Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor, The Lord Mountevans and Stuart Fraser.

Christopher Hayward and Roy Blackwell declared an interest in Item 6 (Appointment of Multi-Academy Trust Directors) in light of their intention to stand.

The following standing declarations were made.

Deputy John Bennett

Barbican Centre Board

Board of Governors of the City of London Freemen’s School

Board of Governors of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Henry Colthurst

Board of Governors, Mossbourne Parkside Academy

Board of Mossbourne Federation

Member of Court of the Worshipful Company of Grocers

Reverend Dr Martin Dudley

City of London Academy Islington

Alderman Peter Estlin

Treasurer, Bridewell Royal Hospital - King Edward's School, Witley

Barclays LifeSkills, Senior Advisor

Guildhall Advisory Board (Business & Law Faculty of City University)

The Worshipful Company of International Bankers

Christopher Hayward

Member of the Court of Governors – Christ’s Hospital

Governor – Bridewell Royal Hospital

Governor – City of London School for Girls

Member of the Court of The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers

Deputy Catherine McGuinness

Board of Governors of The City Academy, Hackney

Castle Baynard Educational Foundation & Alderman Samuel Wilson Fund

United Westminster Schools Foundation

Board of School Governors and Council of Almoners, Christ's Hospital

Barbican Centre Board

Guildhall School Development Fund

The Worshipful Company of Educators

Alderman The Lord Mountevans

Board of Governors of the City of London Academy Islington

Council of Almoners, Christ's Hospital

Virginia Rounding

Board of Governors of The City Academy Hackney

Alderman William Russell

Board of Governors of the City of London School for Girls

Board of Governors of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Board of Governors of Knightsbridge Schools International

Board of Governors Knightsbridge School

Court of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers

Trustee of Place2Be

Helen Sanson

Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership

Ian Seaton

Board of Governors City of London Freemen’s School

Board of Governors City of London School

Board of Governors

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 December 2015.

The public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 December 2015 were approved as a correct record.

Matters Arising

Sir John Cass Foundation

The Director of Community and Children’s Services noted that the application deadline for primary places was 15 January 2016, and around 100 applications had been made to the school to date. DID WE UPDATE MEMBERS ON DECISION TO OPERATE A BULGE CLASS?

City Corporation Education Events

Members noted the short notice received for events such as the Prefects’ Dinner (12 November 2015) and the forthcoming City Schools Concert (26 January 2016) and reiterated their request that more notice be given to allow members of the Board to attend.

City of London Academies Multi-Academy Trust (MAT)

The Chairman and Deputy Chairman thanked officers for the work they had put into the ‘scaling up’ of the City of London Academy Southwark MAT to cover all of the City’s sole sponsored academies.

The Board received a list of Outstanding Actions.

City of London Corporation Governor Database

Members discussed the level of progress on the establishment and ongoing maintenance of a City of London Corporation database of prospective governors. The Chairman noted that there were two issues to consider, namely whether the Board should focus on maintaining a limited internal database or seek to establish a wider outward facing database that involved other City institutions. The Director of Community and Children’s Services agreed to bring a report back to the Board on the matter at its meeting in March 2016.

A member commented that the newsletter issued to the Livery after each Livery Committee meeting would be a convenient means with which to call for interested persons to come forward as potential school governors.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk on the Board’s annual review of its terms of reference. It was noted that the Board was not required to recommend academy appointments to the Court of Common Council for approval, and that the wording regarding the appointments to academies should be amended to encompass academy members, directors and trustees.

Members also decided to request that it be clarified in the terms of reference that the Board was entitled to appoint sub-committees to consider particular elements of its business.

Members also agreed to amend the recommendation concerning the Combined Education Charity to make clear that the Board maintained ultimate responsibility for setting its own priorities, amending the proposed text to ‘to take joint responsibility, with the Community and Children’s Services Committee, for allocating grants from the Combined Education Charity and City Education Trust.’

