Agendas, reports and minutes

Minutes of Meeting of the Education Committee held remotely on Thursday 2 July 2020 at 10.35 am.

Present:

Mr G Adam, Mrs I Campbell, Mr A Christie, Mrs M Cockburn, Mr J Finlayson (Chair), Mr L Fraser (am only), Mr K Gowans, Mr A Graham, Mr T Heggie (Vice Chair), Ms E Knox, Mr G MacKenzie, Mrs I MacKenzie, Mr S Mackie, Mr R MacWilliam, Mrs F Robertson, Mr G Ross, Mr A Sinclair, Ms N Sinclair
    
Religious Representatives:

Ms S Lamont, Mr W Skene
    
Non-Members also present:

Mrs J Barclay, Mr A Baxter, Mr R Bremner, Mrs C Caddick, Mr J Gray, Mr A Henderson, Mr A Jarvie, Mr B Lobban, Mr D Louden, Mr D Mackay, Mr A Mackinnon, Mrs A MacLean, Mr D Macpherson, Mr J McGillivray, Mr N McLean, Mr C Munro, Ms L Munro, Mrs T Robertson, Mr K Rosie, Mr B Thompson

In attendance:

Ms D Manson, Chief Executive
Mr P Senior, Executive Chief Officer – Education and Learning
Ms J Douglas, Care and Learning Alliance (Third Sector)
Ms G Newman, Highland Children’s Forum (Third Sector)
Ms S Blyth, Highland Parent Council Partnership

An asterisk in the margin denotes a recommendation to the Council.  All decisions with no marking in the margin are delegated to the Committee.

Mr J Finlayson in the Chair

Business

1.    Apologies for Absence
Leisgeulan

There were no apologies for absence.

2.    Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

The Committee NOTED the following declarations of interest:-

Item 3 – Mr A Baxter, Mr A Christie and Mr K Gowans (non-financial) 
Item 4 – Mr K Gowans (non-financial)

3.    The Phased Reopening of Schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Settings
Fosgladh Sgoiltean Mean air Mhean agus Suidheachaidhean Tràth-ionnsachaidh agus Cùraim-chloinne

Declarations of Interest: 

Mr A Baxter, Mr A Christie and Mr K Gowans declared non-financial interests in this item on the grounds that they had children enrolled in primary or secondary school, specifically Kinlochleven Primary School in the case of Mr Baxter, but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that their interests did not preclude their involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No EDU/08/20 dated 22 June 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer - Education and Learning.

