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THE INVERCLYDE COUNCIL

EDUCATION SERVICES COMMITTEE

THURSDAY 22 MAY 1997 - 3.00 pm

Present:- Councillors Morrison (D), Clocherty, Roach, Robertson (Y), Welch, Hunter and

Campbell, Father T Boyle, Mr G Hart and Mr I F Mime, Church Representatives, Councillor

Robertson (Y), Convener, in the Chair.

In attendance:- The Assistant Chief Executive (Social and Community Development), Mr A S

Grant (for the Director of Central Services), the Director of Education Services, Mr A Puckrin

(for the Director of Finance), Mr H McNeilly (for the Director of Legal Services) and the

Director of Property and Technical Services.

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Robertson (A), Nimmo and Mulholland.

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only. having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Committee.

616 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS 616

SUBMITTED: Report dated 28 April 1997 by the Director of Property and Technical Services on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1997/98.

NOTED

617 CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1997/98 - FINANCIAL POSITION 617

SUBMITTED: Report dated 6 May 1997 by the Director of Finance on the financial position of the Capital Programme 1997/98.

NOTED

618 CAPITAL BUILDING PROGRAMME 1997/98 AND FUTURE YEARS 618

SUBMITTED: Joint report dated 13 May 1997 by the Directors of Education Services and Property and Technical Services on the position of the 1997/98 Capital Programme, m particular advising of the proposal to contain anticipated over-expenditure of £122,000 for 1996/97 within the sums allocated for works at Port Glasgow High School in 1997/98, and setting out proposals for works to be undertaken at Port Glasgow High School, Inverkip Primary School, St Ninian’s Primary School and St Joseph’s Primary School and also through the education enhancement programme, agreed by the Policy and Strategy Committee on 4 February 1997 (para 169). The report also included details of priority works identified by the Director of Property and Technical Services considered necessary to ensure that education properties are wind and watertight to avoid closure under health and safety regulations, together with works required for education adaptations and to improve access for non-ambulant pupils within a number of schools.

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DECIDED:

(a) That it be noted that the over-expenditure of £122,000 in the 1996/97 Capital Programme will be contained within the allocation of £1,000,000 for works at Port Glasgow High School in 1997/98;

(1,) That the approval given by the Policy and Strategy Committee at its meeting on 4 February 1997 (para 169) to progress various projects be noted;

(c) That it be noted that despite the significant funding provided by the Policy and Strategy Committee, there are no resources available in the education capital plan for general items;

(d) That the significant deterioration in the condition of education establishments and the report by the Director of Property and Technical Services (Appendix 2 of the report) which estimates a Sum of £2,000,000 being necessary in future years to ensure education buildings are not closed, be noted;

(e) That the proposed allocation of £1,000,000 in 1997/98 provided for the education enhancement programme as set out in Appendix 5 be approved on the understanding that any future expenditure on the programme will require to be referred to the Policy and Strategy Committee for consideration;

(t) That the criteria proposed for the establishment of priority minor works/general items be agreed;

(g) That approval in principle be given to the priority list of general items set out in Appendix 3 of the report being progressed from the sum of £100,000 allocated in the capital plan, should additional resources become available during 1997/98;

(h) That it be agreed to delete from the capital plan, the proposed refurbishment of three branch libraries, the lift access to the central library and the Greenock Arts Guild refurbishment; and

(i) That the list of priority works identified by the Director of Property and Technical Services (Appendix 2) which are considered necessary to ensure that education establishments do not require to close be referred to the Corporate Resources Committee for its information and consideration as appropriate.

619 ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS 619

SUBMITTED: Report dated 15 April 1997 by the Director of Education Services setting out proposals with a view to the establishment of an overall framework of policy and principle within which to develop provision for children with special educational needs, advising of the current position with regard to access to primary and secondary schools for pupils with physical disabilities and recommending that the Committee adopt a policy in relation to the suitability of schools for pupils with physical disabilities and consider improving access to schools when funding becomes available.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted;

(b) That the policy “Every Child is Special” established by the former Strathclyde Regional Council be adopted as the overall policy framework for pupils with special educational needs;

(c) That the schools as detailed within Group 1 of Appendix 2 to the report be designated as having the most appropriate facilities for pupils with serious physical disability;

(d) That the schools detailed within Groups 1 to 3 be identified as schools with a range of facilities available to pupils with certain physical disabilities;
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(e) That consideration be given to the further adaptation of schools, in particular those identified in Groups 1 and 2, as and when funding becomes available; and

(f) That an information leaflet for parents be prepared by the Director of Education Services which will allow full and detailed discussion between education professionals and affected parents in advance of school placement.

620 SCHOOL HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS 1998/99 620

SUBMITTED: Report dated 30 April 1997 by the Director of Education Services requesting

the Committee to approve arrangements for school holidays for session 1998/99.

DECIDED: That the school holiday arrangements for 1998/99 be as follows:

Monday 17 August 1998 Teachers Return

Tuesday 18 August 1998 Pupils Return

Friday 9 October 1998 Close Mid-term
Monday 19 October 1998 Re-open

Wednesday 23 December 1998 Close Christmas
Thursday 7 January 1999 Re-open

Friday 12 February 1999 Close Mid-term

Tuesday 16 February 1999 Re-open

Thursday 1 April 1999 Close Easter

Monday 19 April 1999 Re-open
Monday 3 May 1999 Close May Day
Wednesday 30 June 1999 Close Summer

Monday 16 August 1999 Teachers Return

Tuesday 17 August 1999 Pupils Return

621 INVERCLYDE PARENTS’ CONFERENCE 621

SUBMITTED: Report dated 1 May 1997 by the Director of Education Services on the outcome of the recent inaugural Inverclyde Parents’ Conference organised by the Department of Education Services which was attended by parents from all sectors of education within Inverclyde and setting out proposals for future action.

