The Strategic Director, Children’s Services will submit Document “AB” which  provides the Committee with an update on the progress to make the District’s three Outdoor Education Centres independent of the Local Authority and sustainable into the future.

Recommended-

(1)       That the Strategic Director of Children’s Services continue the work to make the three Outdoor Education Centres sustainable and independent of the Local Authority whilst ensuring a high quality outdoor education offer for children and young people. 

(2)       That the Committee notes the progress that has been made towards making the Centres independent and the timetable to complete the work by December 2018.

(3)       That the Committee notes the decision will be made by the Executive in June 2017 on the option to make the Outdoor Education Centres independent.

(4)       That the Committee notes that following the Executive decision progression towards implementation of governance arrangements will be overseen by the “Great Start, Good Schools” Priority Outcome Board.

                                                            (Phil Hunter – 01274 439575)

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services submitted Document “AB” which  provided the Committee with an update on the progress to make the District’s three Outdoor Education Centres independent of the Local Authority and sustainable into the future.

The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills gave a background to the report which included:

·         Outdoor Education Centres had been supported by the Schools Forum with grants in 2011/12 and in 2014/15.

·         These grants had enabled capital redevelopment works to be undertaken on the sites.

·         There had been a number of previous reports to Committees which had forecasted an investment and transfer date of April 2017, and whilst the majority of work had been completed, as with all capital programmes there had been some delays.

·         A high level plan had been included in the report which detailed the next planned steps.

·         Currently the 3 centres remained in the management of the Council, but it should be noted that the Nell Bank site also welcomed the support of the Nell Bank Silver Jubilee Trust, who already held leases and assets for the Nell Bank site.

·         The Nell Bank Silver Jubilee Trust as an organisation had made significant progress and investment in order to ensure they had an appropriate structure in place for the future at Nell Bank and were currently in the process of incorporating into the Nell Bank Charitable Trust. This was expected to be in place by April 2017, and it was the Council’s intention to continue to support the development of the Charitable Trust at Nell Bank.

She also reported on the next steps for the Centres which included:

·         Outdoor education was a very important element to the development of children and the Council was committed to ensuring that Bradford’s children continue to have access to the progressive pathways and high quality outdoor learning that the centres deliver.

·         The work on the future of the Centres was on going and required sound future governance arrangements,  the journeys to independence would require work to develop new business sustainability plans that: extended the use and offer of the Centres, that kept charges to users under review; that enabled the management of resources more effectively which put them in a strong position to attract other funding and grants to support their sustainability.

·         It was clear that the commitment to outdoor learning remained high within the district and whilst it was acknowledged there had been delays, there appeared to be a renewed vigour to support the Councils desire for the centres to become independent of the local authority.

In response to a Members question it was reported that the money allocated by the Schools Forum was one off money and the Centres would not continue to receive further funding; the capital works at the centres had been completed; the centres were now in a much more sustainable position; by the end of this year the three centres would break even;  Officers were confident that the centres would be viable in the future.

It was reported that the main cause of the delay in the target date of April 2017 had been due to capital works not being completed on time.

In response to Members questions it was reported that there had been an increase in bed nights for shorter stays at the centres which would continue to be developed.

Members acknowledged that building projects could fall behind but wished to know what work had been undertaken alongside the building work on the governance arrangements of the centres.

In response it was reported that Nell Bank were looking at a charitable trust status; Ingleborough Hall and Buckden House needed to develop there governance structures further.

It was reported that more work was being undertaken on the governance structures which would have progressed further by the time the report was submitted to the Executive in June 2017. 

Resolved-

(1)       That the Strategic Director of Children’s Services continue the work to make the three Outdoor Education Centres sustainable and independent of the Local Authority whilst ensuring a high quality outdoor education offer for children and young people. 

(2)       That the Committee notes the progress that has been made towards making the Centres independent and the timetable to complete the work by December 2018.

(3)       That the Committee notes the decision will be made by the Executive in June 2017 on the option to make the Outdoor Education Centres independent.

(4)       That the Committee notes that following the Executive decision progression towards implementation of governance arrangements will be overseen by the “Great Start, Good Schools” Priority Outcome Board.

Action:           Strategic Director, Children’s Services