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

The following Members made declarations of interest in respect of agenda item 4  (Formal Consultation Proposal for Macclesfield High School and Tytherington High School) on the basis of their governorships of the schools indicated–

Councillor J P Findlow: Fallibroome High School, Macclesfield.

                                          Tytherington High School, Macclesfield.

Councillor T Jackson: Prestbury Primary School. 

Councillor W Livesley: The Marlborough Primary School, Tytherington.

Councillor D Neilson: Puss Bank Primary School, Macclesfield.

No other 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 period of 10 minutes had been allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. This was extended to 30 minutes at the discretion of the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services.

The Cabinet Member made an opening statement about agenda item 4 - Formal Consultation Proposal for Macclesfield High School and Tytherington High School - before inviting members of the public to address the meeting.  She outlined the issues relating to the proposal but indicated that there were other options which required exploration in greater depth before reaching a final decision. For this reason she was minded to defer a decision in order to allow informal consultation to be undertaken.

Six members of the public addressed the meeting. Each speaker welcomed the Portfolio Holder’s opening remarks and explained their reasons for objecting to the proposal as detailed in the report submitted.

To provide a summary of the detailed informal consultation undertaken on the initial options appraisals for the re-organisation of secondary provision in Macclesfield, and to seek approval to proceed to formal consultation.

There were four secondary schools in Macclesfield, each providing education for pupils aged 11 to 18.  These were –

o                               Macclesfield High

o                               Fallibroome High

o                               All Hallows Catholic College

o                               Tythertington High

There had been a steady decline in the number of pupils attending high schools in Macclesfield town.  Projections showed that the number of surplus school places in Macclesfield was expected to rise significantly in the coming years, with the highest proportion of surplus places forecast being at Macclesfield High School. This was expected to reach 35% by 2016.  Numbers in the remaining three high schools had continued to be sustained.  There was a need, therefore, to review the secondary education provision in Macclesfield. 

The Cabinet Member considered that, in addition to the options presented in the report, there were other options which required detailed examination before a decision was reached.  These options should be the subject of informal consultation with interested parties, with a view to a range of options being presented to a further meeting in November 2010.

RESOLVED

That

(1)            the decision on a formal consultation be deferred but that informal consultations be undertaken up to Friday, 8^th October 2010;

(2)            all other options be explored in greater depth;

(3)            the advice of the Cheshire East Admissions Forum be sought on the admission arrangements in Macclesfield;

(4)            further discussions take place with the MP, Mr David Rutley, in the light of new information from the Government;

(5)            any other suggestions from the public be examined; and

(6)            these proposals lead to a statutory period of consultation on revised options for consideration at the beginning of November 2010.

To seek approval to commence the statutory process to change the age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years old at Cledford Primary School, Middlewich.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services considered a report proposing a change of age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years old at Cledford Primary School, Long Lane South, Middlewich.

The Childcare Act 2006 had imposed two key duties on local authorities regarding childcare:

·         A duty to secure sufficient childcare to meet the needs of working parents and those training for work.

·         A duty to secure free early years provision for all 3 and 4 year old children.

The Local Authority, therefore, had a duty to ensure that as far as was reasonably practicable, all eligible children could access a free place (the Free Education Entitlement).  Changing the age range at Cledford Primary School, to enable the admission of children from aged 3 years would enable parents to continue to access their free entitlement at this school and would improve outcomes for children. 

RESOLVED

That Officers be given approval to consult on and publish a statutory notice in respect of proposals to change the age range from 4-11 to 3-11 years old at Cledford Primary School, Long Lane South, Middlewich, Cheshire.

To consider a report on the future of adult learning in Cheshire East.

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) had set out a mandate to encourage all Local Authorities to become Lead Accountable Bodies (LABs) from 1 August 2011 to take responsibility for implementing the “Learning Revolution” White Paper published in February 2009.  The White Paper described changes to adult learning by encouraging a more informal approach. 

With effect from August 2011, the Skills Funding Agency planned to channel the budget to support informal adult learning in a local area through identified LABs.

RESOLVED

That

(1)               the funds to deliver under Adult Safeguarded Learning and Employer Responsive funding streams from the Skills Funding Agency for 2010-11 (academic year cycle) be accepted;

(2)               Cheshire East Council accept the invitation to become the Lead Accountable Body for Skills Funding Agency;

(3)               Cheshire East Lifelong Learning [placed within Children and Families Integrated Workforce Development team] take the lead on this agenda for the Local Authority;

(4)               Cheshire East Lifelong Learning consult with other Cheshire East services, such as Libraries, extended services, leisure and green spaces, health and well being, and safer communities, who are cited in the Learning Revolution as having a very influential part to play as learning moves closer to informal settings; and

(5)       a communications strategy be developed which brands this learning culture to promote the ASPIRE values of the Council and promote the service to all employees.