Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms, West Wing, Guildhall

Contact: Alistair MacLellan  Email: alistair.maclellan@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

There were no apologies.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

Declarations

Minutes:

Susan Pearson declared a general non-pecuniary interest as a Governor of Richard Cloudesley School, Islington.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 149 KB

To receive the terms of reference set by the Education Board at its meeting on 25 May 2017.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

Members received the sub-committee’s terms of reference.

 

RESOLVED – that the terms of reference be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 201 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2017.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 February 2017 be approved.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Grant Recommendations - City Educational Trust Fund (290840) & City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity (312836) pdf icon PDF 108 KB

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Chief Grants Officer regarding grant recommendations for the City Educational Trust Fund (290840) and the City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity (312836).

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

5a

Eligibility Criteria - The City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity and the City Educational Trust Fund pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Minutes:

Members noted that the eligibility criteria for the two charities would be discussed further elsewhere on the agenda.

 

RESOLVED – that the current Central Grants Programme assessment process, eligibility criteria and budget be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

5b

Due Diligence Checklist for Combined Education Charity and City Educational Trust pdf icon PDF 191 KB

Minutes:

Members considered the due diligence checklist for the Combined Education Charity and the City Educational Trust and the following points were made.

 

·         In response to a question, the Chief Grants Officer confirmed that there were separate checklists for individual applicants and for organisational applicants to complete, and that the existing forms could be amended to make the distinction clearer.

 

·         In response to a question, the Chief Grants Officer noted that he confirmed the details of financial accounts of organisational applicants as part of a financial review process, which was distinct from, but contributed to, the due diligence process.

 

RESOLVED – that the due diligence checklist for the Combined Education Charity and the City Educational Trust be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

5c

The City of London Corporation Combined Education Charity - Grant Recommendations pdf icon PDF 99 KB

Minutes:

Members considered the recommendations of the Chief Grants Officer regarding applications for grants from the Combined Education Charity and the following points were made.

 

·         The Chief Grants Officer noted that the eligibility criteria governing the Combined Education Charity adopted by the Education Board in early 2017 meant that no current applications could be recommended for approval. Whilst the four applications by individuals before Members could be considered eligible under the objects of the charity, they were ineligible under the current eligibility criteria.

 

·         Members noted that the intention of the current eligibility criteria had been to encourage applications from organisational applicants, with individual applications only being considered in exceptional circumstances.

 

·         The Deputy Chairman expressed caution in recommending the four applications for approval to the Education Board as exceptional cases to which the existing eligibility criteria should not be applied. Instead, the existing eligibility criteria should be revised to ensure that individual applications that were in line with the charity’s objects, and which could be considered exceptional, were also in line with the eligibility criteria.

 

·         The Deputy Chairman commented that, in her view, only individuals who otherwise would not qualify for mainstream funding should be eligible for consideration for funding from the charity. An example would be a working parent who wished to continue their education having already completed a part-time course.

 

·         Following further discussion, Members requested that the Chief Grants Officer redraft the existing eligibility criteria in line with comments made by Members, namely reducing the overall grant range from £25,000 to between £2,500-£10,000, continuing to make clear that individuals would only be considered for grants in exceptional circumstances, and that grants would only be provided to organisations or individuals operating in secondary, further or higher educational settings.

 

·         In response to a question, the Chief Grants Officer replied that the available

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5c

5d

The City Educational Trust Fund - Grant Recommendations pdf icon PDF 248 KB

Minutes:

Members considered the recommendations of the Chief Grants Officer regarding applications for grants from the City Educational Trust Fund. In response to a request from Members, the Chief Grants Officer agreed to amend the eligibility criteria to make clear that grants of up to £25,000 would be considered.

 

RESOLVED, that Members,

 

 

·         Approve a £17,000 grant to The Friends of the Guildhall Art Gallery (1115269).

 

·         Approve a £10,900 grant to Inspire! New Hackney Education Business Partnership Ltd (1111037).

 

·         Approve a £10,825 grant to Queen Mary University of London (exempt charity).

 

·         Approve a £25,000 grant to Raines Foundation School (14294).

 

·         Note the applications recommended for rejection,

 

o   Willow Brook Primary

o   Greenleaf Primary School.

 

·         Request that the existing Grants Policy and Funding Eligibility Criteria governing the City of London Corporation City Educational Trust Fund (290840) be amended in line with comments made by Members, and submitted to the Community and Children’s Services Committee for consultation, and the Education Board for approval. 

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

6.

Questions

Minutes:

Applications from the City Family of Schools

In response to a question from a Member, the Comptroller and City Solicitor noted that any application to the two charities by the City Family of Schools would need to be considered in light of any suggestion that such a grant would be of self-benefit to the City of London Corporation, as sponsor of the City of London Academies Trust. Less of a case could be made for grants to the City’s independent schools, as they were already directly funded by the City of London Corporation.   

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

Smithfield Music Trust

The Chairman noted that the Smithfield Music Trust, which was in receipt of a historic grant from the City of London Corporation’s Finance Committee, the body which previously governed the two charities, would likely seek to make another grant application once its current grant funding expired. Members noted that the current eligibility criteria prevented organisations in receipt of funding from the two charities to make further applications within five years of an original grant.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.