Education Committee - 16/09/2002

At a MEETING of the EDUCATION COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 16th September, 2002.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Councillor de GERNIER, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 19th August 2002 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DUNDEE SCHOOLS PPP PROJECT

It was reported that requests had been received from the School Boards of Lawside RC Academy and St John's RC High School for deputations to be heard in support of Option 5 of the proposed Dundee Schools PPP Project. The Committee agreed to hear the deputations and after they had stated their case and answered questions from members of the Committee they were thanked for their attendance and withdrew.

In addition, the Committee also considered letters from Ms Grace Barter, Monsignor Joseph Creegan and the School Boards of Lawside RC Academy and St John's and St Saviour's RC High Schools.

There was submitted Report No 672-2002 by the Chief Executive and Director of Education advising the Committee of the decision of the Scottish Executive as regards the funding of a Dundee Schools PPP Project and seeking the views of the Committee as to how the project outlined in the Outline Business Case might be reduced in scale to meet the available resources.

The report recommended that the Committee:-

(i)recommend to the Policy and Resources Committee that it authorise the PPP Project to proceed in accordance with the recommendations contained in the report;

(ii)consider the recommendation of the Project Board that one of the Options (5), (7) or (8) be approved and accordingly decide which was the Committee's preferred option for the Council's Schools PPP Project: the works covered under each of these options were described in Appendices 1 to 3;

(iii)authorise the Director of Education to submit the revised project to the Scottish Executive for their consideration;

(iv)subject to the confirmation of the Scottish Executive that the revised project had been approved for revenue (Level Playing Field) support, authorise the appropriate officers supported by the Council's external advisers to commence the pre-qualification process in accordance with the project timetable outlined in Appendix 14 and proceed to prepare tender documentation, the final content of which as regards scope of project, services and variant bids would be submitted at a later date for Committee approval all after consultation with the Schools PPP Project Board;

(v)authorise the Chief Executive, Director of Finance and Director of Support Services, in conjunction with the Council's Financial and Legal Advisers, to explore with the Scottish Executive the practicality of inviting variant bids (in addition to conventional PPP bids) based on a Joint Venture Company where the Council holds between 25% and 40% of the share capital of the project company and/or the Council DLOs and DSOs and Tayside Contracts provide services to the project company;

(vi)authorise the Director of Finance to confirm with the Council's External Auditor whether it is anticipated that all or any of the variant bid structures would be viewed as off-balance sheet for accounting purposes (and therefore be acceptable as PPP models);

(vii)authorise the Director of Education, in consultation with the Convener of Education and the local members, to reach agreement with the local community regarding the siting of the new primary school in Douglas;

(viii)formally authorise the Director of Education to proceed with the appropriate statutory consultations described in Appendix 12 and to report back to the Education Committee once the period allowed for objections had expired;

(ix)authorise the Director of Education to submit Outline Planning Applications in respect of any new or amended proposals for individual schools;

(x)note the establishment of the Schools PPP Project Team and the setting up of a Project Office in City House (covered in separate Report No 679-2002 to Policy and Resources and Personnel and Management Services Committees);

(xi)instruct the Project Board to report on a regular basis to the Education Committee on the progress of the PPP Project;

(xii)instruct the Director of Personnel and Management Services to continue to discuss with the trade unions, staffing and conditions of service issues relating to existing Council staff that might be affected by the PPP Project; and

(xiii)continue to monitor progress on other innovative models including not for profit models for delivering the PPP Project until the bid document is issued and report back to Committee if officers believe that the Scottish Executive has approved an alternative model which would be more beneficial to the Council.

The Committee agreed to approve recommendations (i), (iii) - (vi), (viii) - (xiii) and in respect of:

(a)recommendation (ii) approved Option (7) as the preferred option for the Council's Schools PPP Project; and

(b)recommendation (vii) was approved subject to inclusion of "if agreement is not reached then the Council proceed to formal consultation based on both sites".

It was further agreed to:-

(a)authorise the Director of Education to meet with the School Boards of Macalpine and Downfield Primary Schools as soon as possible and discuss the possibility of other proposals from the School Boards for sites within the ownership of the Council, the sites identified and agreed to be included in the formal consultation on this merger; and

(b)remit the Director of Education and Chief Executive to carry out extensive consultations with the School Boards of the three denominational secondary schools and prepare a long-term strategy for the future of Catholic Secondary education in the city.

This will allow the City Council to make a future bid for a second phase of Public Private Partnership funding or any other capital resources which are available to the Authority.

II HM INSPECTORATE OF EDUCATION - INSPECTION OF STANDARDS AND QUALITY IN GLEBELANDSPRIMARY SCHOOL

There was submitted and noted the inspection of standards and quality report by HM Inspectorate of Education on Glebelands Primary School.

III HM INSPECTORATE OF EDUCATION - FOLLOW-UP TO THE INSPECTION OF MACALPINE PRIMARYSCHOOL AND NURSERY CLASS

There was submitted and noted the follow-up report of HM Inspectorate of Education on Macalpine Primary School and Nursery Class.

IV SCHOOL TERMS AND HOLIDAYS 2003/2004

There was submitted Report No 694-2002 by the Director of Education seeking approval of the scheme for school terms and holidays for Session 2003/2004.

The Committee agreed to adopt the draft scheme as the Council's scheme of school terms and holidays for Session 2003/2004.

V SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CONSULTATION - "HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS"

There was submitted Report No 686-2002 by the Director of Education advising the Committee of the nature of the above consultation document issued by the SEED Expert Panel on School Meals entitled "Hungry for Success" and seeking approval for the proposed Dundee City Council response to the questionnaire.

The Committee agreed to approve the completed questionnaire as Dundee City Council's response to the consultation document.

VI PIANO TUNING

There was submitted Report No 685-2002 by the Director of Education seeking approval to accept a tender for the tuning of pianos for schools in Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross Councils.

The Committee agreed to award the contract for the tuning of pianos for the period 1st October, 2002 to 30th Septembe,r 2005 to:-

Dundee Mr J McIntyre, 10 Commercial Street, Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie

Perth & Kinross Mr J McIntyre, 10 Commercial Street, Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie

Angus Graham Wands, Border Pianos, Boatlands Farmhouse, Blairgowrie Road, Coupar Angus.

VII REDESIGNATION OF ADVISERS AS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS

Councillor Rolfe declared an interest in respect of this item.

There was submitted Report No 687-2002 by the Director of Education bringing to the attention of the Committee the proposal to change the title of Education Adviser to Quality Improvement Officer.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i) note the contents of the report; and

(ii) approve the introduction of the title Quality Improvement Officer.

The Committee resolved, under Section 50(A) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, that the public and press be excluded during consideration of the undernoted item on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of information which is exempt in terms of paragraph 5 of Schedule 7A to the Act.

VIII REQUEST FOR EDUCATION AT HOME

There was submitted Report No 688-2002 by the Director of Education seeking approval for the provision of education at home for a Dundee pupil of secondary school age.

The Committee agreed to:-

(i)approve the proposal for education at home for the above child; and

(ii)instruct the Director of Education to monitor the child's progress at regular six monthly intervals.

GEORGE DE GERNIER, Convener.