Agenda item

1.         Vaughan College

            Proposed by Councillor Riyait, seconded by Councillor Waddington:

“The University of Leicester is consulting on a proposal to close the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning. Having moved this provision from the Vaughan College building back in 2013, the University gave public assurances that the future of Adult Education in the 'Vaughan' tradition would be protected.

For 150 years the working class people of Leicester and Leicestershire have had access to high quality education through Vaughan, and in recent years the Centre's programmes have enabled mature and part-time students to gain qualifications from one of the finest universities in the world. The university's support of Lifelong Learning has transformed lives and enhanced the local economy and social well-being of the region.

The local economic action plan recognises that we cannot be successful as a city and county if we do not have highly skilled people. The Vaughan Centre is fulfilling this aim with over 350 students enrolled, the majority who are women.

The Council calls on the University of Leicester to withdraw its proposals to close the Vaughan Centre and to engage in an open and transparent discussion about  how we can all work together to protect adult education in the city and local region”.

2.         Stand Together

Proposed by the City Mayor, seconded by Councillor Sood:

“We are proud to live in a diverse and tolerant society. Racism, xenophobia and hate crimes have no place in our city and country. Leicester city council condemns racism, xenophobia and hate crimes unequivocally. We will not allow hate to become acceptable.

We will work to ensure that local bodies and programmes have the support and resources they need to fight and prevent racism and xenophobia.

We reassure all people living in the city that they are valued members of our community.”

2.         Opposition to Forced Academisation

Proposed by Councillor Russell seconded by Councillor Moore:

“This council meeting notes with great concern the proposal in the recently published education White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, which could force all schools to become academies, irrespective of each school's wishes.

This council meeting notes that the White Paper’s proposals –

-        would remove the requirement for schools to elect parent governors.

-        would require the transfer of land and buildings of such schools to central ownership by the Secretary of State.

-        do not include any say for parents and local communities over the future status of local schools.

-        would require over 17,000 schools to conduct costly and lengthy conversion exercises at an estimated national cost of over £1billion.

This council meeting further notes –

-        over 80 per cent of maintained schools have been rated good or excellent by Ofsted, while three times as many councils perform above the national average in terms of progress made by students than the largest academy chains.

-        the invaluable role of parent governors and the local authority in acting as ‘critical friends’ to both support and hold to account head teachers and schools.

-        the comments of The National Association of Head Teachers that plans to force every school to become an academy presented “a particularly high risk to the future viability and identity of small, rural, schools.”

This council meeting believes –

-        no single system of school organisation has a monopoly on success, and that a one size fits all model as proposed by the White Paper would not deliver the improvement in school standards and outcomes that this council wishes to see.

This council meeting therefore resolves to –

-        ask the City Mayor to write to the Secretary of State for Education expressing the concerns of the council as set out in this motion about the proposals to force all schools to become academies, asking her to demonstrate how the proposals will improve educational outcomes in Leicester.

-        ask the City Mayor to write to our local MPs expressing the council’s concerns and to seek their views on the proposal.

-        engage with head teachers, school governors, professional representatives, parents, and the wider local community to raise awareness of the Government’s proposals.”

10.1          VAUGHAN COLLEGE

Moved by Councillor Riyait, seconded by Councillor Waddington and carried:

16.       The University of Leicester is consulting on a proposal to close the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning. Having moved this provision from the Vaughan College building back in 2013, the University gave public assurances that the future of Adult Education in the 'Vaughan' tradition would be protected.

For 150 years the working class people of Leicester and Leicestershire have had access to high quality education through Vaughan, and in recent years the Centre's programmes have enabled mature and part-time students to gain qualifications from one of the finest universities in the world. The university's support of Lifelong Learning has transformed lives and enhanced the local economy and social well-being of the region.

The local economic action plan recognises that we cannot be successful as a city and county if we do not have highly skilled people. The Vaughan Centre is fulfilling this aim with over 350 students enrolled, the majority who are women.

The Council calls on the University of Leicester to withdraw its proposals to close the Vaughan Centre and to engage in an open and transparent discussion about  how we can all work together to protect adult education in the city and local region.

