Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from the Rt. Hon Lord Mayor, Alderman Peter Estlin, Keith Bottomley and Veronica Wadley.

There were no declarations.

To agree the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 8 November 2018.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 8 November 2018 were approved as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered the Town Clerk’s report on outstanding actions.

The following matters were raised:-

·         The recommendation in item 2/2018/P would be raised at the upcoming COLAT Board meeting and a verbal report to the Education Board would be provided at the Board’s March Away Day.

·         On item 3/2018/P the Board was informed that the drafting of a guidance note had commenced. The final version would be emailed to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Education Board once completed, and following their approval shared with the Chairmen of Governors across the City Corporation’s sponsored academies.

·         On item 7/2018/P, it was requested that the applications from academies on proposed interventions using the 2019/20 City Premium Grant be considered at the May 2019 Board meeting. It was requested that the City Premium Grant applications for the following academic year be submitted to every May Board s a regular item.

·         Reports on items listed within 12/2018/P would be brought to the July 2019 Board.

·         On item 13/2018/P, it was requested that the evaluation report of the interventions funded by the City Premium Grant for the previous academic year be submitted to every November Board as a regular item. Item 7/2018/P was assumed into item 13/2018/P.

·         Item 14/2018/P be assumed into item 12/2018/P.

·         Item 15/2018/P was to go to the March 2019 Court.

·         Item 16/2018/P on School Places Demand Projections Report to be submitted to the Board every July.

The following items were deemed complete subject to the above comments: 1/2018/P; 2/2018/P; 3/2018/P; 4/2018/P; 5/2018/P; 6/2018/P; 7/2018/P; 8/2018/P; 9/2018/P; 10/2018/P; 11/2018/P; 13/2018/P; and 16/2018/P.

RECEIVED.

To receive the minutes of the Education Charity Sub (Education Board) Committee meeting held on 12 November 2018.

That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 12 November 2018 were noted.

RECEIVED.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members had before them the report of the Town Clerk on the annual review of the Board’s terms of reference and the following points were made.

·         Members agreed that the Board should meet on six occasions per year, consisting of five formal meetings held on the same day as Court, and an annual Board Away Day.

·         That future Board meetings commence at 10 a.m. on the day of Court of Common Council.

·         In line with the Education Board’s three strategies (the Education Strategy 2019-2023, the Skills Strategy 2018-23; and the Cultural and Creative Learning Strategy 2018-2023), the Board suggested the terms of reference include mention of skills and employability and cultural and creative learning. the Board suggested it include mention of skills and employability within their Terms of Reference. The Board noted, however, that it wished to do so in a way that did not encroach on the work of the Policy & Resources Committee. The Town Clerk to draft appropriate wording.

RESOLVED – that the terms of reference and frequency of meetings be agreed as per comments made by Members.

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

Members had before them a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on governor appointments.

The following matters were raised:-

·         The Chairman noted the terms of office of governors across the Family of Schools and commented on the benefits of governors’ terms of office aligning with the academic year. It was agreed that this, and other matters relating to governing bodies in the Family of Schools, would be considered as part of the Governance Review being discussed at the Board’s Away Day in March 2019.

·         That the Chairmen of the City Corporation’s three independent schools, the Chairman of the City of London Academies Trust Boar and the CEO of the City of London Academies Trust, as well as the Chairmen of the two co-opted sponsored academies governing bodies would be invited to the Governance Review item at the Education Board Away Day in March 2019.

RESOLVED – That

(a)  the appointment of Professor Richard Verrall as Chairman to the City of London Academy Islington governing body be noted;

(b)  the appointment of Clare Tunley, Nick Worsley and Christopher Hill to the City of London Academy Highbury Grove governing body be noted;

(c)   the appointment of Simon Beck to Newham Collegiate Sixth Form governing body be noted;

(d)  the appointment of Shravan Joshi to City of London Academy Southwark governing body be noted;

(e)  the biographies of the City school’s governing bodies set out in appendix 1 be noted; and

(f)    the Terms of Office and membership for the City Family of Schools governing bodies set out in appendix 2 be noted.

