Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Alderman Peter Estlin, Stuart Fraser, The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor, The Lord Mountevans, Roby Blackwell, Tim Campbell and Helen Sanson.

The Chairman to be heard.

Members agreed to consider Item 5 (Appointment of a Co-Opted Member) first. The Chairman noted that Members would have reviewed the non-public minutes of the Nominations Sub (Education Board) Committee meeting held on 23 June 2016 that recommended Veronica Wadley be appointed.

RESOLVED, that Veronica Wadley be co-opted to the Board for a four year term concluding in July 2020.

The following interests were declared.

Deputy Catherine McGuiness – Governor, Christ’s Hospital

Ian Seaton – Governor, Christ’s Hospital

Henry Colthurst – Chairman of Mossbourne (…?)

To receive the Board’s amended Terms of Reference.

Members received the Board’s amended terms of reference.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 12 May 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 May 2016 were approved as a correct record subject to Chris Hayward’s apologies being recorded and a typographical error in item 5 (Proposed Model Governance Structure) being corrected.

Matters Arising

Proposed Model Governance Structure for City Academies

The Chairman noted that an item of work remained to be conducted on this area and a report would be brought to the Board outlining the scale of governor requirements in the City Family of Schools.

Action Sheet

Project Reporting

The Town Clerk noted that the Education Board was the spending committee for new-build City academies, but that project governance for existing academies was more complex and involved external parties. The Director of Academy Development agreed to develop an organogram outside of the meeting.

The minutes of the Nominations Sub (Education Board) Committee meeting held on 23 June 2016 were received.

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

Governors considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on the STEM offer at the City’s cultural institutions. The following comments were made.

·         The report should be circulated to all Governing Bodies in the Family of City Schools.

·         The emerging STEM offer should be highlighted with forthcoming Lord Mayors so that it could be promoted more widely.

·         The Education Board should promote STEM to the City Family of Schools and consider a report on STEM engagement in City Schools in July 2017.

Report of the Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries.

Members considered a report of the Director of Culture, Heritage and Libraries on improvements to a learning centre at Tower Bridge. The Head of Tower Bridge was heard in support of the paper and Members endorsed the proposal in advance of its submission to the Projects Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee.

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

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on priorities for academy expansion. The Chairman noted that the emphasis should be on ‘delivery’ of existing academies rather than expansion. The following comments were made.

·         The Deputy Chairman noted that he had raised the academy programme at the Audit and Risk Management Committee, and that Committee had agreed to include the programme in its work stream.

·         The Town Clerk agreed to bring an update report on the new City academies to the September meeting, so that the Board could update the Court of Common Council on the new City academies.

·         Members agreed that further expansion was not a priority at present and any further proposals for new academies would need to be judged in line with their local context.

·         The Chairman noted that Mark Emmerson had been appointed Chief Executive of the City of London Academies Trust, and that Marc Wolman (Transport for London) had been appointed as a Director on the Trust.

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

An updated Quality Assurance and Accountability Framework was received.

Report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Deputy Town Clerk on the implementation of the grants review ‘Education to Employment’ strand. The following comments were made.

·         In response to a question, the Town Clerk noted that there was a draw down on grant funding in 2017/18 as 2016/17 included a carry forward.

·         The Chairman noted that the grant criteria going forward should align with the Education Strategy. She queried whether funding Masters’ degrees represented the greatest positive impact for the grant monies.

RESOLVED, that Members

·         Note the agreed Education and Employment overarching funding theme and the level of funding available for the 2016-2018 Central Grants Programme (£267,876).

·         Agree that the existing eligibility criteria for the Combined Education Charity and City Educational Trust Fund remain in place until March 2017.

·         Comment on the current eligibility criteria, agree the Education Charity Committee review and implement any required amendments to the eligibility criteria for the 2017/2018 funding cycle (prior to the quinquennial review).

·         Note that the Policy and Resources Committee will approve the proportionate management fee for the Central Grants Programme resourcing.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning the appointment of an Education Charity Sub (Education Board) Committee. Its terms of reference were agreed subject to the quorum being amended to include at least one member from the Community and Children’s Services Committee.

RESOLVED, that Members

·         Appoint the Education Charity Sub (Education Board) Committee and agree the terms of reference, subject to the quorum being amended.

·         Appoint Randall Anderson and Deputy John Bennett to serve alongside the Chairman and Deputy Chairman on the Sub Committee.

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

Members received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services on revenue outturn for 2015/16.

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 Local Authority Designated Officer 2015/16 Annual Report.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members received a report of the Town Clerk on actions taken since the last meeting.

There were no questions.

City Academy Hackney – Sponsor Governors

The Deputy Chairman took the Chair for this item.

The Town Clerk noted that Virginia Rounding CC had stood down from the Board of Governors of the City Academy Hackney due to time pressures. The Academy and the academy co-sponsor KPMG had been consulted on a way forward and it was proposed that (a) Deputy Catherine McGuinness be appointed as sponsor governor and lead City Member for a further year and (b) authority be delegated to the Town Clerk to appoint to the vacancy on the City Academy Hackney Board after the usual advertisement process.

Great Fire Booklet

The Chairman highlighted a new Great Fire publication for use in schools that featured input from children at Redriff Primary School.

Cass Business School

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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 16 May 2016.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 12 May 2016 were approved subject to a clarification in Item 13 (Livery Schools Link Limited).

The non-public minutes of the Nominations Sub (Education Board) Committee meeting held on 23 June 2016 were received.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk on The City Academy Hackney Sixth Form Expansion – Standby Loan Proposal.

To consider a resolution from the Committee of Aldermanic Almoners, Common Council Governors and Donation Governors of Christ’s Hospital.

The Deputy Chairman took the chair for this item.

Members considered a resolution of the Committee of Aldermanic Almoners, Common Council Governors and Donation Governors of Christ’s Hospital.

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

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services on Additional Funding for City Academies.

Sir John Cass Primary School

In response to a question, Members received an update regarding Sir John Cass Primary School.

There were no items of urgent business.