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Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Executive Meeting Room - Third Floor, The Guildhall, Portsmouth. View directions

Contact: Lisa Gallacher 02392 834056  Email: lisa.gallacher@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

9.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Terry Norton, who had provided the following statement:

As well as my duties as a councillor and group spokesperson for Education I am a full time teacher requiring me to be at school during school hours.  Meetings are usually at 4pm as previously agreed, so I regret that I am unable to attend today's meeting. 

 

Councillor Horton apologised to Cllr Norton and explained that although these meetings are usually at 4pm to accommodate the opposition spokespeople, on this occasion it was not possible.  The outcome of the Dedicated Schools Grant report needed to be reported to schools by Friday 28 February and it had not been possible to schedule a 4pm meeting due to other meeting clashes this week.

 

10.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

Councillor Horton declared a personal and non-prejudicial interest as she is the Vice Chair of governors at Craneswater Junior School.

 

Councillor Coles declared a personal and non-prejudicial interest as he is on the Academy Advisory Board at Penhale Infant School.

 

11.

Dedicated Schools Grant Budget 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 410 KB

Purpose of report

To inform the Cabinet Member of the initial determination of the schools budget (including individual schools budgets) for 2020-21 and to seek the necessary approvals and endorsements required.

 

RECOMMENDED that the cabinet member:

 

a.      Approve the initial determination of the Schools Budget for 2020-21 as set out in Appendix 1.

 

b.     Approve the 2020-21 Special School, Inclusion Centre and Alternative Provision places as set out in Appendix 2.

 

c.      Approve the 2020-21 Element 3 Top-up rates for The Harbour Special School, Inclusion Centres (including the addition of an Element 3 Top-up at Trafalgar Inclusion Centre), and Alternative Provision settings as set out in Appendix 3.

 

d.     Approve the Solent Academies Trust proposal to increase the 2020-21 Element 3 Top-up rates for Solent Academies Trust to include an increase of 1.84% as set out in Appendix 4

 

e.      Approve the proposal that any carry-forward balances from 2019-20 be used to assist with the continued introduction of the funding reform changes and fund any potential financial pressures arising during 2020-21.

 

f.       Approve the local funding arrangements in respect of the two, three and four year old early years provision for 2020-21 as set out in section 7 and Appendix 5.

 

Minutes:

The report was introduced by Angela Mann, Finance Manager. 

 

In response to a question from Councillor Coles, Alison Egerton (Group Accountant) explained that the early years funding was funded on an hourly rate set by central Government. Portsmouth City Council then agree how to split the funding to give providers and how much to keep for the inclusion fund and any contingency required.    

 

Councillor Coles added that the SEND hub was a great initiative. 

 

Councillor Horton said this report had been thoroughly examined by the Schools Forum at their recent meeting and she was happy to approve all the recommendations. 

 

DECISIONS: the Cabinet Member approved:

a. The initial determination of the Schools Budget for 2020- 21 as set out in Appendix 1.

b. The 2020-21 Special School, Inclusion Centre and Alternative Provision places as set out in Appendix 2.

c. The 2020-21 Element 3 Top-up rates for The Harbour Special School, Inclusion Centres (including the addition of an Element 3 Top-up at Trafalgar Inclusion Centre), and Alternative Provision settings as set out in Appendix 3.

d. The Solent Academies Trust proposal to increase the 2020-21 Element 3 Top-up rates for Solent Academies Trust to include an increase of 1.84% as set out in Appendix 4

e. The proposal that any carry-forward balances from 2019- 20 be used to assist with the continued introduction of the funding reform changes and fund any potential financial pressures arising during 2020-21.

f. The local funding arrangements in respect of the two, three and four year old early years.

 

12.

Home to School Transport: consultation on policy for 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 171 KB

Purpose of report

 

To provide an update on the development of Portsmouth's approach to providing travel assistance and seek approval for the next stages of this work.

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member for Education agrees to:

 

a)     Consult on the revised Portsmouth travel assistance policies for children of statutory school age and post 16 learners. The revised draft policies and consultation letter are attached at Appendices 2-4.

b)     Delegate to the Director of Children, Families and Education responsibility for finalising the updated policies taking account of feedback during the consultation period.

c)     Note the proposed approach to the commissioning of home to school transport, where provided, which will be implemented fully from 1 September 2020. 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report was introduced by Julia Katherine (Head of Inclusion).  The reason for the proposed changes has come from feedback that has been received from young people with SEND as part of the annual survey.  Young people have said that learning to travel independently around the city is very important to them and they wanted to learn this skill while at school.   

 

The Cabinet Member queried why children aged 8 and over living between 2 and 3 miles from their nearest suitable school are not eligible for transport support under the statutory criteria.  Officers explained that this was the statutory guidance and it was the expectation that once a child reaches 8 years of age they should be able to walk for a longer distance to get to school.  This would affect a very small number of children in Portsmouth. 

 

 

DECISIONS: The Cabinet Member agreed to:

a) Consult on the revised Portsmouth travel assistance policies for children of statutory school age and post 16 learners. The revised draft policies and consultation letter are attached at Appendices 2-4.

b) Delegate to the Director of Children, Families and Education responsibility for finalising the updated policies taking account of feedback during the consultation period.

c) Note the proposed approach to the commissioning of home to school transport, where provided, which will be implemented fully from 1 September 2020.