Agenda and minutes

Councillor Calum Watt, Chair of the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee, opened the meeting with a warm welcome to all attendees.

No apologies for absence had been received.

Councillor(s) Donald Nannestad, Anita Prichard, Clare Smalley and Joshua Wells were in attendance as Panel Members to respond to Item 4 entitled 'Consultation to close Sixth Form Provision at Lincoln Castle Academy’.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 September 2024 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as an accurate record.

Please note that, in accordance with the Members' Code of Conduct, when declaring interests members must disclose the existence and nature of the interest, and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) or personal and/or pecuniary.

No declarations of interest were received.

Councillor Calum Watt, Chair of the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee, introduced the topic of discussion which was the Consultation to close Sixth Form Provision at Lincoln Castle Academy.

The Committee received a presentation from Richard Hanson, Principal of Lincoln Castle Academy. During consideration of the presentation, the following points were noted:

• The consultation document summarised the rationale for the proposal to close Sixth Form Provision at Lincoln Castle Academy (LCA)
• The proposal was based on a decline of numbers over the years. The Year 12 intake in 2022 resulted in zero applications
• There had been a great deal of change of leadership and management at the Academy
• T Levels were a two-year qualification designed to give 16- to 19-year-olds a head start towards their desired career. LCA decided not to invest in T Levels but other providers had. The subjects taught in sixth form had not been adapted
• It had previously been the case that there was only 1 student studying A Level Maths and some classes were comprised of only 2/3 students
• The Academy had attempted to offer specialist subjects, such as criminology, in the absence of the provision of a qualified teacher. Furthermore, results had declined and students started to consider alternative providers that had performed to a higher standard
• The recommended class size was approximately 15 students however for some subjects, such as music, it could be smaller. Business Studies however, was a subject with a much larger number of students. Therefore, there were not enough numbers for classes to be filled
• The school had not invested in infrastructure and as such, IT facilities were outdated, furniture was broken and many classrooms did not have the provision of an interactive whiteboard. The school had previously attempted to retain a very small sixth form that was losing money

(Note: Councillor Rachel Storer joined the meeting at this point in proceedings)

• The Department of Education (DfE) recommended a sixth form comprised of approximately 600 students
• Alternative provision was in close proximity within the area and included Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School and The Priory Lincoln Academy; both had an improved offer. Lincoln Castle Academy was graded ‘inadequate’
• Extensive consideration of possible solutions had taken place. LCA had not had a sixth form last year or within the current year
• Since the school moved to Delta Trust, the budget was good and investment had increased significantly. The IT provision worked well and the school was fully staffed with specialist teachers
• The offer provided by LCA was of a high standard. The results of the Year 11 in Summer 2024 were the best within the school’s 53-year history The Academy was set to become one of the top schools in Lincoln for Year 11 performance; the success of which had been attributed to work with both the community and parents, which had rebuilt the culture and trust
• Data analysis had been carried out on figures that dated back to 2007. The data suggested that many in the Ermine opted for LCA and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82.

(Note: Proceedings resumed at 18:18)

Councillor Calum Watt, Chair of the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee, introduced the topic of discussion which was Education and the Cost of Living.

(Note: In the interests of transparency, Councillor Rachel Storer wished it be noted that she volunteered for Night Light Cafes)

The Committee received a collaborative presentation from guest speakers, Matthew Clayton (Head of Education Support, Children’s Services, Lincolnshire County Council), Sian Wade, (Active Faith Lead, Transform Lincoln) and Amy Colley, (Relationships Manager, Acts Trust).

Matthew Clayton - Head of Education Support, Children’s Services, Lincolnshire County Council

• Free School Meals eligibility checking was within the remit of Head of Education Support. In addition, the remit covered support with the household support fund and vouchers issued to schools
• The core function of a school was to be an education provider within a safe and warm environment however schools went above and beyond every day
• It was important to differentiate between universal free school meals of which all Reception to Year 2 pupils were eligible and income based free school meals
• Phase 6 of the Household Support Fund had been rolled out recently and it was hoped that details would be received in the coming weeks. Vouchers for families to spend in supermarkets would be continued
• Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) administered many central Government initiatives. LCC did not have its own funding streams to support the cost of living through schools. Schools had very limited funding
• Schools worked with families to signpost to foodbanks and assisted with the completion of documentation to apply for services. Where possible, there was the holiday food programme and schools worked with third parties
• Other central Government initiatives included the proposed provision of a free breakfast club and wrap around care in order that parents could have their child in school from 08:00-18:00. It was hoped that the initiative enabled parents to work longer hours if they wished. LCC worked within the sector and attempted to administer initiatives
• LCC operatedworked across a fragmented education system however worked well in Lincolnshire to ensure families were supported.

Sian Wade - Active Faith Lead, Transform Lincoln

• FiSH (Food in School Holidays) was launched with CoLC in 2016
• The vision was to upscale the project of which the CoLC almost underwrote. Up until the Covid-19 pandemic, it was a great opportunity for eligible children to be issued vouchers to ensure food could be purchased in supermarkets. When the pandemic began, within 2 days the scheme was offered across the city
• It was recognised that there was a gap with JAM families, those ‘just about managing’. It was possible that school holidays would just about push them into debt
• In the summer of 2024, 6 different projects were ran across Lincoln City and some of the villages. The generosity of the CoLC enabled the scheme to be opened up across the whole city. FiSH worked closely with Co-Op and Tesco
• Issues had been experienced with communicating the scheme with schools. Not everyone who received a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83.

Consideration was given to the Committee’s Work Programme. Further to scoping discussions, the Assistant Director - Strategic Development, confirmed that the focus of the Committee’s upcoming work would include further attendance in relation to Anti-Poverty Strategy Development to include consideration of health inequalities, mental health, the links between finances and mental health and housing standards.

It was agreed that an invitation be offered to the Public Health and Inequality lead to attend Committee and the arrangement of further attendees be delegated to officers.

The Democratic Services Officer confirmed that scoping discussions would take place further to the meeting in relation to the Anti-Poverty Strategy Proposals project.

RESOLVED that:

1. That the Public Health and Inequality Lead be invited to the next meeting.

2. That the arrangement of further attendees be delegated to officers.

3. The content of discussions be noted with thanks.

Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday 12 November 2024 (18:00)