Agenda item
Any other urgent business
Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of Executive and Member Services or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.
Minutes:
Councillor Nerva explained that he had asked the Committee to consider the impact of academisation on the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in the Borough. He referred to the potential conversion of The Village School into an academy and said that it was important to ensure that academisation did not have a negative impact on the delivery of SEND education plans. Jenny Cooper (Brent NEU) clarified that the consultation on the proposed academisation of The Village School would end on 9 February 2018 and governors would vote on the proposal on 28 February 2018. She said that part of the consultation provided information that if the proposal was to be approved, resources such as therapy teams would be joined with Woodfield School as part of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT). Ms Cooper expressed concern that this would have a negative impact on provision. Furthermore, she said that schools which had converted to academies experienced recruitment and retention problems and noted that The Village School had a good mix of staff with various level of experience. A Member of the Committee commented that The Village School had a support network that had been set up with United Colleges Group (formerly The College of North West London) and said that it could be jeopardised if the school was converted to an academy.
Councillor Mili Patel (Lead Member for Children and Young People) thanked Councillor Nerva for bringing the issue of SEND provision to the attention of the Committee and invited Gail Tolley (the Council’s Strategic Director of Children and Young People) to comment on the issues raised. Ms Tolley said that there were four special schools in Brent, two of which were academies and two of which were maintained by the local authority. She spoke about Manor School which had become an academy on 1 April 2017 following a consultation which had taken place in the autumn of 2016. Ms Tolley stressed that there had not been a negative impact on SEND provision as a result of this decision and noted that the SEND offer would be developed further as a new special school (The Avenue) opened later in the year led by the Manor School. Addressing Ms Cooper’s point about recruitment and retention, Ms Tolley highlighted that Woodfield School had maintained the terms and conditions and the pay of staff after it had converted to an academy.
Ms Tolley summarised that there had not been any experience to demonstrate that academisation had had a negative impact on the local SEND provision. However, as Members commented that there were concerns which may require further investigation, the Chair recommended that these could be discussed at a separate meeting with Ms Tolley and Councillor Mili Patel.
RESOLVED that:
(i) The comments made in relation to the impact of academisation on the local SEND provision, be noted;
(ii) Councillor Nerva and other interested Members of the Committee be encouraged to meet with Councillor Mili Patel and Gail Tolley to identify specific issues that may require further investigation.
Ms Jenny Cooper left the meeting at 7:18 pm