Children And Families Services Committee - 23/01/2017

At a MEETING of the CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 23rd January, 2017.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

External members for Articles I to III

Monsignor K McCAFFREY, Roman Catholic Church Representative

Mr D BAXTER, Teacher Representative

Mr M CHOHAN, 3rd Church Representative

Miss K MANDS, Church of Scotland Representative

Councillor Stewart HUNTER, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 11th December, 2016 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

II PROGRESS REPORT ON KINGSPARK SCHOOL

There was submitted Report No 25-2017 by the Executive Director of Children and Families Service providing an update on progress in relation to the Kingspark School Action Plan.

The Committee agreed to note the content of the report and remitted the Executive Director of Children and Families Service to bring back an updated report following the return visit from Education Scotland.

III REVIEW OF THE DEVOLVED SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SCHEME

There was submitted Report No 26-2017 by the Executive Director of Children and Families Service outlining proposals to review the Devolved School Management Scheme to provide Head Teachers with additional responsibilities and flexibility in the areas of staffing, recruitment and procurement.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the projected allocation for Dundee schools;

(ii) note the implications for areas such as staff recruitment, procurement, fiscal reporting and accountability; and

(iii) instruct the Executive Director of Children and Families Service to provide a future report on the final allocation of funding, the associated terms and conditions and the ways in which the funds have been used.

The Committee also agreed to instruct the Executive Director of Children and Families Service to update the agenda for the Extended Reviews of our schools and their reporting to include a sharper focus on raising attainment and closing the attainment gap, including the investment of the Pupil Equity Premiums and similarly sharpen the focus on raising attainment and closing the attainment gap in the guidance for the annual reporting to parents and carers in the Standards and Quality Report for each school. In addition, the Standards and Quality Report to be reviewed in relation to the other aspects of the National Improvement Framework.

Stewart HUNTER, Convener.