Detailed discussion took place, during which the following issues were raised:-

• it had been a turbulent few months and some Members commented that the manner in which information had been provided by the Scottish Government had created difficulties for local authorities in terms of communication.  Other Members commended the approach taken by the Scottish Government, commenting that the information provided had been reasoned, appropriate and guided by science in what had been a dynamic environment;
• many people were anxious about safety and it was necessary to emphasise that Highland was a relatively safe area in terms of COVID-19.  It was suggested that it would be helpful to provide, in a user-friendly way, locally relevant statistics on the risks of contracting COVID-19 from going back to school.  In addition, it was queried whether the Council had access to the specialised communications expertise that was required to put such information across in a way that was going to make an impact;
• Members praised Head Teachers and school staff for their commitment and hard work in what had been extremely challenging circumstances.  The quality of work produced, in conjunction with IT, was commendable and the daily contact with pupils had been reassuring.  Thanks were also expressed to officers for their cooperation throughout;
• whilst appreciating the additional workload in terms of property maintenance and cleaning, it was suggested that Head Teachers should have complete management of their school buildings over the holidays so that teachers could go in if they wanted to;
• there were a number of children who would have to continue shielding and information was sought on how this would be resourced;
• in relation to Plans A-C, whilst additional resource implications had been identified, the report did not set out how the various options would be implemented.  It was questioned whether it was sufficient simply to identify need then defer it and, if not sufficient, what plans were being put in place to deal with a situation like the outbreak in Leicester.  It was necessary to be very clear with parents and to have Frequently Asked Questions setting out exactly what would happen in the event of a virus spike and what the options might be for schools;
• parents and teachers were anxious about infection, not only in respect of coronavirus but, for example, norovirus and support was sought for an Infection Control Charter, working in conjunction with NHS Highland Public Health officers;
• the COVID-19 pandemic was a public health issue and, given that the Committee was considering the re-opening of schools in a matter of weeks, there should be public health representatives in attendance;
• a lot of emphasis was being placed on re-opening businesses but the economy was not going to function unless the public health crisis was overcome;
• concern was expressed regarding IT, both in terms of it being a barrier to holding democratic meetings over the past few months and it being insufficient to deliver high quality teaching and meet the education challenges that lay ahead.  It was suggested that it was necessary to look at what was currently available and consider whether it was sufficient to meet outcomes for children beyond the start of the next academic year;
• the experience that young people had just been through would be the overriding memory of their childhoods and, whilst some would emerge more resilient, others would be suffering.  Concern was expressed regarding mental health as well as widening wealth inequalities, and it was necessary to identify those in need and ensure they were supported;
• there was a strong possibility that government advice would change in the next few weeks if the virus could not be contained, and the Council was going to have to react far more quickly than it was able to in March;
• there were a number of very fragile communities in Highland and there was a need for a Highland-specific strategy;
• it was necessary to send a clear message to the UK government that furlough schemes should be implemented again if need be to ensure that public health was not put at risk for the sake of minor economic gain;
• the need for better communication between officers and Members was emphasised and it was suggested that Education Committee Members be appointed to the Schools Reopening Programme Management Office subgroups to ensure they had the opportunity to feed in the views of their communities;
• the scale of the impact on children’s education was not yet known, and information was sought on what instruments of assessment had been created to evaluate the widening attainment gap, and what contingencies were in place to address this on a pupil by pupil basis.  The complexities were emphasised and it was queried whether consideration had been given to blocks of children having to repeat a year to ensure they were equipped to carry on to the next level;
• it was very difficult to get children, particularly of primary school age, to engage online, and this was a source of stress for parents, many of whom did not have time to sit down with their children on a daily basis;
• whilst it was recognised that one size did not fit all, there was a need for a level of consistency in terms of the messages going out to parents from schools.  It was important to be clear that the decisions being made were based on science, and messages needed to be unequivocal;
• teachers and support staff had developed new skills in digital learning and it was important to ensure that the digital gains made were not lost;
• the health and wellbeing of young people was paramount and it was necessary to make a strong statement that recovery was not just about the economy;
• it was necessary to learn from the mistakes that had been made and to capture and communicate the positive work taking place.  The Chair confirmed that it was intended that the report to the August Committee would include an evaluation of the work to date, including lessons learned and good news stories;
• in relation to section 3.5 of the report, clarity was sought as to what was meant by local level – ie area, ward or Associated School Group;
• in relation to section 3.10 of the report, information was requested on the key stakeholders, other than those mentioned, and what opportunities they had to be part of the conversation and develop policy;
• thanks were expressed to the many young people who had volunteered and carried out leadership roles during lockdown;
• it took a community to support a child, and the importance of working with third sector partners and community groups was emphasised.  Particular reference was made to the work of High Life Highland, the Voluntary Youth Network, Eden Court and Fèis Rois;
• it was necessary to continue to develop the new Highland Youth Work Strategy, which had been coproduced with young people and third sector partners;
• information was sought on what support was being provided during the summer holidays to help children overcome their anxiety about returning to school, and build resilience;
• clarification was requested as to why the estimated costs in respect of School Transport and Schools PPE were greater for Plan A, which had no social distancing measures, than for Plan C, which had 2m social distancing;
• in the event of another lockdown, which was effectively Plan D, it was necessary to look at what materials pupils would be using, particularly in relation to closing the attainment gap;
• it was necessary to implement Plan A as clearly, quickly and efficiently as possible;
