Issue - meetings

That:

1)        the provisional policy stance on academies proposed in the report be adopted, and particularly the proposal to change any school’s licensed deficit to a loan;

2)        Officers be instructed to continue related discussions with the Department for Education;

3)        associated dialogue with schools and other stakeholders reflecting schools’ autonomous decision-making and current interest be maintained;

4)        consideration be given to the setting up of a Member task and finish working group to progress issues relating to the Policy.

The Executive considered a report setting out a provisional policy stance on academies in response to proposals that were due to be included in the forthcoming Education and Adoptions Bill.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services provided background to the proposed policy which had come about because of a number of changes coming forward including that central Government was proposing that all schools move to academies by 2020-2022 and the requirements of the Education and Adoption Bill.  In addition a consultation had been launched on the school funding formula which was proposing changing how schools would receive their funding including whether they would get this directly rather than through the designated schools grant.

Currently there were only 9 out of 65 schools in the Borough which were academies which although a small proportion of schools actually accounted for 32% of pupils and this would increase to 40% as there were two more academies opening in September.

Councillor Haitham Taylor explained that currently a number of schools had licensed deficits, which meant that they were spending more than they had in their budgets and therefore it was proposed to change the licensed deficits into loans which would make the Council’s position more secure in the longer term.  There would be significant financial challenges in moving schools to academies.  As the overall financial and resource implications of the proposed changes were still unclear at the present time a further report would be brought back when these were known.

Because of the amount of work involved in this project the Leader of Council asked Councillor Haitham Taylor to consider setting up a Member task and finish group to assist with the workload.

RESOLVED That:

1)        the provisional policy stance on academies proposed in the report be adopted, and particularly the proposal to change any school’s licensed deficit to a loan;

2)        Officers be instructed to continue related discussions with the Department for Education;

3)        associated dialogue with schools and other stakeholders reflecting schools’ autonomous decision-making and current interest be maintained;

4)        consideration be given to the setting up of a Member task and finish working group to progress issues relating to the Policy.