Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

No declarations of interest were made.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide three clear working days’ notice, in writing, in order for an informed answer to be given.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos. 11 and 35, a total period of 10 minutes was allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to its work.

There were no members of the public present and the Committee, therefore, proceeded to its next business.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th May 2009.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th May 2009 be approved as a correct record.

The report relating to the remaining item on the agenda has been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matter may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

PART 2 – MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS PRESENT

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item, pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing this information.

To consider two expressions of interest in training to become independent appeal panel members for school admissions and exclusions.  

The Committee considered a report on the appointment of lay members to sit on both School Admission Appeals Panels and Exclusion Appeals Panels.

Under Section 84 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, the Council, as the admissions authority, was required to ensure that every school admission hearing included at least one lay member.  

Two members of the public had expressed interest in training to become independent appeal panel members for school admissions and exclusions.

The Committee interviewed Candidate 1. To ensure that lay members were representative of society as a whole, Members took account of the candidate’s background and experience as well as the skills she could bring to an Independent Appeals Panel, if appointed.

Following her interview, the candidate withdrew from the meeting and the Committee reached its decision.

Candidate 2 was not in attendance.  The Committee was minded to defer consideration of the application to the next meeting and agreed that, in the meantime, a letter be sent to him to establish if he would like to be interviewed on another occasion.

RESOLVED:

That

(1)               That Candidate 1, Mrs Joanne Bowkett, be appointed as a lay member to the pool of persons available to sit on Independent Appeals Panels; and

(2)               That consideration of the application from Candidate 2 be deferred to the next meeting, subject to his confirmation that he wished to be interviewed.