Agenda and minutes

Councillor Blundell declared a personal interest on minute number 38 below relating to ‘Library Petitions’ and took no part in the discussions.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2015 were agreed and signed as a true record. 

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Executive Director of People

To consider a number of petitions relating to local library services.  The Councillors supporting the petitions have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the respective petition organisers.

The Cabinet Member for Education considered a report of the Executive Director of People that responded to a number of e-petitions and written petitions which had been presented to the Council requesting that it reconsider making cuts to local library services. These included petitions specifically related to the community libraries in Canley, Coundon, Earlsdon, Tile Hill and Willenhall and a further petition related more generally to the Library Service across the City. In accordance with the Council’s procedure for dealing with petitions, those related to library issues were heard by the Cabinet Member for Education.

The Cabinet Member advised that the Council was currently exploring alternative models of delivery which may retain services but deliver at a significantly reduced cost to the Council.  Options would include the co-location of different services and opportunities to co-operate with statutory and non-statutory partners in the City.  Any future proposals to make changes to the library service would be subject to public consultation.

The following six petitions were considered:

i)  An e-petition headed “Keep Earlsdon Library Open”, bearing 1396 signatures, organised by an Earlsdon Ward resident on behalf of the joint Earlsdon Neighbourhood Associations and sponsored by Councillor Ken Taylor OBE, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor.   The e-petition had been supplemented by a similarly worded written petition of 1,649 names.

  Councillor Taylor and the petition organiser attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners outlining the concerns of the residents should the library be closed. They indicated that the library was a community facility and provided more than the usual library services: it was a lifeline for mothers and toddlers; it assisted with homework; and it supported families involved in literacy programmes.The Library was the second busiest in Coventry.

ii)  An e-petition “Save Coundon Library, bearing 35 signatures, organised by a Radford Ward resident and sponsored by Councillor Skipper, a Radford Ward Councillor.

  Councillor Skipper and the petition organiser were unable to attend the meeting.

iii)  An e-petition “Save Tile Hill Library”, bearing 53 signatures, organised by a Woodlands Ward resident. 

The Woodlands Ward Residents was unable to attend the meeting.

iv)  An e-petition “Against Library Closures” was considered, bearing a total of 158 signatures, organised by the Coventry City Branch of UNISON. The petition had been supplemented by a similarly worded written petition of 2,253 names.

  The spokesperson for Unison attended the meeting and spoke in support of the petition indicating that the Library facility required skilled librarians to deliver the variety of activities and services required by the residents. 

v)  A written petition “Save Canley Library” was received bearing 136 signatures, organised by a Westwood Ward resident and sponsored by Councillor Skinner, a Westwood Ward Councillor.

Councillor Skinner attended the meeting and spoke on behalf of the petitioners on the importance of retaining the library service for Canley residents and raised a number of concerns, in particular, protecting the vulnerable in the area. The petition organiser was unable to attend the meeting.

vi)  A written “Petition to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

Report of the Executive Director of People

To consider the above petition, bearing 446 signatures, which has been submitted by a Woodlands Ward Residents who, as petition organiser, has been has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Cabinet Member for Education considered a report of the Executive Director of People that responded to an e-petition bearing 446 signatures. The petition was organised by a Woodlands Ward Resident,requesting that the Council provide information in support of the petition regarding ‘the negative impact Finham Park 2 will have on surrounding schools the Council will then supply this information to the Secretary of State under Section 9 of the Academies Act 2010’.

The Council was currently developing a strategy for addressing the anticipated shortfall of secondary school places over the coming year. The additional secondary year 7 places would not be required until September 2018 when only one additional FE would be required. The most acute need for additional secondary places would be during the period 2019 to 2022. The Council’s position regarding the proposal was set out in a letter to the Secretary of State dated 28 January 2015. 

Councillor Thomas, a Woodlands Ward Councillor, spoke in support of the e-petition and the intake of pupils for this school year.  The Cabinet Member and officers advised that since the report had been prepared events had progressed and that further discussions would be held with the petition organiser.

RESOLVED, that after due consideration of the report and the matters raised at the meeting, the Cabinet Member for Education notes the petition and agrees to further discussions with the petition organiser regarding the implications for neighbouring schools of the Secretary of State’s decision to enter a Funding Agreement with Finham Park 2.

Report of the Executive Director of People

Please note: A briefing note detailing the Education and Childrens Services Scrutiny Board (2)’s consideration of this matter and its recommendations to Cabinet Member for Education is appended to the report.

The Cabinet Member for Education considered a report of the Executive Director of People that made recommendations for Adult Education course fees for the academic year 2015/2016, based on the requirements of Skills Funding Agency funding and comparisons with similar providers. 

