Issue - meetings

Councillor Subedar submits a report proposing a realignment of the original review of primary education which emphasises raising standards and seeking approval to take forward work on a new pattern of admission to infant and primary schools and to defer for the time being any process of area review.

Councillor Subedar submitted a report proposing a re-alignment of the original review proposals for primary education.  The Cabinet was asked to support the deferring of the broader scope of the original review proposals, in particular the plan to undertake a rolling programme of area based reviews of the structure of primary education.  This would enable the service to focus more clearly on its primary purpose of supporting and challenging schools in addressing the agenda to raise standards.  It was proposed to take a more progressive approach to the removal of surplus places and to the amalgamation of separate infant and junior schools for the time being.  It was proposed however to take forward work on the strand of the original review regarding admission to school at 3 plus and 4 plus to address the education disadvantage and consequent depressed attainments for summer born children which were compounded by the current arrangements.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the outcome of consultation about first time admission arrangements, be noted;

(2)that approval be given for further work to be undertaken to investigate the feasibility of introducing a single date for first time admissions at 4 plus and to model a range of options for school based provision at 3 plus;

(3)that a further report be submitted on the outcome of the feasibility study and associated research;

(4)that a steering group of key stakeholders be established for both areas of work;

(5)that the area review process be deferred and instead amalgamations be taken forward where it was enabled by headteacher vacancies or at the request of governing bodies; and

(6)that approval be given to contract with an external provider to progress this work during the summer and autumn terms.