Agenda and minutes

Alderman William Russell, being the senior Alderman present, took the Chair until the conclusion of item 4 (Election of Chairman).

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy John Bennett, Alderman Peter Estlin, The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor, The Lord Mountevans, and Ian Seaton.

Tim Campbell declared a non-pecuinary interest in Item

To receive the White Paper from the Court of Common Council appointing the Education Board for the ensuing year.

The Board received the White Paper from the Court of Common Council setting out its composition and terms of reference for the coming year.

RECEIVED

To elect a Chairman in line with Standing Order (29).

The Board proceeded to elect a Chairman in line with Standing Order 29. Deputy Catherine McGuinness, being the only member indicating a willingness to stand, was therefore elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

To elect a Deputy Chairman in line with Standing Order (30).

The Board proceeded to elect a Deputy Chairman in line with Standing Order 30. Henry Colthurst, being the only member indicating a willingness to stand, was therefore elected Deputy Chairman for the ensuing year.

Both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman took the opportunity to thank the Board for its support. The Chairman paid particular thanks to David Taylor, the external Board member whose term had come to an end on 21 April 2016.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 March 2016.

Members agreed to vary the order of business, given the possibility of a quorum being lost during the meeting, so that items for decision were considered first.

The public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 March 2016 were approved as a correct record.

Education Breakfast Briefings

The Chairman noted that the Town Clerk was arranging for initial Education Briefings to be scheduled during June and July – these would not necessarily be restricted to morning breakfast briefings.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the appointment of a Nominations Sub (Education Board) Committee for the ensuing year. Members noted that external members of the Board would be welcome to serve on the Sub Committee and that its terms of reference should be adjusted accordingly. Given that the Board was awaiting its appointed members from both the Community and Children’s Services Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee, authority was delegated to the Town Clerk to make further appointments to the Sub Committee, under Standing Order 41, in advance of its first meeting.

RESOLVED, that

·         The following members be appointed to the Nominations Sub (Education Board) Committee for the ensuing year:

o   Catherine McGuinness (Chairman)

o   Henry Colthurst (Deputy Chairman)

o   Virginia Rounding

o   Alderman William Russell

·         The Nominations Sub (Education Board) Committee’s terms of reference be amended to permit external members of the Education Board to serve.

·         Authority be delegated to the Town Clerk to make further appointments to the Sub Committee, under Standing Order 41, in advance of its first meeting if required.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the management of the City Educational Trust Fund and the City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity. The Chairman emphasised that the policy governing grant making from the two charities would be set by the Education Board and not its Education Charity Sub Committee.

RESOLVED, that

·         The proposed amendments to the Education Board’s terms of reference be approved for onward submission to the Policy and Resources Committee and the Court of Common Council for final approval.

·         Authority be delegated to the Town Clerk, under Standing Order 41, to make any further amendments to the terms of reference deemed necessary prior to their submission to the Court of Common Council.  

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 proposed model governance structure for Local Governing Bodies (LGBs) of the City of London Academies Trust (COLAT). The following comments were made.

·         The Chairman noted that the final decision on governance was one for the City of London Academies Trust, but that nonetheless, the Trust would take into account any relevant comments made by the City of London Corporation as the COLAT sponsor.

·         The Chairman added that the Trust would likely welcome the views of Members regarding the number of Common Councilmen to be appointed to LGBs, and the term limits of both LGB members and Chairmen.

·         External appointees should share the City Corporation’s ethos and commitment to education. Their appointment should be made on the basis of the skills they brought to the City and could offer to the LGB.

·         External LGB governors should be sourced through School Governors One Stop Shop (SGOSS).

·         The Chairman of a LGB should be a sponsor governor but not necessarily a Common Councilman.

·         LGB Governors should serve a maximum period of three terms of three years on each LGB.  

RESOLVED, that

·         Members endorse the proposed model governance structure for Local Governing Bodies of the City of London Academies Trust, and that comments made by the Board be conveyed to the City of London Academies Trust Board ahead of their final decision.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk on the Appointment of a Sponsor Governor to the City of London Academy Islington. Members took the opportunity to designate Henry Colthurst and the lead City Corporation member on the City of London Academy Islington’s Board of Governors.

The Chairman noted her thanks, on behalf of the Education Board, for the work undertaken by the Reverend Dr Martin Dudley CC during his time on the academy’s Board of Governors.

RESOLVED, that

·         Authority be delegated to the Town Clerk under Standing Order 41 to consider applications received and appoint to the vacancy on the Board of Governors of the City of London Academy Islington.

·         Henry Colthurst CC be appointed the ‘lead’ City Corporation member on the Board of Governors of the City of London Academy Islington.

Report of the Chamberlain.

Members considered a report of the Chamberlain on Income Generation.

RESOLVED, that

·         The overall report be endorsed.

·         Recommendation (i) Central Support Services as set out in the report be noted.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 4 January 2016.

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(s) 12 – 14 Paragraph 3

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016 were approved as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding Livery Schools Link Limited.

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 City of London Academies Trust.

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

The public were readmitted for Items 15 – 23.

Members received an update report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the Education Strategy. The Chairman took the opportunity to note that she would be attending an interview with the Department for Education on 13 May 2016 regarding the planned applications for a number of City academies.

RECEIVED

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

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the recent Government white paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere. The Education Strategy Director noted that, since the report had been published, the Government had watered down its proposal that all schools should become academies by 2022 at the latest, but that other elements of the white paper remained of note for the City – particularly the changes to the Fair Funding Formula, which would have resource implications for the City.

RECEIVED

Report of the Town Clerk.

This is an updated version of the deferred report on the 3 March 2016 agenda.

Members considered and received a report of the Town Clerk on action taken since the last meeting.

RECEIVED

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

Members received a report of the Director of Economic Development on a Study Panel on the City’s role in supporting employability.

RECEIVED

Report of the Director of Economic Development.

Members received a report of the Director of Economic Development on developing a framework for the City of London Corporation’s work on employability.

RECEIVED

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

Members received a report on Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 results in City Schools. The Chairman noted that the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, would be visiting Sir John Cass on the morning of 13 May 2016.

RECEIVED

This report has been withdrawn.

The Town Clerk noted that this report had been withdrawn.

There were no questions.

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

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(s) 25-28 Paragraph(s) 3

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

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the Quality Assurance and Accountability Framework Monitoring Visits Spring/Summer 2016.

RECEIVED

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

The Town Clerk noted that Members were receiving this report as it had been deferred from the inquorate March meeting, and that it had since been superseded by Item 14 (City of London Academies Trust Update).

RECEIVED

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

Members received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services containing an analysis of City of London Corporation spending on education-related activities. The Town Clerk noted that a draft version of the report had been included in the May agenda in error, but that Members had received the correct version at its March meeting. He noted that the correct version had been tabled and that Members were welcome to pose questions outside of the meeting, or under Matters Arising at the July meeting.

RECEIVED

Project Reporting – City of London Corporation and the City of London Academies Trust

A Member was heard regarding project reporting between the City Corporation and the City of London Academies Trust.

Pupil Performance by Ethnicity  

A Member was heard regarding efforts to ensure performance across all ethnic groups in the City Schools was consistent.

Apprenticeship Levy

A Member was heard regarding the implications of the Apprenticeship Levy.