Agenda and Minutes

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 15th November 2009.

Agreed that the draft minutes be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of personal and prejudicial interest in any of the matters to be considered at the meeting.

On item 2, the Chairman invited members of the Committee to declare, at this stage, any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in any items on the agenda.

Councillor Mrs Dunn declared a personal, but not prejudicial, interest in item 10 (Paper No. 10-82) in that her children attended one of the schools referred to in the report.

Councillor Gasser declared a personal, but not prejudicial, interest in item 16 (Paper No. 10-88) in that her children attended Chestnut Grove School.

To receive joint report by the Director of Housing and the Director of Children’s Services on the updated joint protocol “Working Together with Children, Young People and Their Families between the Department of Children’s Services and the Housing Department” (Attached – Paper No. 10-75).

This report is also being considered by the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 19th January 2010.

On item 3, (Paper No. 10-75), the Director of Housing gave a presentation on the Department’s work with children and families. He then answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-75 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on the proposed Child Poverty Strategy (Attached – Paper No. 10-76).

On item 4, (Paper No. 10-76), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – (a) That the action plan be circulated to the Committee for their information;

(b) that a report reviewing progress against the plan be brought to committee in approximately a year’s time; and

(c) that the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-76 be supported.

To receive report by the Director of Children’s Services on the outcome of the Ofsted Children’s Services annual rating under the new Comprehensive Area Assessment arrangements (Attached – Paper No. 10-77).

On item 5, (Paper No. 10-77), the Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, extended his congratulations to officers on their contribution to the successful outcome of the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-77 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on the progress of the Council’s Building Schools for the Future project (Attached – Paper No. 10-78).

On item 6, (Paper No. 10-78), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-78 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on arrangements to provide additional primary school places in the Borough (Attached – Paper No. 10-79).

On item 7, (Paper No. 10-79), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

The Committee noted that Hotham Primary School should have been included in the list of four schools where expansion schemes have already been approved.  They also noted that they had received several letters and e-mails from parents raising concerns about the proposals relating to Belleville School but that no firm proposal was being put forward at this stage. A report with further proposals would be submitted to Committee in February.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-79 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on the outcome of the publication of a statutory notice on proposals to admit two year olds to Greenmead School, SW15 (West Putney), Linden Lodge School, SW19 (West Hill) and Paddock School, SW15 (Roehampton and West Putney) and to increase the capacity of Paddock School (Attached – Paper No. 10-80).

  On item 8, (Paper No. 10-80), it was

  RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-80 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on proposals to improve the swimming facilities at Southfields Community College, SW18 (Southfields) (Attached – Paper No. 10-81).

On item 9, (Paper No. 10-81), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-81 be supported.

To receive report by the Chief Executive and Director of Administration on the meeting of the Education and Standards Group held on 9th November 2009 (Attached – Paper No. 10-82).

  On item 10, (Paper No. 10-82), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

  It was then

  RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-82 be received as information.

To receive report by the Chief Executive and Director of Administration on the meeting of the Education and Standards Group held on 15th December 2009 (Attached – Paper No. 10-83).

  On item 11, (Paper No. 10-83), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

  It was then

  RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-83 be received as information.

To receive report by the Director of Children’s Services on the Annual Quality Performance Review of the work of the Early Years Services for 2008/09 (Attached – Paper No. 10-84).

On item 12, (Paper No. 10-84), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and advised that on paragraph 8 (a) (iii), the children’s centres would be operational by March 2010 and that on paragraph 22, Eastwood Nursery School had now relocated to 168 Roehampton Lane.  He then answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-84 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on the proposal to create a new Play and Extended Services Section within the Department of Children’s Services (Attached – Paper No. 10-85).

This report is also being considered by the General Purposes Committee at their meeting on 27th January 2010.

On item 13, (Paper No. 10-85), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-85 be supported.

To receive report by the Director of Children’s Services on the progress of the Extended School initiative (Attached – Paper No. 10-86).

  On item 14, (Paper No. 10-86), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

  It was then

  RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-86 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on the Government’s Consultation ‘Children’s Trusts: statutory guidance on the co-operation arrangements, including the Children’s Trust Board and the Children and Young People’s Plan’ (Attached – Paper No. 10-87)

On item 15, (Paper No. 10-87), it was

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-87 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on progress in establishing Elliott School, SW15 (West Putney) as a National Challenge Trust School (Attached – Paper No. 10-88).

