NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL

 

17 MAY 2023

 

STATEMENT OF CHAIR

 

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

 

 

Skelton Newby Hall Church of England Primary School

 

Under Public Questions or Statements, the Chair of Skelton Cum Newby Parish Council,

Mr. Guy Critchlow had submitted a statement to the Committee.

 

Mr. Critchlow related the statement to the Committee in person.

 

The statement focused on the Sustainable Future Plan for Skelton Newby Hall Primary School and sought the support of this Committee for when the proposal to cease to maintain the Schools is considered by the Executive.  Mr. Critchlow stated that he was representing the views of both the Parish Council and the community of Skelton-on-Ure.

 

Amanda Newbold, Assistant Director for Education and Skills, noted the comments of the Parish Council, together with the fact that they had responded to the consultation, which closed on 24th February 2023.  All of the consultation responses would be included in the report to be presented to the Executive on 21st March 2023, when a decision would be taken as to whether to cease to maintain the School.  If the decision is to cease to maintain the School, anyone wishing to object to, or make comments on, the proposal would have four weeks from the date of the publication of the proposal to do so.

 

Questions from Councillor Andrew Murday

 

Councillor Murday asked a number of questions relating to the proposal to close five Children’s Centres, including one in his division.

 

Stuart Carlton, Corporate Director for Children and Young People’s Service, advised that the Executive Member with responsibility for this matter is Councillor Janet Sanderson – the Executive Member for Children and Young People and that Councillor Murday may wish to seek a written response from Councillor Sanderson to the questions he had raised.

 

The Corporate Director stressed that the Directorate is only consulting on closure of those Children’s Centres where they find there is no longer any use for them.  None of the Centres are currently open and there are other buildings nearby, with no detriment to provision.  There is a revenue cost associated with the Centres of £140,000 per annum.  The question has to be asked why this cost should continue to be incurred when the buildings are of no use, or the service can be provided elsewhere more cost-effectively.

 

His sense was that this is a straightforward, risk-free proposal, but he would direct Councillor Murday’s questions to the Executive Member for a written response.

 

Exclusions and Suspensions

 

We considered a presentation by Jane Le Sage, Assistant Director, Inclusion and Cerys Townend, Locality Manager, inclusion.

 

The presentation is available here

 

The key elements of the presentation outlined:-

 

-        Trends

 

-        The impact of exclusions

 

-        The support available

 

-        Future intentions

 

Officers responded to a number of questions from Members including:-

 

·           Whether COVID has accelerated the situation

 

·           Whether there is a split between Academies and Schools in the number of exclusions/suspensions

 

·           The support received by parents

 

Education Update

 

Amanda Newbold, Assistant Director for Education and Skills and Howard Emmett,  Assistant Director, Strategic Resources made a presentation, which is available here:-

 

It covered three main areas:-

 

-        School Organisation

 

-        Educational Performance for North Yorkshire

 

-        Financial Position for Schools

 

Officers responded to a number of questions from Members including:-

·           The tangible value on the benefit to Schools of the support from the Local Authority

 

·           Why small Schools are of such concern

 

·           To what extent the Local Authority can ensure that Schools do not inadvertently exacerbate the situation by taking decisions in a crisis

 

Jane Le Sage, Assistant Director, Inclusion

 

This being the last meeting of the Committee that would be attended by Jane Le Sage, Assistant Director, Inclusion, I conveyed the Committee’s thanks to her for the excellent work that she has undertaken for this Committee and its best wishes to her.

 

Looking ahead

 

The Committee considered its Work Programme in outline.  Items currently scheduled for our next meeting in June 2023 are:-

 

·           Annual Report of the Young People’s Champion

 

·           Early Years Sector Update

 

·           Growing up in North Yorkshire Survey

 

COUNCILLOR BARBARA BRODIGAN

 

4 MAY 2023