Prior to the meeting the Chairman had agreed that the following persons be specifically invited to attend the meeting:

Rev Mark Johnson – Acting Team Rector of South Wye;

Mr Ian Main – Assistant Project Manager for the Academy (Navigant Consulting)

Mr Christopher Whitmey – Chairman of the Stakeholder Group of the Academy Project Steering Group;

Mr J Sheppard – Head, Wyebridge Sports College;

Mr J Godfrey – Principal, Hereford 6th Form College;

Mrs Wendy Jones – Chair, Redhill Community Association.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor P Jones CBE, Councillor G Lucas, Councillor RV Stockton and Rev I Terry.

To receive details any details of Members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a Member of the Committee.

Councillor PGH Cutter substituted for Councillor G Lucas;

Councillor JHR Goodwin substituted for Councillor P Jones CBE;

Councillor R Mills substituted for Councillor RV Stockton.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on the Agenda.

Councillor WU Attfield declared a personal interest as a governor of Wyebridge Sports College.

Mrs D Strutt declared a personal interest as Chair of the College of Art and Design.

Prior to the meeting Rev I Terry had declared a prejudicial Interest as Director of Education, Hereford Diocesan Board of Education, and therefore did not attend.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 25th June 2007.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 25th June 2007 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

No suggestions were made by members of the public.

To consider the Cabinet decision on the Wyebridge Sports College Academy project.

The Committee considered the Cabinet decision on the Wyebridge Sports College Academy project, which had been called-in, by three Members of the Committee: Councillors JD Woodward; AM Toon and WU Attfield.

The stated reasons for the call-in were set out in the agenda report. The draft decision notice (Ref 2007.CAB.072KEY) together with the report to Cabinet on 6th September 2007 were included in the agenda.

The Director of Children’s Services gave an overview of the project and acknowledged that Members may not have been kept as well informed on the issues prior to the Cabinet decision as she would have wished.  She reported that the Academy was a Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) driven project as part of the government agenda to improve schools and raise attainment.  The project presented the authority with an exciting opportunity to further work with partners to create a positive future for young people in the County

The Cabinet Member (Children’s Services) commented that this was an opportunity for not just the school but the whole county and that this funding opportunity was the only way to make significant improvements to the school.

Responding to the question, ‘what role and added value will this make to the school, pupils and parents’ and added comment that little was known about the project by parents, the Head of Wyebridge Sports College commented that while great improvements had been made in recent years to the school’s academic performance and culture, the school needed further support to achieve success.  The academy project presented a way forward and would provide the best environment for learning in the South Wye area.  The academy project would show teachers that they were valued; meet the requirements of the school and utilise resources to the best effect for pupils and partners. 

The Head of Commissioning and Improvement highlighted that Cabinet had approved in principle the three recommendations contained in the report to Cabinet dated 6th September and set out in the agenda papers. He then outlined the course of events leading up to the report to Cabinet namely: the application to become a ‘City Academy’ and the Government’s negative response; the change in the role of the  ‘City Academy’ programme; the change in Local Authority role from provider to commissioner; the continued lobbying of government for investment in the County and the government’s subsequent invitation to join the new programme, which had included their suggestion of project sponsor. He reported that the government held a list of national sponsors and they had suggested that in view of the existing good working relationship between authority and Hereford Diocese that the Diocese be the sponsor for the project.

He reported that an ‘expression of interest’ in the project had been signed; the project would provide a major level of investment that the authority was unable to provide and the Diocesan Authority and Council already had a good established working relationship. The project was currently at the feasibility stage and as such a number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.