On item 16, (Paper No. 10-88), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report. He advised that following their recent meetings, the governing bodies of Chestnut Grove and Ernest Bevin had approved the Trust proposals.  He then answered Members’ questions.

It was then

  RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-88 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on the transfer of funding for post-16 education provision (Attached – Paper No. 10-89).

This report is also being considered by the General Purposes Committee at their meeting on 27th January 2010.

On item 17, (Paper No. 10-89), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and advised Members that the Council had now received notification of the funding arrangements for 2010/11 and that £258,000 would be provided for staffing and £19,500 would be provided for backroom functions. He then answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-89 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on proposals for the reconfiguration of services for adolescents in Wandsworth (Attached – Paper No. 10-90).

This report is also being considered by the General Purposes Committee at their meeting on 27th January 2010.

On item 18, (Paper No. 10-90), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-90 be supported.

To receive report by the Director of Children’s Services on the annual review of the Council’s service delivery of student support for 2009/10 (Attached – Paper No. 10-91).

On item 19, (Paper No. 10-91), it was

RESOLVED - That the contents of Paper No. 10-91 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services seeking additional staffing for the Pupil Services Section to fulfil new statutory requirements from 2010/11 (Attached – Paper No. 10-92).

This report is also being considered by the General Purposes Committee at their meeting on 27th January 2010.

On item 20, (Paper No. 10-92), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-92 be supported.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on a review of fixed term posts (Attached – Paper No. 10-93).

This report is also being considered by the General Purposes Committee at their meeting on 27th January 2010.

On item 21, (Paper No. 10-93), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-93 be supported.

To receive report by the Director of Children’s Services on the Education of Children Looked After (Attached – Paper No. 10-94).

On item 22, (Paper No. 10-94), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED - That the contents of Paper No. 10-94 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on a proposal to reconfigure the Wandsworth Educational Psychology Service to become the multi-disciplinary Wandsworth Schools and Community Psychology Service (Attached – Paper No. 10-95).

On item 23, (Paper No. 10-95), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-95 be supported.

To receive report by the Director of Children’s Services on the Annual Quality and Performance Review of the work of the Education Welfare Service (Attached – Paper No. 10-96).

On item 24, (Paper No. 10-96), the Director of Children’s Services introduced the report and answered Members questions.

  It was then

  RESOLVED –  (a) that the action plan and performance measures be circulated to Members; and

(b) that the contents of Paper No. 10-96 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on a budget variation for the Healthy Schools programme (Attached – Paper No. 10-97).

On item 25, (Paper No. 10-97), it was

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-97 be supported.

To receive report by the Director of Finance on the Children and Young People’s Services Revenue Budget 2009-13 (Attached – Paper No. 10-98).

  On item 26, (Paper No. 10-98), the Director of Finance introduced the report and answered Members’ questions.

  It was then

  RESOLVED – That the contents of Paper No. 10-98 be received as information.

To consider report by the Director of Children’s Services on proposed changes to the Fair Funding arrangements for 2010-11 (Attached – Paper No. 10-99).

On item 27, (Paper No. 10-99), it was

RESOLVED – That the recommendations in paragraph 3 of Paper No. 10-99 be supported.

To receive report by the Chief Executive and Director of Administration on the draft minutes of the meeting of the Wandsworth Schools Forum held on 7th December 2009 (Attached – Paper No. 10-100).

On item 28, (Paper No. 10-100), it was

RESOLVED - That the contents of Paper No. 10-100 be received as information.

To receive report by the Chief Executive and Director of Administration on arrangements for the appointment of Parent Governor Representatives (Attached – Paper No. 10-101).

On item 29, (Paper No. 10-101), it was

RESOLVED - That the contents of Paper No. 10-101 be received as information.

To receive report by the Chief Executive and Director of Administration on the draft minutes of the Admissions Forum held on 26th November 2009 (Attached – Paper No. 10-102).

On item 30, (Paper No. 10-102), it was

RESOLVED - That the contents of Paper No. 10-102 be received as information.