RESOLVED, that

·         The amended terms of reference be approved for submission to the Policy and Resources Committee and the Court of Common Council and that any further changes required in the run up to the Court’s appointment of Committees be delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman;

·         The proposed frequency of meetings (January, March, May, July, September and November) be agreed.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning the establishment of a Nominations Working Group. It was noted that, subject to the Court of Common Council amendment to the Board’s terms of reference, that future iterations of the NWG would be formal sub-committees.

RESOLVED, that

·         The proposed terms of reference be agreed;

·         The Town Clerk would circulate the existing skills audit to the Board so that it may be updated;

·         Virginia Rounding. Philip Woodhouse and Ian Seaton be appointed to the NWG alongside the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

The Town Clerk to be heard.

Christopher Hayward and Roy Blackwell withdrew for the duration of this item.

Members noted that the Court of Common Council had that day established the City of London Academies Multi Academy Trust (MAT) and that the Board was now required to nominate two of its number to sit on the MAT Board as Directors. The Town Clerk noted that Christopher Hayward and Roy Blackwell has expressed a desire to serve and, given no other member wished to stand, both were duly appointed MAT Directors.

RESOLVED, that

·         Christopher Hayward and Roy Blackwell be appointed as Directors of the City of London Academies Multi Academy Trust (MAT). DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER TERM LIMITS?

Report of the Town Clerk (to follow).

The Town Clerk tabled a paper regarding appointments to the Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) of the City of London Academy Southwark and Redriff Primary School. Members considered the personal statements of the applicants and made the appointments accordingly.

RESOLVED, that

·         Keith Bottomley be recommended by the Education Board to the City of London Academies Multi Academy Trust for appointment to the LGB of City of London Academy Southwark.

·         Jeremy Simons be recommended by the Education Board to the City of London Academies Multi Academy Trust for appointment to the LGB of Redriff Primary School.

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members considered an update report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the Education Strategy. The Director agreed to confirm that work placements referenced within the report were advertised, where relevant, to pupils in the City Family of Schools.

RECEIVED 

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the vision for the City of London Corporation’s Education Strategy. A member referenced the recent announcement by the Mayor of New York that he would be addressing a skills-gap in the city through a New Yorkers Task Force, using data provided by the JP Morgan Chase. Members discussed whether the forthcoming reconsideration of the Education Strategy’s vision statement should include an element of external peer-review of the City’s ambitions in education, and agreed that this would be feasible subject to cost.

RESOLVED, that

·         The action plan (tabled) be noted;

·         The proposal to consider the Education Strategy vision at a seminar in February 2016 be supported.

Joint Report of The Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members discussed a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services and the Chamberlain on the proposed budget allocation for financial year 2016/17. The Chairman commented that the current proposal was designed to ensure the Learning and Engagement Forum was sufficiently resourced.

In response to a comment from a Member, the Director of Community and Children’s Services agreed to ensure that the issue of mental health was promoted in the City Family of Schools and resourced accordingly.

RESOLVED, that

·         The proposed budget allocation for financial year 2015/16 be endorsed.

Report of the Director of the Community and Children’s Services.

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the City Corporation’s exam scrutiny panel meetings. Members endorsed the approach set out within the report and agreed that City academy co-sponsors should be involved in future scrutiny meetings.

In response to a comment from a member, the Education Strategy Director commented that the new City of London Academies Multi Academy Trust would allow for greater professional development opportunities for City academy staff, including staff from the joint-sponsored academies.

RECEIVED

Review of the City of London Academies Multi Academy Trust

In response to a question from the Deputy Chairman, the Director of Community and Children’s Services agreed that the new MAT would be reviewed in one year to ensure arrangements were satisfactory.

Annual Review of Governing Body Governance

In response to a comment from a member that each school governing body was expected to conduct an annual review of its governance, the Education Strategy Director replied that this was an item on the forthcoming agenda for the Headteachers’ Forum.

There were no items of urgent business.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Item(s) 15 and 16 - Paragraph(s) 3

RESOLVED – That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act as follows:-

Item 15 – Paragraph 3

Item 16 – Paragraph 1

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2015.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2015 were approved as a correct record, subject to an amendment in Item 17 (Due Diligence Reports on New School Proposals).

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding Un-validated KS4 RAISEonline data.

RECEIVED

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.