Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor, The Lord Mountevans, Lucy Frew, Wendy Mead and Alderman Alan Yarrow.

There were no declarations.

To elect a Chairman for the year ensuing.

The Committee proceeded to elect a Chairman for the year ensuing.

The Town Clerk read a list of those eligible to stand and Marianne Fredericks, being the only Member indicating her willingness to serve, was duly elected as Chairman for the ensuing year.

The newly elected Chairman thanked Members for their support. She went on to introduce and welcome two representatives from Christ’s Hospital to the meeting – Jane Howard, Head of Admissions and Sarah Clifton, Development Officer.

To elect a Deputy Chairman for the year ensuing.

The Committee proceeded to elect a Deputy Chairman in accordance with Standing Order No. 30. 

The Town Clerk reported that, in accordance with Standing Order No. 30. (3) (a), the immediate past Chairman had chosen to exercise his right to serve as Deputy Chairman for the ensuing year.

Deputy Henry Pollard was therefore duly appointed as Deputy Chairman for the ensuing year.

VOTE OF THANKS TO THE PAST CHAIRMAN

Ann Pembroke paid tribute to Deputy Henry Pollard, the past Chairman.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: 

THAT at the conclusion of his term of office as their Chairman, the Members of this Board wish to extend to:

DEPUTY JAMES HENRY POLLARD

their sincere thanks and appreciation for the manner in which he has presided over their deliberations and the detailed care and interest he has shown in the School and the selection of presentees by this Committee.

HIS detailed knowledge of, and involvement with the School, has been of immense value to the Committee and his continued interest in the City’s presentees has been much appreciated. As well as serving on this Committee for several years, he has also sat on the pupil selection Reference Sub-committee and is a Donation Governor which has enabled him to see, at first hand, the benefits of an outstanding education at Christ’s Hospital. Furthermore, he is a member of the Council of Almoners, the corporate Trustee of Christ’s Hospital Foundation.

HIS active encouragement of the City to begin to adapt its process for the presentation of a child to Christ’s Hospital following some recent issues will, hopefully, streamline the process in the future, and is to be commended.

FINALLY, the Committee wish to convey to him their good wishes for his future health and happiness.

RESOLVED – That it be referred to the Mover, Ann Pembroke,

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 28 November 2014  (copy attached).

The public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 28 November 2014 were considered and approved as a correct record.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting of the Reference Sub-Committee held on 30 March 2015 (copy attached).

The Committee received the public minutes of the Reference Sub-Committee meeting held on 30 March 2015.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the future process for the presentation of a child to Christ’s Hospital.

The Chairman provided the Committee with some background as to why the existing process was now being reviewed. She explained that, in 2014, both the City’s first and second choice candidates for presentation had subsequently not achieved the required standard following the School’s residential process. In an attempt to ensure continuity, the Reference Sub Committee had asked the School to nominate a suitable candidate, with an appropriate City connection, who had passed the residential assessments for presentation in 2015. 

The Chairman went on to report that this Committee would need to request further funding for presentations from the Policy and Resources Committee in 2017 and that, for this reason, it was especially important to have in place a sound presentation selection process. Members questioned if thought could be given to transferring the funding for Christ’s Hospital to the City’s Education Board going forward as there seemed to be a strong case for this.

In discussing the proposed changes to the process for presentation of future City presentees, the Committee underlined that those selected must continue to fulfil the criteria of need but must also maintain the City link previously specified. It was hoped that adopting the Clerk to present method going forward would ensure a fairer, better system for all involved whilst always keeping the best interests of the children at heart.

The Head of Admissions, Christ’s Hospital, tabled this year’s Admissions Timetable. She explained that initial, computer based, assessments that took place in October each year were essentially IQ tests. She explained that the School were looking for a similar baseline as that of Grammar Schools and that the tests used for this purpose were very

The Chairman requested that the Town Clerk email all Members of the Committee seeking expressions of interest in taking over this presentation following the recent resignation of Sophie Fernandes from the Committee.

The Chairman requested that the Town Clerk email all Members of the Committee seeking expressions of interest in becoming a new Donation Governor. It was suggested that an appointment then be formalised in March 2016.

There were no questions.

Governance Arrangements at Christ’s Hospital

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk, previously submitted to both the Education Board and the General Purposes Committee of Aldermen, advising Members of proposed changes in the governance arrangements being made by Christ’s Hospital.

Deputy McGuinness highlighted that the report referred to internal governance changes at the School which might result in the reduction of the number of Aldermanic Almoners currently appointed by the City Corporation. She reported that she was a member of the Working Group of the School set up to look at this matter.

The Deputy Chairman, also an Aldermanic Almoner, stated that the proposed changes offered some clarity and simplified current arrangements and that he was therefore supportive of and content with these.

In response to a question regarding the origins of a ‘split’ between the School and the Foundation, Deputy McGuinness reported that there had been some concern in previous years regarding the position of Trustees and the proper protection of the School’s assets from litigation. At the time, it was felt that this was the best way to ‘ring fence’ the assets. She went on to clarify that the new arrangements would continue to preserve the separate identity of the funds but that this would now be done under one, unitary Board which was more in keeping with the governance of similar institutions.  

RECEIVED.

Relationship with Christ’s Hospital

Members expressed a wish to strengthen the Committee’s relationship with the School going forward.

It was proposed that Members continue to be invited to visit the School each year and also that they be informed and take advantage of other opportunities to visit such as speechday and the beating of the retreat.

A Member questioned why this Committee was not formally invited to take part in the St

MOTION - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

                        Item No.                                              Exemption Paragraph(s)

                         12 – 14                                                                  1  

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2014.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2014 were considered and approved as a correct record.

To agree the non-public minutes of the Reference Sub-Committee meetings held on:

The Committee received the non-public minutes of the Reference Sub-Committee held on 28 November 2014.

The Committee received the non-public minutes of the Reference Sub-Committee held on 30 March 2015.

Note from Christ’s Hospital on the progress of current presentees and an opportunity for Donation Governors to provide their own updates.

The Committee received a report of Christ’s Hospital on the progress of current presentees and Donation Governors also took the opportunity to provide their own updates.

There were no questions raised in the non-public session.

There were no additional, urgent items of business for consideration in the non-public session.