DECIDED:

(a) That the positive outcome of the inaugural Inverclyde Parents’ Conference be noted;

(b) That the Director of Education Services explore the availability of resources with a view to encouraging and supporting parental initiatives to address the recommendations contained in the Scottish Office Education & Industry Department report “Improving Achievements in Scottish Schools” as they relate to the parents’ role and also the Inverclyde Regeneration Partnership’s strategic objectives in relation to raising achievement, partnership with parents and home/school links; and

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(c) That the Director of Education Services report to a future meeting of the Committee on related developments and also on a policy for Parental Partnership in Inverclyde.

622 PRE-FIVE PROVISION IN INVERCLYDE 622

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Education Services advising of the current range of pre-five provision within Inverclyde.

NOTED

623 EARLY INTERVENTION STRATEGIES: LIAISON ANT) INFORMATION TRANSFER 623 FROM PRE-FIVE ESTABLISHMENTS TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS

SUBMITTED: Report dated 30 April 1997 by the Director of Education Services on the work carried out by his Department to date in examining and implementing early intervention strategies to identify potential under-achievement at an early stage in primary school and to formulate proposals to promote achievement for all pupils.

DECIDED:

(a) That approval be given to a pilot project being undertaken using a standardised summative assessment report to monitor the development of the pre-five child;

(b) That the Director of Education Services examine the implications for the organisation of the Primary 1 curriculum;

(c) That the Director of Education Services also examine approaches to the assessment of Primary 1 pupils; and

(d) That a further report be submitted to the Committee in due course advising on progress made in these developments which represent significant components of the Council’s policy on Early Intervention.

624 BURSARY POLICY FOR ACADEMIC SESSION 1997/98 624

SUBMITTED: Report dated 30 April 1997 by the Director of Education Services requesting the Committee to determine its policy on bursaries to Inverclyde students in academic session 1997/98. There was appended to the report a draft of the Inverclyde Council Guide to Higher School Bursaries for Academic Session 1997/98 which it was intended would act as the Council’s master policy on bursaries and would provide a complete account of the provision available from the Council.

DECIDED:

(a) That the policy guidelines detailed in the report be adopted as the Inverclyde Council policy on bursaries for school session 1997/98; and

(b) That the proposed policy amendments with regard to (i) further education courses, (ii) scales and thresholds, (iii) attendance requirements and (iv) job seekers allowances be agreed.

625 PORT GLASGOW HIGH SCHOOL - EMERGENCY TEMPORARY PROPPING WORKS 625

SUBMITTED: Report dated 4 April 1997 by the Director of Central Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure set out in Standing Order 66 to authorise expenditure

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estimated at £8,000 for emergency temporary propping works at the home economics wing of Port Glasgow High School.

NOTED

626 RESOLUTION: EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS 626

On the motion of the Convener, it was agreed unanimously that, in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the undernoted item of business on the grounds that consideration of the item involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 8 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

627 SCHOOL TRANSPORT - TENDERS FOR SESSION 1997/98 627

SUBMITTED: Report by the Director of Education Services providing details of tenders received by Strathclyde Passenger Transport for school transport contracts which are due for renewal from session 1997/98. There was also circulated to the Committee, a supplementary report dated 22 May 1997 advising of the withdrawal of tenders submitted by a company and appending revised recommendations for acceptance. It was noted that the total cost of acceptance of the tenders, together with the seven contracts recommended for re-advertisement and existing contracts not due for renewal at this time, was estimated at £414,267 which was within the sum allocated in the Education Department’s budget.

DECIDED:

(a) That authority be delegated to the Director of Education Services to accept the revised recommendations made by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority for the award of school transport contracts amounting to £161,309 as follows: Glens Coaches

7005D - Greenock Academy - Shankland Road/Lansbury Street

7023C - St Columba’s High School/Gourock High School - Castle Levanne/Ashton Rd/

Albert Rd

7059B - Kilmacolm Primary School - Village

Clydeside Buses Limited

7010D - Highholm Primary School - Lansbury Street

7036E - Kilmacolm Primary School - Outlying Farms

Dunns Coaches

7016D - Overton Primary School - Lynedoch Street/Regent Street

7025E - St John’s Primary School - Robert Street

Lochview Transport

7022E - St Columba’s High School - Skelmorlie/Wemyss Bay/Inverkip

7067A - Sacred Heart Primary School - Branchton

7049B - St Columba’s High School - Burns Road

7052B - St Columba’s High School - Auchmead Road/Cumberland Road

7060A - St Columba’s High School - Branchton/Westmorland Road

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Glens Coaches

7045C - St Columba’s High School - Braeside

7061B - St Columba’s High School - Braeside

ABC Taxis

7058B - Port Glasgow High School - Priestside Cottage

7044C - Kilmacolm Primary School - South Lodge, Finlaystone Estate

Riverside Transport Training Ltd

7037C - Kilmacolm Primary School - Quarrier’s Village; and

(b) That authority be delegated to the Director of Education Services to accept Strathclyde Passenger Transport’s recommendations relative to the seven contracts which are to be the subject of re-advertisement, once these become available.