Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room - 2nd Floor West Wing, Guildhall

Contact: Polly Dunn  Email: polly.dunn@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Alderman Sir Peter Estlin, Benjamin Murphy and the Rt Hon. The Lord Mayor William Russell. Apologies for lateness were received from Deputy Philip Woodhouse.

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

2.

Members' declarations under the Code of Conduct in respect of items on the agenda

Minutes:

There were no declarations.

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

3.

Public Minutes pdf icon PDF 92 KB

To agree the public minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2020.

 

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

Minutes:

It was noted that Randall Anderson had also sent apologies for the meeting.

 

RESOLVED, that the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 16 January 2020 be approved as a correct record subject to an amendment to the apologies.

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

4.

Public Outstanding Actions pdf icon PDF 61 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

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

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Town Clerk regarding the Board’s public outstanding actions. The following matters were raised:

 

·         6/2019/P – The Summer Enrichment Programme evaluation report would be considered at item 10 on the agenda.

 

·         It was noted that a report on Pupil Numbers would be submitted for the May 2020 meeting. It was hoped that relevant data would be available in time to allow for this subject to be considered in May on an annual basis.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

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

5.

Governor Appointments Update pdf icon PDF 72 KB

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

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 

There was discussion about the number of upcoming vacancies on Local Governing Bodies (LGB) of academies in City of London Academies Trust (CoLAT), where the terms of office would expire in August 2020. Members noted that Chairs of Governors had been contacted regarding the vacancies and advised to ensure that any extension of existing terms would be staggered to ensure a steady succession of governors. The Education Board endorsed an appointments approach that would ensure staggered terms that aligned with the academic year. More detail about the vacancies and skills requirements of the various LGBs was being collated and would be sent to Members in due course to enable them to make any recommendations to the Education Unit for forwarding to CoLAT.

 

It was noted that the Education Board was not required to approve any Governors which was within the remit of CoLAT but was required to approve individual Chairmen of LGBs.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

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

6.

Report of Action Taken Between Meetings pdf icon PDF 67 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

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

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Town Clerk regarding action taken between meetings.

 

Members were invited to advertise the Combined Education Charity and City Education Trust Fund. The City Grants Unit was requested to provide an update of existing channels used to promote the grants.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

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

7.

Culture Mile Learning Update pdf icon PDF 56 KB

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

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding Culture Mile Learning.

 

Members briefly discussed the valuable ongoing work with excluded children from Pupil Referral Units.

 

A Member requested that the Benefices Sub-Committee be included in the programme of work involving NEETs (those not in education, employment or training).

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

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

8.

Review of funding to The Guildhall School Trust and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama for Scholarships pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Report of the Chamberlain.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Chamberlain regarding a review of funding to the Guildhall School Trust and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (GSMD) for Scholarships.

 

Members felt the recommendations were insufficiently specific.  The Board recalled its July 2018 decision and requested that future grants should be focused on a category of scholarship which focusses, ‘“on supporting skills development in performance, production arts and creative enterprise, provide support where the need is greatest, particularly students from a broad cultural and socio-economic demographic, and strengthen progression opportunities to the Guildhall School, and its associated Young Artist programme, for pupils from the City of London Academies.”

 

The Board recalled its July 2019 request that an annual impact report be produced to assess impact of grants against these criteria albeit accepting any restrictions needed to align with the Guildhall School Trust’s charitable objects. 

 

Members requested a revised report to be submitted in May 2020, to include an impact report for the 2019/20 grant allocations.

 

RESOLVED, that officers be invited to resubmit a revised report to both the Education Board and the Policy and Resources Committee in May 2020.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Education Budget Update 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 119 KB

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Minutes:

Members received a joint report of the Chamberlain and the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the Education Board Budget update 2019/2020.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Annual Partnerships Report pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Town Clerk regarding the partnership reports of the City of London School, the City of London School for Girls, the City of London Freemen’s School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

 

A representative from each of the Schools presented their reports, highlighted key developments and areas of focus for the forthcoming year.

 

11.05 – Deputy Philip Woodhouse arrived.

 

Members were pleased at the steps that had already been taken by the City of London School (CLS) and the City of London School for Girls (CLSG) to link up their partnership work in a more intentional way. It was noted, however, that the City of London Freemen’s School’s (CLFS) geography did limit its ability to join such partnership work. Members requested that the Freemen’s School consider reporting in a similar template to that adopted by CLS and CLSG.

 

Whilst distinct from partnership work, Members felt that there should be some aligned reporting on the impact of bursaries granted by the schools and requested further information about the number of bursaries awarded and general information about qualification requirements.

 

It was suggested that partnerships would make a good theme for an away day, but if organised it ought to involve the newly appointed joint Director of Partnerships (CLS/CLSG). It was noted that the various partnership programmes reported had a transformational impact on the students and teachers of the respective schools.

 

The Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD) report focused on the under-18 partnership offer. GSMD had not previously reported to the Education Board but had been working on strategic alignment of its plan to ensure that people from all backgrounds have the opportunity for progression in musical learning. Focus on partnership works at GSMD had historically focused on music but was being extended to

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Summer Enrichment Pilot 2019 Evaluation Report pdf icon PDF 144 KB

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 11.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the evaluation of the Summer Enrichment Pilot 2019.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

City of London Academies Trust, Academies Development Programme - Update pdf icon PDF 83 KB

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

 

NB – this report has one Non-Public Appendix which can be found at item 24 on the Agenda.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the City of London Academies Trust (CoLAT) development programme.

 

Building works at the City of London Primary Academy Islington (COLPAI) were due for completion in December 2020. Temporary accommodation had been found, renovations agreed, and transport procured for the autumn term.