• in relation to section 1.8 of the report, a more detailed breakdown of the estimated costs of £10-12m was sought, and it was queried whether the estimate was an average across all three scenarios;
• in relation to recommendation iv, there needed to be clear communication with all Members if and when national directives changed;
• it was questioned how the measures described in section 3.2.2 of the report would be implemented in schools that did not have Facilities Management provision on site;
• concern was expressed regarding the arrangements surrounding school budgets, and that the announcement that they would be uploaded by the end of the week, which was the final day of term, was placing additional stress on staff; 
• in the region of £8m (£5m underspend and £3m from Devolved School Management budgets) had been taken out of the Education budget in the current year, and it was hoped that the issue of school finances would be handled more effectively if such a situation arose in the future.  It was added that the breakdown of the £5m underspend requested by Councillor Graham MacKenzie at the Resources Committee had not yet been provided;
• further information was requested on the flexibility of the offer to fund post-probationer teachers in the 2019/20 cohort;
• in relation to supply staff, flexibility would be required to cover staff absences due to sickness and stress/anxiety, and an assurance was sought that this was being looked at in conjunction with the teaching unions;
• it was queried whether discussions were taking place with teaching institutions regarding the possibility of fast-tracking people with the appropriate qualifications/background into the teaching profession;
• it was requested that the list of parental questions submitted by Members, and the answers, be published on the Council’s website and communicated to Members.  The Chair confirmed that this would be undertaken;
• information was sought on what happened if a school had to close due to an infection;
• returning 100% of children to school would lead to issues at break/lunch times in larger schools.  Even if breaks were staggered, canteens would struggle to cope and it would not be possible to keep all children on site.  Community engagement was crucial and information was sought on how it was intended to communicate with supermarkets, traders etc, Local Members potentially having a role in that regard;
• it was requested that the school estate status be refreshed and brought to the next meeting of the Committee;
• in relation to the need for enhanced cleaning, it was queried whether cleaners previously employed by the Council had been contacted;
• concern was expressed regarding compulsory transfers, and it was questioned whether consideration had been given to issues such as compensation, disputes, and how receiving Head Teachers would be consulted.  In addition, a guarantee was sought that compulsory transfer would be a last resort, with more flexible recruitment options being explored first;
• information was sought on how it was intended to capture those pupils who had not engaged with online learning and what strategies would be employed.  In addition, what would assessments look like, when would they take place, would online learning be included, and how would the results be used?;
• there was a particular issue in respect of high achievers and how they were supported;
• schools should be encouraged, on the in-service day, to think about transition from nursery to primary school, and P7 to S1;
• in relation to SQA results, a plea was made that pupils be informed of their estimated grade to help them plan any appeals necessary;
• the need for accurate data to enable Members to carry out their scrutiny role was emphasised and, concern having been expressed regarding high turnover of Pupil Support Assistants in some areas, up-to-date information on Additional Support Needs (ASN) allocation in schools was requested;
• in relation to secondary teacher staffing, confirmation was sought that permanent posts were now being advertised and that posts were being advertised externally so that Highland was not last in the queue in the Scotland-wide recruitment drive;
• it was queried what plans were in place to incentivise teacher training posts in Highland, and whether the fully funded posts currently available to STEM subjects would be extended to all subjects;
• Safer Routes to Schools and active travel had an important role in terms of the health and wellbeing of children, the pressure on school transport and the financial burden on parents, and it was hoped this would be taken into account when planning future responses.  The Chair confirmed that was the case, and encouraged Members to have discussions with their local schools in that regard;
• in relation to ASN, many pupils would require increased support as a result of the change in environment, and information was sought on what was being done to address this;
• information was sought on whether all school vacancies as at close of business today would be advertised or held until the new school term; what the Council was doing to support recently qualified teachers who were having to leave roles they would like to remain in, and what representations had been made to the Deputy First Minister on this issue; whether it was right that Head Teachers had had to use their personal credit cards to purchase supplies as their budgets had been frozen; and whether the range of applications on Chromebooks was reviewed frequently.  The Chair acknowledged that Head Teachers having to use personal credit cards was not acceptable, albeit they would be reimbursed, and that it had taken time to upload the budgets.  However, this had now been resolved;
• concern was expressed regarding reports from teachers that they had been told by officers that they should not contact Councillors regarding concerns about education provision or resources in their schools, and a guarantee was sought that no such diktat was in place;
• in relation to Kinlochleven Primary School, none of the current staff would be returning in the new school session.  Whilst recognising the problems associated with workforce planning, children needed continuity and for them to return to a school without any familiar faces was disappointing;
• Members questioned what the Council could do to begin to address the problems faced at the end of every school year in terms of staffing, and the turmoil teaching staff experienced;
• returning in excess of 30,000 children to school was a huge task and it was important to recognise the complexities, particularly in relation to the communications coming from the UK and Scottish Governments.  Different preventative interventions were continually being introduced – for example, facemasks were now mandatory in some settings but not in schools – and this was difficult for any local authority to manage;
• workforce and curriculum planning, non-teaching staff interventions and communication with parents were critical.  In relation to workforce planning, the Chair confirmed that a staffing briefing by the Workforce Planning and Staffing Manager would be circulated to all Members;
• the fluidity of the situation made it difficult to plan, and information was sought on what additional support could be provided to Head Teachers so they felt confident and assured in planning for the various scenarios; and
• on the point being raised, the Chair assured Members that the recruitment of Head Teachers was a priority.