The proposed fees related to accredited courses: classroom based (non-loans); Advanced Learning Loans for learners aged 24 plus; workplace based courses; and apprenticeships and non-accredited Community Learning courses: full fees; PTLL fees; 60 plus fees; single session workshops; courses requiring additional resources; and non-chargeable courses.

The proposed amendments to the fee structure related to:

·  accredited courses funded through the SFA’s Adult Skills Budget (ASB):

o  classroom based (non-loans)

o  Advanced Learning Loans for learners aged 24 plus

o  workplace based courses

o  apprenticeships

·  non-accredited Community Learning (CL) courses:

o  full fees

o  Passport to Leisure and Learning (PTLL) fees

o  60 plus fees

o  single session workshops

o  courses requiring additional resources

o  currently non-chargeable courses in confidence building, assertiveness and short introductory courses in vocational subjects

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Education:

1)  Approves the recommendations of the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) to:

i)  Approve the Fee Strategy for the academic year 2015/16.

ii)  Look at areas where the Adult Education Service can be better used for Council in-house training.

iii)  Investigate further the drop in enrolments from 30% most deprived neighbourhoods in September 2014 and identify actions to address it.

2)   Approves the Fee Strategy for the academic year 2015-2016.

Report of the Executive Director of People

The Cabinet Member for Education considered a report of the Executive Director of People, on the Council’s Co-ordinated School Admission Schemes for 2016 and Community and Voluntary Controlled School Admission Policies for 2016 (attached as Appendices to the report).

Each year the Department for Education required Local Authorities to determine the co-ordination schemes for school admissions in their areas and the admission policies for community and voluntary controlled schools which were the responsibility of the Local Authority by 15 April.

In April 2006, the Cabinet agreed that consideration of reports on Coventry’s school admission arrangements would be delegated to the appropriate Cabinet Member in years where there were no significant changes to admission arrangements (minute number 196/06 refers).

All schemes and policies referred to in this report were considered by the School Admission Forum on 6 February 2015.  As there had been no significant changes to the schemes and policies since 2013, no consultation was required by the School Admissions Code 2014.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet member for Education:

1)  Approves the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Primary, Infant and Junior Schools in Coventry for 2016/17 and the Admissions Policy for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary, Infant and Junior Schools for 2016/17, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

2)  Approves the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Secondary Schools in Coventry for 2016/17, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet Member for Education considered a report of the Executive Director of People that detailed the pricing strategies of those Council services providing services to schools and provided an update on whether these services were achieving full cost recovery.

The report noted that the on-going financial situation presented significant challenges to the Council in balancing the revenue budget. Setting the appropriate level for fees and charges was an important element in raising revenue to meet the medium term financial pressures. It was also essential that the Council maximised its income to ensure that wherever possible it at least recovered its costs for the services that were provided. Any Council service which provided a service to schools was required to adopt a consistent charging policy for the delivery of services to all schools, the starting point of which was that services recovered the full cost of service delivery. The Council service was required to complete the Full Cost Recovery Tool on an annual basis to identify whether full cost recovery was achieved and if not, develop a pricing strategy or cost reduction strategy to move towards full cost recovery.

In identifying any shortfall between forecast income and expenditure, consideration needed to be given to the impact on school buy back if services increased charges by more than inflation. In cases such as this, action plans needed to include phased increases and/or cost reduction strategies to move towards full cost recovery.

It was recognised that there may be exceptions where there may be a valid reason why a service should not recover full cost, which would require approval.  Appendix 1 to the report set out details of those services forecast to require a subsidy and that did not have an action plan to move towards full cost recovery.

RESOLVED that in line with the approved charging proposal reports of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee on 23 January 2013 and the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources and Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) on 29 July 2013, the Cabinet Member for Education:

1)  Agrees proposed Service Level Agreement charge increases as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

2)  Requires services that are not achieving full cost recovery to set out a plan and timescale for moving towards full cost recovery.

Report of the Executive Director of People

RESOLVEDthat, having met the Local Authority criteria for the appointment of Local Authority Governors, the Cabinet Member for Education approves the appointment, recommended appointments and re-appointments of the persons listed below for the schools and terms of office indicated:-

Authority Governor: New Appointments

Local Authority Governor: Recommendations for Appointment

Authority Governor: Re-Appointments

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

RESOLVED that, the Cabinet Member for Education notes the report of the Executive Director of Resources that contained an outstanding issue and that, as a report on the item listed had been submitted to this meeting (minute 40 above refers), the matter could now be discharged.

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.