EDUCATION SERVICES COMMITTEE

TUESDAY 9 MARCH 1999 - 3.00 pm

Present:- Provost Allan, Councillors Robertson (A), Morrison (D), Clocherty, Jackson, Roach, Robertson (Y), Mulholland, Hunter and Campbell, Father T Boyle, Rev D McAdam, Church Representatives, Mr T Tracey, Parent Representative and Mr D Anderson, Teacher Representative, Councillor Robertson (Y), Convener, in the Chair.

 

In attendance:-  The Executive Director Education Services, the Executive Director Resource Services, Mr H McNeilly (for the Executive Director Legal, Information & Support Services), Mr A S Grant (for the Director of Central Services) and Mr A Gerrard (for the Head of Property Services).

 

Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Mitchell and Welch and Mr I F Milne.

 

Prior to the commencement of business, the Convener advised the Committee that authorisation to implement the proposed new Gourock Primary School development had now been received from the Secretary of State for Scotland  in terms of the Town & Country Planning (Development by Planning Authorities) (Scotland) Regulations 1981.

 

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

 

   273      REVENUE BUDGET 1998/99 - MONITORING REPORT                                                                    273

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 26 February 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the position of the Revenue Budget 1998/99 as at 6 January 1999.  The report advised that there was now a projected overall underspend of £97,940, £54,000 of which would require to be utilised to fund the unallocated library savings included in the 1998/99 budget process, as previously agreed by the Committee, resulting in a net underspend in Education Services of £43,940.

NOTED

 

   274      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - TECHNICAL PROGRESS                                                          274

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 12 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services on the technical progress of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

 

   275      CAPITAL PROGRAMME 1998/99 - FINANCIAL POSITION                                                            275

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 19 February 1999 by the Executive Director Resource Services on the financial position of the Capital Programme 1998/99.

NOTED

   276      ST STEPHEN'S HIGH SCHOOL - REPLACEMENT WINDOWS, PHASE 1 -                                   276

              USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE                                                                                      

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 18 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the issuing of an Architect's Instruction in the amount of £7,000 in respect of Phase 1 of the window replacement works at St Stephen's High School, Port Glasgow.

NOTED

 

   277      LARKFIELD/SACRED HEART PRIMARY SCHOOLS - REPLACEMENT WINDOWS,                  277

              PHASE 1 - USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE                                                                   

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 18 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the issuing of an Architect's Instruction in the amount of £14,265 in respect of Phase 1 of the window replacement works at Larkfield and Sacred Heart Primary Schools.  The report further advised that it was proposed to set the remaining savings of £10,000 in the contract against Phase 1 of the Larkfield Primary School re-roofing project which is £10,000 over the approved budget.

NOTED

 

   278      SECONDARY SCHOOLS INSULATION PROGRAMME -                                                                278

              USE OF EMERGENCY POWERS PROCEDURE                                                                                      

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 16 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services advising of the use of the emergency powers procedure as set out in Standing Order 66(a) to authorise the acceptance of the lowest tender received for the secondary schools insulation programme, which is funded by Scottish Office Spend to Save Allocation 1998/99, that by Holt Insulation Ltd in the sum of £55,220.20.

NOTED

 

   279      ST MICHAEL'S PRIMARY SCHOOL:  CONCRETE REPAIRS                                                           279

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 16 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services requesting authorisation to invite competitive tenders for concrete repair work at St Michael's Primary School.  The report advised that funding for the project, which was estimated at £45,000 including fees, would be provided by Scottish Office New Deal Allocation 1999/2000 in the amount of £35,000 and that the balance of funding required would be provided through savings made in Phase 1 of the window replacement works at Larkfield and Sacred Heart Primary Schools.

DECIDED:  That authority be granted to the Director of Central Services in consultation with the appropriate Officers to arrange for the invitation of competitive tenders for the concrete repair work at St Michael's Primary School.

 

        
   280      INVERCLYDE PARENTS' CONFERENCE 1999                                                                                 280

 

SUBMITTED:  Report dated 23 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services on the outcome of the recent Inverclyde Parents' Conference organised by Education Services.

DECIDED:

(a) That the successful outcome of the 1999 Inverclyde Parents' Conference be noted; and

(b) That it be noted that the Executive Director Education Services will prepare an action plan for Education Services in the light of the conference proceedings and will report to a future meeting of the Education Services Committee on developments.

 

   281      PRE-FIVE ADMISSIONS POLICY                                                                                                       281

 

SUBMITTED: Report dated 24 February 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services advising of a number of Government initiatives which will have an impact on Inverclyde's pre-five admissions policy as agreed by the Committee on 27 February 1997 (Para 244) and requesting the Committee to approve proposed amendments to the current admissions policy for all pre-five establishments within Inverclyde as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report be noted;

(b) That the revised priority bandings as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be approved;

(c) That it be remitted to the Executive Director Education Services to produce appropriate guidelines to assist in the implementation of the revised policy; and

(d) That the increased availability of "wraparound" provision for working parents at an appropriate scale of charges be approved.

 

   282      SPECIALIST PROVISION IN SCHOOLS - EXTENDING THE FRAMEWORK                                282

 

SUBMITTED: Report dated 1 March 1999 by the Executive Director Education Services on the contents of the Government's consultation paper on specialist provision in schools and setting out the response by Education Services to the proposals contained in the consultation paper.

DECIDED:  That the contents of the Government's consultation paper on specialist provision in schools be noted and the response by Education Services to the proposals contained therein be approved.