Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd October 2024

b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd October 2024 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Director of Childrens Services and Education

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills considered a report of the Director of Education and Children’s Services which indicated that the Local Authority are required to determine the co-ordination schemes for school admissions in their areas and the admissions policies for community and voluntary controlled schools.

In April 2006, Cabinet agreed that consideration of reports on school admission arrangements would be delegated to the appropriate Cabinet Member in years where there were no significant changes to admission arrangements. (Cabinet Minute number 253/06 refers). For 2026 there have been no substantive changes to the admission arrangements.

For context, the School Admissions Code 2021 requires admissions authorities to consult on admission arrangements every 7 years or more frequently where any significant changes are proposed. No significant changes were proposed to the co-ordinated admissions schemes or the admissions policies for community and voluntary controlled schools since the last consultation for September 2020 admission arrangements. Therefore, no consultation has been required for 2026.

Community and voluntary controlled schools were notified on 28^th November 2024 that arrangements including published admission numbers (PAN) for community schools would remain the same. All schools were given until 11 December 2023 to raise any requests for change. No requests for changing admission numbers were received.

The Cabinet Member was advised that, following confirmation of West Midlands local authority data exchange deadlines on 6^th February 2025, amendments were required to dates within the appendices as follows:

·  Appendix 2 – Primary Co-ordination:

o  Paragraph 7.3 – from Monday 26^th January 2026 to Friday 30^th January 2026

o  Paragraph 7.6 – from Monday 9^th March 2026 to Friday 6^th March 2026

o  Paragraph 7.8 – from Tuesday 31^st March 2026 to Friday 27^th March 2026

o  Timetable at point 12 will be amended to reflect the dates in bold above.

·  Appendix 3 – Secondary Co-ordination

o  Paragraph 7.8 – from Monday 19^th January 2026 to Friday 9^th January 2026

o  Paragraph 7.9 – from Monday 26^th January 2026 to Friday 23^rd January 2026 and Monday 9^th February 2026 to Friday 6^th February 2026

o  Paragraph 7.10 – from Monday 23^rd February 2026 to Thursday 19^th February 2026

o  Timetable at point 12 will be amended to reflect the dates in bold above.

RESOLVED that, subject to the amendments above, the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills:

1.  Determines the Admissions Policy for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary, Infant and Junior Schools for 2026/27, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

2.  Determines the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Primary, Infant and Junior Schools in Coventry for 2026/27, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

3.  Determines the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Secondary Schools in Coventry for 2026/27, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

Report of the Interim Director of Planning and Performance

To consider the following two Petitions:

E-petition 26/24-25 – Save Holbrook Library

To consider the above petition bearing 402 signatures (73 e-petition signatures and 329 paper signatures). The petition has been sponsored by Councillor R Lancaster, a Holbrook Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the Petition Organiser.

E-petition 37/24-25 – Save Libraries From Being Moved

To consider the above petitions bearing a total of 191 signatures. The petition has been sponsored by Councillor G Lewis, a Westwood Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the Petition Organiser.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skill considered a report of the Interim Director of Planning and Performance, which responded to two petitions objecting to proposals to move a number of libraries as set out within the One Coventry Services’ Proposals.

One Coventry Services is an operational change programme within the Transformation Plan 2024/25. The programme aimed to deliver services differently by bringing them together in communities and builds on current approaches within family hubs, libraries and adult social care settings. The proposals set out within the Transformation Plan aimed to enable increased integration of a wider range of services and deliver financial efficiencies through reducing the number of service delivery locations and thereby the costs of operating these services in terms of both property and staffing.

A public consultation took place on a series of proposals between 9^th September 2024 and 4^th November 2024. These proposals were consulted on at an early stage of development to enable any subsequent decision to be informed by consultation feedback and to confirm the viability of delivery.

Two petitions objecting to specific proposals to move a number of libraries were received.  The first petition, bearing 73 signatures, objected to the move of the Holbrooks Library from Holbrooks Community Care Association (HCCA) building on Holbrook Lane to the Dementia Partnership Hub at Everdon Road.  The petition was sponsored by Councillor R Lancaster, a Holbrook Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting in support of the petition.  The second petition, bearing 191 signatures, objected to the move of the Bell Green Library from Riley Square to Park Edge Family Hub at Roseberry Avenue; Coundon Library from Moseley Avenue to Coundon Family Centre at 82 Moseley Avenue; and Canley Library from Prior Deram Walk to the Xcel Leisure Centre at Mitchell Avenue.  The petition was sponsored by Councillor G Lewis, a Westwood Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting in support of the petition.  The full wording of both petitions was included within the report submitted.

Councillor R Lancaster and the Petition Organiser spoke in support of the first petition, highlighting the following points:

·  The HCCA manage the whole building, including the library, at a minimal cost of £15k to the Council.

·  Time should have been taken to visit the site to see how the library and HCCA currently operate.

·  The Dementia Partnership Hub do not want the library on their site.

·  The footfall at the proposed site would be different.

·  Concerns regarding access to the library if an attendee of the Dementia Partnership Hub has difficulties and being advised to go to a different library in such circumstances.

·  There are a wealth of activities taking place at the HCCA, some which operate as a direct consequence of the Library being on site and that these would potentially be lost with the proposed move.

·  The Holbrooks Library has already been moved twice as it was originally located in Briscoe Road, was then moved to the Arena Park and finally to its current location at HCCA.

·  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

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.