 

The Chairman believed the significant issues and delays experienced with the COLPAI project warranted a case study led by the Projects Sub-Committee, to commence on the project’s completion. This proposal was supported by other Members of the Board, including the Chairman of the Projects Sub-Committee.

 

A Members raised concerns about the welfare of the staff at COLPAI. The Board heard that governors of the school were doing what they could to be supportive during this period.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

City of London Academies Trust - Expansion by the transfer of the two Co-Sponsored Academy Trusts pdf icon PDF 82 KB

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

 

NB – this report has two Non-Public Appendices which can be found at item 25 on the Agenda.

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the expansion of the City of London Academies Trust by the transfer of the two co-sponsored academies trusts.

 

Members noted the two due diligence exercises that had been appended in the non-public agenda.

 

RESOLVED, that Members endorse the transfer of the City Academy, Hackney and the City of London Academy Islington to the CoLAT, subject to completion of all necessary formalities.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Validated 2018/2019 Results pdf icon PDF 64 KB

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the validated 2018/2019 results of the City’s Family of Schools.

 

Members noted that various action plans were in place at the schools and requested an interim update on these plans at the next Board meeting.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 

11.40 - Alderman Nicholas Lyons left the meeting.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Music Education Call for Evidence pdf icon PDF 112 KB

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the Department for Education’s ‘call for evidence’ on music education. Members were asked to share their views on the importance of music education which would be captured by officers and fed into the Education Unit’s consultation response. The following key points were highlighted:

 

·         There is a mixed picture within the Family of Schools in the provision of music education.

 

·         The DfE’s model music curriculum was due to be released later in the year.

 

·         The City provides many programmes in support of music education

 

·         The importance and value of the cultural partners in Culture Mile Learning

 

·         Musical education supports the development of Fusion Skills.

 

·         The possibility of gaps in musical education unless a pupil’s journey through school was well-coordinated.

 

Following a question from a Member, it was confirmed that Sir John Cass Primary School would be included in the consultation response, however the Guildhall School for Music and Drama (GSMD) would be submitting its own response. As a conservatoire, GSMD would continue to face difficulty in ensuring diversity within its student body if the state sector continued to under-provide musical education.

 

It was noted that provision needed to be made in any new or ongoing school capital projects on the City’s Schools should be mindful of the need for practice room(s) and for the provision of instruments.

 

It was felt that more could be done to advertise free cultural and creative learning events in the City (e.g. evening performances at the Barbican) to the Family of Schools.

 

Members briefly discussed the importance of musical education for the mental health of pupils and for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.

Education Activities Update pdf icon PDF 65 KB

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 16.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding an update on the City’s educational activities.

 

Members noted the success of the Education Board Dinner and thanked Tim Campbell for speaking.

 

All Members were invited to drop into the Family of School’s forthcoming chess tournament.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 

11.55 – Members voted to extend the meeting under Standing Order 40.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

17.

Apprenticeship Levy Policy Update pdf icon PDF 122 KB

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 17.

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding an Apprenticeship Levy Policy update.

 

11.59 – Deputy Keith Bottomley left the meeting.

 

Members discussed the Apprenticeship Levy in light of the City’s activities in promoting, brokering, providing and conducting training for apprenticeships. Members highlighted the following areas which required system-wide improvement:

 

·         The need for apprenticeships to be recognised and valued in the same light as university applications not as a second-tier option.

 

·         It was suggested that the City could review its support to small and medium enterprises in their delivery of apprenticeships.

 

·         It was suggested that the City could provide case studies of people that have come through the apprenticeship system and flourished.

 

·         It was suggested that the City could focus its attention on relevant skills for the local area and garner support from companies within the City to support apprentices to develop those skills (e.g. Digital/Artificial intelligence)

 

·         Collate evidence of apprenticeship pathways that have led to MBAs.

 

It was noted that there were approximately 100 applications for a single creative apprenticeship role at the Corporation.

 

Members requested a report be submitted at the July 2020 Board meeting outlining City apprenticeships and how the Corporation might improve its offer.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

Questions on Matters Relating to the Work of the Board

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

19.

Any Other Business that the Chairman Considers Urgent

Minutes:

There was one item of urgent business.

 

Veronica Wadley would be stepping down from the Board in advance of the May 2020 Board meeting. The Chairman wished to thank formally Ms Wadley for her valuable contribution to the work of the Board.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Exclusion of the Public

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

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 20.

Minutes:

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:-

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

21.

Note of Inquorate Meeting

To receive the note the inquorate meeting held on 16 January 2020.

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 21.

Minutes:

RESOLVED, that the note of the inquorate meeting held on the 16 January 2020, be received.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

22.

Non-Public Outstanding Actions

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 22.

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Town Clerk regarding the Board’s non-public outstanding actions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

23.

Exclusions in the context of local and national comparisons

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

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 23.

Minutes:

Members received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding exclusions within the City of London Family of Schools in the context of local and national comparisons.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

24.

Non- Public Appendix: City of London Academies Trust, Academies Development Programme - Update

Non-Public Appendix to item 11 on the Public Agenda.

 

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 24.

Minutes:

Members noted the non-public appendix.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

25.

Non-Public Appendices: City of London Academies Trust - Expansion by the transfer of the two Co-Sponsored Academy Trusts

Non-Public Appendices to item 12 on the Public Agenda.

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 25.

Minutes:

Members noted the non-public appendix.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

25a

City of London Academy Islington Due Diligence Report

Minutes:

25b

The City Academy Hackney Due Diligence Report

Minutes:

26.

Non Public Questions on Matters Relating to the Work of the Board

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

27.

Any Other Business that the Chairman Considers Urgent and which the Committee Agree Should be Considered Whilst the Public are Excluded

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.