to the report were considered together with options and timescales for implementing the policy changes. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member agrees:

1)  That a public consultation be undertaken between 24 November 2014 and 23 January 2015 on the proposed School Travel Assistance Policy changes.

2)  That, following the consultation, a report be submitted to Cabinet 2015 to agree any revisions to the policy.

Report of the Executive Director, People

RESOLVED that, having met the Local Authority criteria for the appointment of Local Authority school governors, the Cabinet Member approves the appointment of the persons listed below for the schools and terms of office indicated:-

Authority Governor: Re-Appointments

The Cabinet Member thanked officers for the works they had undertaken on  the appointment of Authority Governors.

Report of the Executive Director, Resources

The Cabinet Member noted a report of the Executive Director, Resources that identified those issues on which further reports had been requested and were outstanding, so that progress could be monitored.

Any other items of public business which the Cabinet Member decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of public business.