Education Committee - 07/12/2009

At a MEETING of the EDUCATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 7th December, 2009.

 

Present:-

 

Lord Provost John R LETFORD

 

Depute Lord Provost Ian BORTHWICK

 

BAILIES

 

Willie SAWERS

Derek J SCOTT

Roderick A J WALLACE

 

COUNCILLORS

 

Ken GUILD

Ken LYNN

Brian GORDON

Jim BARRIE

Craig MELVILLE

Richard McCREADY

Jimmy BLACK

Christina ROBERTS

Donald HAY

David BOWES

Alan G ROSS

Fraser MACPHERSON

Andrew DAWSON

Kevin KEENAN

Helen DICK

Will DAWSON

Mohammed ASIF

Rev J WILSON

Bob DUNCAN

Laurie BIDWELL

Monsignor K McCAFFREY

Elizabeth F FORDYCE

Tom FERGUSON

Mr E BAILLIE

Stewart HUNTER

 

Mrs H MILLAR

 

Councillor Elizabeth F FORDYCE, Convener, in the Chair.

 

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 23rd November, 2009 was held as read.

 

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

 

I TENDERS RECEIVED

 

There was submitted Report No 603-2009 from the City Architectural Services Officer detailing tenders received and requesting a decision thereon:-

 

(i) KINGSPARK SCHOOL - LOOSE FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT

 

The Committee agreed to accept the lowest offer by KM Furniture Ltd, Chesterfield for 167,355.02 together with the undernoted allowances:-

 

Miscellaneous Furniture

15,000

ICT Transfers

15,000

New Interactive Boards

12,000

Telephones

12,000

Catering

5,000

Specialist Equipment

6,000

Contingency

7,500

Professional Services

8,500

 

Making a total expenditure of 248,355.02.

 

II EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 1980 - APPEAL COMMITTEE

 

There was submitted Agenda Note AN251-2009 informing the Committee that it had been necessary to seek nominations for additional chairpersons to chair the Appeal Committee.

 

The Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) advised that the undernoted persons were recommended for appointment with immediate effect for the remainder of the lifetime of the present Council:-

 

Mrs Anne Wilson (former Director of Education)

 

Mr Grant Simmons (former Parent Council member on the Appeal Committee)

 

The Committee approved the above.

 

III SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAYS 2010/2011

 

There was submitted Report No 604-2009 by the Director of Education relative to the above.

 

The Committee approved the scheme of school terms and holidays for session 2010/2011 (Appendix 1) as detailed in the report.

 

IV HARRIS ACADEMY

 

Councillor Black declared a non-financial interest by virtue of having a child who attends Harris Academy.

 

There was submitted Agenda Note AN250-2009 informing the Committee that the Scottish Government had published in September 2009 the names of the first 14 secondary schools to benefit from funding from the Schools Investment Programme. Harris Academy was one of those 14 schools and this announcement had been warmly welcomed by Dundee City Council.

 

Scottish Futures Trust had been appointed to manage and co-ordinate the programme. In principle, SFT would commit two-thirds of the total cost of an agreed project, and would expect the local authority to provide the balance. Any authority wishing to go beyond the agreed scope of a project would have to fund that extended work in full. As a rough indicator of funding levels, for a school of this size, part funding could be made available for a project to the value of 27m.

 

Representatives of SFT made a brief preliminary visit to the school on 26th October, 2009 and then met officers of the Council. Following that meeting, it was agreed that, owing now to the involvement of SFT and the commitment to assisted funding, it would be prudent to re-visit the feasibility study on Harris Academy which reported in March 2009, and explore the possibility of extending the scope of the original proposed project.

 

Accordingly, the Education Capital Projects Director would convene a management group to review the original feasibility study and, if appropriate, make further recommendations. The review would be comprehensive, including a review of the options appraised.

 

In due course, the Director of Education would report on the outcome of the review, and, following the good practice established with the PPP Project, seek approval to establish a Project Board for Harris Academy.

 

The Council's share of the capital costs of Harris Academy would require to be included in the next review of the Capital Plan in February 2010.

 

The Committee noted the above.

 

 

 

 

Elizabeth F FORDYCE, Convener.

 

APPENDIX 1

 

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

 

SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAYS 2010/2011

IN-SERVICE DAYS

PUPIL SCHOOL DAYS

Autumn

Start

Staff

Monday, 16th August, 2010

Day 1

 

Term

 

 

Tuesday, 17th August, 2010

Day 2 (CfE)

 

 

 

Pupils

Wednesday, 18th August, 2010

 

 

 

End

 

Friday, 1st October, 2010

 

33

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn

Start

 

Monday, 4th October, 2010

 

 

Holiday

End

 

Friday, 15th October, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

(10 school days)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter

Start

 

Monday, 18th October, 2010

 

 

Term

 

 

Thursday, 11th November, 2010

Day 3

 

 

 

 

Friday, 12th November, 2010

Day 4

 

 

End

 

Wednesday, 22nd December, 2010

 

46

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas

Start

 

Thursday, 23rd December, 2010

 

 

Holiday

End

 

Wednesday, 5th January, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

(10 school days)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring

Start

 

Thursday, 6th January, 2011

 

 

Term

 

 

Thursday, 10th February, 2011

Day 5

 

 

 

 

Fri/Mon, 11th/14th February, 2011 (mid-term)

 

 

 

End

 

Friday, 1st April, 2011

 

59

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring

Start

 

Monday, 4th April, 2011

 

 

Holiday

End

 

Friday, 15th April, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

(10 school days)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer

Start

 

Monday, 18th April, 2011

 

 

Term

 

 

Friday, 22nd April, 2011 Good Friday

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, 2nd May, 2011 May Day

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, 27th May, 2011

Day 6

 

 

 

 

Monday, 30th May, 2011 Victoria Day

 

 

 

End

 

Friday, 1st July, 2011

 

51

 

 

TOTAL

 

189

 

Total Number of School Days for Pupils

189

Total Number of Working Days for Staff

195

 

Notes: Easter Sunday: 24th April, 2011

Induction Days for Primary 7 children will be agreed by clusters in June 2011

Commencement of SQA Examinations: Tuesday, 3rd May, 2011 (subject to confirmation)

 

Session 2011/2012

 

Start

 

Staff

 

Monday, 15th August, 2011

 

 

Pupils

Wednesday, 17th August, 2011 (assuming approval for an additional in-service day)

          

IN-SERVICE CLOSURE DAYS: 2010/2011

 

Note that all six closure days are citywide days

 

 

Closure Day 1

Monday, 16th August, 2010

 

Closure Day 2 (additional)

Tuesday, 17th August, 2010

 

Closure Day 3

Thursday, 11th November, 2010

 

Closure Day 4

Friday, 12th November, 2010

 

Closure Day 5

Thursday, 10th February, 2011

 

Closure Day 6

Friday, 27th May, 2011