(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

Notes:

(1)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

In the interest of transparency all those who were school governors disclosed

an interest.

Action:          City Solicitor

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 March, 30 March and 12 April 2016 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Fatima Butt – 01274 432227)

Resolved -

That the minutes of the meetings held on 8 March, 30 March and 12 April 2016 be signed as a correct record.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Fatima Butt - 01274 432227)

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents. 

To receive referrals that have been made to this Committee after the publication of this agenda.

The Committee is asked to note the referrals and decide how it wishes to proceed, for example by incorporating the item into the work programme, requesting that it be subject to more detailed examination, or refer it to an appropriate Working Group/Committee.

                                                                                    (Fatima Butt – 01274 432227)

No Referrals had been made to this Committee.

The Deputy Director Education, Employment and Skills will submit Document “A” which reports on the take up of early education places.  Recent expansion of funding for two year olds has meant that free early education places are now available to those children living in the poorest families across the District.  Evidence shows that two year olds in good and outstanding Early Years provision see real benefits in terms of their early language skills and physical, social and emotional development. Pre-schools, nurseries, school nurseries and child minders all play a vital role.

The report provides an annual update to the Committee following on from the previous report tabled on 9 June 2015.

Recommended-

That the information in the report be noted.

                                    (Lynn Donohue/Susan Moreau – 01274 439606/431390)

The Deputy Director Education, Employment and Skills submitted Document

“A” which reported on the take-up of early education places.  Recent expansion of funding for two year olds had meant that free early education places were now available to those children living in the poorest families across the district.  Evidence showed that two year olds in good and outstanding Early Years provision saw real benefits in terms of their early language skills and physical, social and emotional development.  Pre-schools, nurseries, school nurseries and childminders all played a vital role.

The report provided an annual update about how the take-up of early education was progressing following on from the previous information presented to the Committee on 9 June 2015.

It was reported that giving children a good education early on gave them the best possible start in life.

Members were informed that take-up of free nursery places in Bradford was higher than the national average, but further work was needed to get more disadvantaged families to make the most of the opportunity.

It was reported that the target of having at least 80 per cent of families taking up early education places had not been achieved but the 73% who did was higher that the national average of 70% and was up from the 66% take up in the district this time last year.

Members were informed that despite the advantages some families were still unwilling to take up the offer and more work was needed to engage with these families. The areas with the lowest take up were being targeted for more intensive marketing and outreach work by both the children’s centres staff and the Families Information Service.

It was reported that the percentage of families using their free spaces varied. Shipley and Bingley saw a take up of less than 60 %.  Some of the reasons for families not taking up places included thinking their child was too young, preferred children being looked after by extended family or that local nurseries were not for them.

The Ward with the highest take up was Wharfedale where almost 110% of eligible families took on free nursery places.

Members were informed that 96% of children accessing the free nursery place were in a provision graded good or outstanding. It was important that children accessed high quality provision if they were to benefit educationally. Any setting graded less than good by Ofsted was required to participate in the Local Authority quality improvement programme aimed at securing a “Good” grade at re-inspection. Nurseries judged inadequate had their funding for free nursery spaces withdrawn.

It was reported that the government was currently consulting on plans to introduce a new entitlement for up to 15 hours a week of funded childcare for 3 and 4 year old children of working parents from September 2017.  Currently, all three and four-year olds in England were entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare a year, which worked out as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Chair of the Committee will submit Document “B” which details the progress made against the resolutions passed by the Committee during the 2015-16 municipal year.

The Committee is asked to comment on areas where resolutions do not appear to have been acted upon or feel insufficient progress has been made.

                                                                        (Licia Woodhead – 01274 432119)

The Chair of the Committee submitted Document “B” which detailed the progress made against the resolutions passed by the Committee during the 2015-16municipal year.

Resolved-

That the Chair and Deputy Chair consult with officers on areas where

resolutions do not appear to have been acted upon.         

Action:          Overview and Scrutiny Lead

The Chair of the Committee will submit Document “C” which presents the Committee’s draft Work Programme for 2016/17.

Recommended-

That the Work Programme 2016/17 continues to be regularly reviewed during the year.

                                                                        (Licia Woodhead – 01274 432119)

The Chair of the Committee submitted Document “C” which presented the Committee’s draft Work Programme for 2016/17.

A discussion was held on the referral from Council which asked the Committee to undertake a comprehensive and robust review of the Council’s approach to elective home education in which the safeguarding of children was central.

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services reported that he could provide a report to Members which included an overview of children who were not in mainstream education, missing education and home education at its meeting in July, which may help with the focus of the review.

Resolved-

(1)       That the Work Programme 2016/17 continues to be regularly reviewed during the year.

(2)       That the Strategic Director, Children’s Services provide a report to the Committee’s meeting in July which includes an overview of children who are not in mainstream education, missing education and home education.       

Action:          Strategic Director, Children’s Services