10.2          STAND TOGETHER

With the consent of the Lord Mayor and Council this motion was withdrawn.

10.3          OPPOSITION TO FORCED ACADEMISATION

Moved by Councillor Russell, seconded by Councillor Dr Moore and carried:

17.       This council meeting notes with great concern the proposal in the recently published education White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, which could force all schools to become academies, irrespective of each school's wishes.

This council meeting notes that the White Paper’s proposals–

-        would remove the requirement for schools to elect parent governors.

-        would require the transfer of land and buildings of such schools to central ownership by the Secretary of State.

-        do not include any say for parents and local communities over the future status of local schools.

-        would require over 17,000 schools to conduct costly and lengthy conversion exercises at an estimated national cost of over £1billion.

This council meeting further notes –

-        over 80 per cent of maintained schools have been rated good or excellent by Ofsted, while three times as many councils perform above the national average in terms of progress made by students than the largest academy chains.

-        the invaluable role of parent governors and the local authority in acting as ‘critical friends’ to both support and hold to account head teachers and schools.

-        the comments of The National Association of Head Teachers that plans to force every school to become an academy presented “a particularly high risk to the future viability and identity of small, rural, schools.

This council meeting believes –

-        no single system of school organisation has a monopoly on success, and that a one size fits all model as proposed by the White Paper would not deliver the improvement in school standards and outcomes that this council wishes to see.

This council meeting therefore resolves to –

-        ask the City Mayor to write to the Secretary of State for Education expressing the concerns of the council as set out in this motion about the proposals to force all schools to become academies, asking her to demonstrate how the proposals will improve educational outcomes in Leicester.

-        ask the City Mayor to write to our local MPs expressing the council’s concerns and to seek their views on the proposal.

-        engage with head teachers, school governors, professional representatives, parents, and the wider local community to raise awareness of the Government’s proposals.

10.4          CHILDREN’S CARDIAC SERVICES AT GLENFIELD HOSPITAL

The Lord Mayor noted that he had agreed to the following motion as a matter of urgency in the light of the recent proposals from NHS England.

Proposed by Councillor Singh and seconded by Councillor Chaplin:

This Council strongly supports the work of the Children's Cardiac Services specialist centre of national excellence based at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester and expect the services to be retained, consolidated and further developed to the benefit of the City, County and the Region. That the Health and Wellbeing Board collaborates with other authorities and interested organisations to make representations to NHS England and the Government to oppose the decision to cut these specialist services which are vital to hundreds of children.

AN AMENDMENT

Moved by Councillor Dempster and seconded by Councillor Westley:

Preamble

Whilst the Health & Wellbeing Board can consider this matter and make representations and the chair has already done so, it is the Joint Health Scrutiny Committee of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland that has the formal powers as set out in legislation (The Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013) to refer this decision to the Secretary of State for Health. Therefore it would be appropriate for this motion to recognise this and to agree a mandate for that process to commence.

Amendment

Add to the motion:

This Council resolves to refer this matter to the Health Scrutiny Commission of Leicester City Council and to request that a meeting of the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meets to consider this matter and proceeds to make a formal referral to the Secretary of State for Health as per the powers set out in The Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013.

Councillor Singh as the proposer of the original motion confirmed to the Lord Mayor and council that he was willing to accept the amendment.

AMENDED MOTION TO READ

18.       This Council strongly supports the work of the Children's Cardiac Services specialist centre of national excellence based at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester and expect the services to be retained, consolidated and further developed to the benefit of the City, County and the Region.  That the Health and Wellbeing Board collaborates with other authorities and interested organisations to make representations to NHS England and the Government to oppose the decision to cut these specialist services which are vital to hundreds of children.

            This Council resolves to refer this matter to the Health Scrutiny Commission of Leicester City Council and to request that a meeting of the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Joint Health Scrutiny Committee meets to consider this matter and proceeds to make a formal referral to the Secretary of State for Health as per the powers set out in The Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013.

            The Lord Mayor put the now Substantive (as amended) Motion to the vote and declared it carried.