Children And Families Services Committee - 25/01/2021

At a MEETING of the CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICES COMMITTEE held remotely on 25th January, 2021.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

External members for Articles I to V

Miss K MANDS, Church of Scotland Representative

Ms J BARCLAY, Teacher Representative

Mr D BAXTER, Teacher Representative

Miss F ISHAQ, Pupil Representative

Councillor Stewart HUNTER, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 7th December, 2020 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Depute Lord Provost Campbell declared a non-financial interest in Article III by virtue of the employment of a family member.

II PUPIL REPRESENTATION ON THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICES COMMITTEE

There was submitted Agenda Note AN3-2021, wherein reference was made to Article V of the minute of meeting of the City Council held on 22nd May, 2017, wherein it was agreed to seek nominations for a pupil representative on the Children and Families Services Committee.

The city-wide Pupil Council had nominated Miss Fatima Ishaq, a pupil at Morgan Academy, to be the pupil representative on the Children and Families Services Committee for Session 2020/2021.

The nominee had agreed to abide by the Code of Conduct in accordance with the Standards Commissions Guidance.

The Committee agreed the appointment.

III BRAEVIEW ACADEMY, CRAIGIE HIGH SCHOOL AND CRAIGIEBARNS PRIMARY SCHOOL - OUTCOME OF THE FORMAL CONSULTATION PROCESS

There was submitted Report No 44-2021 by the Executive Director of Children and Families Service containing the formal Consultation Report, in terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010, on the proposal to close Braeview Academy and Craigie High School and the re-delineation of existing school catchments to form a new single catchment area for a new joint secondary school/community learning campus from August, 2024; and the expansion of the catchment area for Grove Academy from August, 2024 to embrace the current Craigiebarns Primary School catchment area.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the contents of the report;

(ii) noted the accompanying Consultation Report which was attached as Appendix 1 to the report, including the report by Her Majestys Inspectorate of Education (HMIE)/Education Scotland on the proposal;

(iii) approved that Braeview Academy and Craigie High School be closed and a new combined community campus be established and located on Drumgeith Road, and the expansion of the Grove Academy catchment area to include Craigiebarns Primary School;

(iv) approved a revision to the planned opening of the Community Campus to August, 2025 resulting from delays as a consequence of the Covid-19 Pandemic;

(v) approved a revision to the Grove Academy catchment area to include Craigiebarns Primary from the start of session 2025/2026 to align with the revised planned opening of the Community Campus;

(vi) instructed the Executive Director to ensure a four year transition was planned through a Project Board including representative staff, pupils and parents from the existing Braeview Academy and Craigie High School, consulting on the building, vision, values and aims, improvement planning, pupil transition and the identity of the new Campus;

(vii) instructed the Executive Director to ensure clear travel plans were collaboratively developed by affected schools for families attending the new Community Campus and Grove Academy, and also agreed any action that would be required to upgrade current routes to school;

(viii) instructed the Executive Director to notify the Scottish Ministers of the decision to implement the proposal as approved with the revised opening dates; and

(ix) instructed the Executive Director to proceed with the proposal as approved with the revised opening dates after it had been considered by the Scottish Ministers.

IV COST OF THE SCHOOL DAY INITIATIVE UPDATE

There was submitted Report No 45-2021 by the Executive Director of Children and Families Service presenting the current position of the Cost of the School Day (COSD) project in schools across Dundee.

The Committee:-

(i) instructed the Executive Director of Children and Families Service to continue to monitor the implementation of the Cost of the School Day Action Plans that formed part of School Improvement Plans; and

(ii) instructed the Executive Director of Children and Families Service to bring back another report to a future Committee to give an update on how Covid-19 had impacted on the work of the Cost of the School Day Plan.

V TAYSIDE PLAN FOR CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES

There was submitted Report No 46-2021 by the Executive Director of Children and Families Service providing an update on the implementation of the Tayside Plan for Children, Young People and Families 2017/2020. The plan was due to be revised and submitted to the Scottish Government by May, 2020 covering the period 2020/2023. Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 then permitted Local Authorities and Health Boards to concentrate on emergency responses and publish a statement to that effect when the report was due or as soon as reasonably practicable after the date. The report therefore now set out the continued commitment to a three year Tayside Plan, summarised recent developments and requested approval for a new plan to be submitted at the first opportunity.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the progress made in the past year in the implementation of the Tayside Plan for Children, Young People and Families 2017/2020, albeit disrupted by Covid-19; and

(ii) given disruptions caused by the pandemic, instructed the Executive Director to submit for approval the next Tayside Plan covering the period 2021/2023 at the first opportunity.

Stewart HUNTER, Convener.