Issue - meetings

(a)       That the amendments to Forward Work Programme be approved;

(b)       That a copy of the Forward Work Programme be shared with Members of the Committee, once meeting dates had been identified for the suggested additional items; and

(c)        That the Education and Youth Overview & Scrutiny Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and officers, be authorised to vary the work programme between meetings, as the need arises.

The Education and Youth Overview & Scrutiny Facilitator introduced the report to consider the Forward Work Programme for the Committee.  She advised that following a suggestion from Councillor Nancy Matthews, an item on School Modernisation had been included on the agenda for the next meeting of the Committee to be held on 8 September 2016.  She also drew attention to the venue for the meeting to be held on 13 October 2016 which was Ysgol y Felin, Holywell, and said a tour of the facility would commence at 1.00 pm.

The Facilitator referred to the items  to be scheduled onto the Forward Work Programme and advised that the  Audit Committee had recommended that the conclusions of the review of the ETeach System be reported to the Education & Youth Overview & Scrutiny Committee.  She suggested that a workshop be arranged for the Committee in due course on data and self evaluation.              

During the course of the meeting it had been agreed that the following items would be added to the forward work programme:-

• ‘Child Centred Planning’ – and to invite school leaders piloting this scheme to the meeting;
• Resilience Statement
• Alternative Delivery Model for the School Music Service
• GwE Challenge and Support Programme
• GwE Development Programme

Councillor Nancy Matthews asked for information on what measures were taken if schools were not able to set a balanced budget.  Councillor Dave Mackie suggested that the school funding formula be reviewed to look at the budget that schools receive in comparison to what they spend.  The Finance Manager agreed that this would be a helpful process.  The Chair  asked what would happen if a licenced deficit exceeded the highest surplus held at another school.  The Chief Officer agreed to provide information on this query and the other matters raised by Members within the school balances report to be submitted to the Committee in November.  He also agreed to include information in the report on the work of the School Budget Forum around school budgets.

Councillor Nancy Matthews asked if the Committee could receive an update report on the School Meal Service.  It was agreed that the Facilitator would liaise with officers to identify meeting dates for the suggested additional items and send a revised forward work programme to the Committee to ask Members if they had any further items they wished to add.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the amendments to Forward Work Programme be approved;

(b)       That a copy of the Forward Work Programme be shared with Members of the Committee, once meeting dates had been identified for the suggested additional items; and

(c)        That the Education and Youth Overview & Scrutiny Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and officers, be authorised to vary the work programme between meetings, as the need arises.