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

The Members had before them a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding education activities.

The following matters were raised:-

·         The Board were unclear which of the events run by the Education Unit that Board Members were invited to attend. It was raised that the Chairman of governing bodies across the Family of Schools as well as the trustees of the City of London Academies Trust should be invited to attend events where possible.

·         The Board requested that officers draft a note on the in principle invitees to Education Board funded events for approval at a later Board. It was noted that officers could then use their discretion based on the agreed principles when organising events, taking into account capacity and budget.

RECEIVED.

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

The Board considered the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the budget update for 2018/19.

The following matters were raised:-

·         That a “save the date” notification go to all Members for the June 2019 Careers Festival.

RECEIVED.

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

Members agreed to take item 19 (City of London Academies Trust Southwark Local Governing Body Governance Pilot Interim Review) at this point in the agenda.

RESOLVED – That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item 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.

The Board considered the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the interim review of the City of London Academies Trust Southwark Local Governing Body Governance Pilot.

On conclusion of this item the Board continued in public session with item 10 (Guildhall School of Music and Drama Update on the Impact of Scholarships/Bursaries 2018/19).

Report of the Vice-Principal & Director of Advancement at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Members had before them a report of the Vice-Principal & Director of Advancement at Guildhall School of Music and Drama on the impact of scholarships and bursaries for the school year 2018/2019. Members noted that a further report would be submitted to the Board in July 2019.

RECEIVED.

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

The Board considered the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on enhancing sport engagement.

The following matters were raised:-

·         The Board felt that sport formed a fundamental part of education and that they should suggest encompassing it within the Board’s strategic remit as the area had not been taken on by other committees.

·         The Board noted that sports engagement was wider than education, and requested therefore requested that officers liaise with the Chairman of Policy & Resources and the Town Clerk to reflect on whether the necessary internal structures and resources  are in place to enable the Board to include sports engagement within its remit.

RECEIVED.

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

The Board noted the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on Governance Review.

RECEIVED.

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

The Director of Community and Children’s Services updated the Board on Published School Results of the City’s Family of Schools.

The following matters were raised:-

·         the Board acknowledged the significant collective progress made by disadvantaged pupils at City sponsored academies.

·         a Member raised the question of how the City Corporation and the COLAT could share its best practice and learnings beyond the Family of Schools. It was suggested that this might take the form of a conference and would be especially useful for the liveries. The Board requested that appropriate livery representatives should be invited to an Education Briefing.

RECEIVED.

There were no questions.

On urgent items relating to the Board’s work the following was raised:-

Proposed Summer Enrichment Programme

The Board received an update from the Director of Community and Children’s Services on a proposed Summer Enrichment Programme which had just been endorsed by the Policy & Resources Public Relations and Economic Development Sub-Committee. A short note was tabled for the Board’s attention. The Board agreed in principle to endorse the programme subject to discussions between officers, the Chamberlain and Town Clerk with respect to funding arrangements. The Board also requested that a full report, with funding detail and evaluation proposals included, be brought to the March Away Day as a special item for approval.

C4 Festival

The Chairman highlighted that the Career’s Festival in June currently clashes with a room booking for the Planning & Transportation meeting. It was requested that the Town Clerk ensure that the Livery Hall is made available on 17-18 June 2019 for the purposes of the Career’s Festival.

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.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2018.

RESOLVED - The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2018 were approved as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Board considered the Town Clerk’s report on outstanding non-public actions.

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

Members had before them the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the proposed itemised Education Board Budget for the 2019/20 financial year.

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

The Board considered the report from the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the City Premium Grant Funding Round allocations to academies.

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

The Board considered the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the letter received from the Hackney Learning Trust in December 2018.

There was one non-public question related to the work of the Board.

There were no items of urgent business.