Officers responded in detail to the points/questions raised, during which it was confirmed that:-

• in relation to children who were shielding, it had been announced that all newly qualified teachers would receive a contract which would be funded nationally.  It was hoped that the additional resource would enable the development of a tutoring approach for the most vulnerable children in Highland and, as soon as the parameters of the funding were known, a policy would be developed and details provided to Members;
• guidance had been sought on flexibility of return to schools in terms of teachers requiring access over the summer, and on what responsibilities the Council would have in the event of a localised coronavirus outbreak, and this would be shared with Members as soon as it was available;
• in relation to infection control, officers would work with the digital and health teams, in conjunction with young people, to produce a video which could be distributed to communities to support the infection control agenda;
• consideration would be given to how to give regular updates to parents, Head Teachers and staff over the summer, and Members would be involved in all communications;
• the recent staff survey included questions relating to a number of the issues raised and would be a benchmark as to how staff were feeling, and the findings would be reported to Members; and
• whilst there was a line management protocol to be followed, there was no diktat in place in relation to teachers raising concerns with Councillors.  Staff should seek to raise concerns with someone they knew or trusted, and the Chief Executive undertook to clarify that message when she responded to staff following the staff survey.

The Committee:-

i.    NOTED the recent national and local level developments in relation to the reopening of schools and ELC provision, representing contingency planning for implementation in the event of the conditions for full reopening of schools not being met;
ii.    NOTED that the Council would continue to work with all schools to support the re-opening of schools and ELC settings in a way that was safe and protected staff and pupils;
iii.    NOTED the risks and implications relating to the reopening of schools and ELC settings as set out within the report;
iv.    AGREED that the Chief Executive and the Executive Chief Officer for Education and Learning, if required, were to develop further planning options to support the safe and secure reopening of schools and ELC settings in August should national directives change during the period from 2 July to 6 August 2020;
v.    AGREED that the report to the August Committee should include an evaluation of the work to date, including lessons learned and good news stories;
vi.    AGREED that the list of parental questions submitted by Members, and the answers, be published on the Council’s website and communicated to Members; and
vii.    AGREED that the staffing briefing prepared by the Workforce Planning and Staffing Manager be circulated to all Members.

4.    Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Programme Update
Cunntas às Ùr mu Phrògram Tràth-ionnsachaidh agus Cùraim-chloinne

Declaration of Interest: Mr K Gowans declared a non-financial interest in this item on the grounds that he had a child enrolled in primary school but, having applied the test outlined in Paragraphs 5.2 and 5.3 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, concluded that his interest did not preclude his involvement in the discussion.

There had been circulated Report No EDU/09/20 dated 22 June 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer - Education and Learning.

During discussion, the following issues were raised:-

• the importance of working with partner providers was reiterated;
• although the Scottish Government had given flexibility there was still an expectation that the expansion of ELC to 1140 hours would take place as quickly as possible;
• a number of questions were raised including how confident the Administration were that the expansion would have been achieved by August 2020; details of the underspend in financial year 2019/20; the level of expenditure and the amount remaining in the current financial year; how much had been spent on emergency key worker childcare; what the funding originally allocated for the expansion of ELC would now be used for; a commitment for completing the project; and a request for a fully time-scaled report for completing the project to the next Committee.  As a number of these required detailed responses from Officers, it was requested that these be shared with all Members of the Committee;
• a request was made that, before the next meeting of the Committee, details of all projects and their current status be provided.  In this regard, it was also requested that information be provided as to which facilities would be providing 600 hours and which ones 1140 hours;
• there was concern that some key worker childcare hubs were to close and, if so, it was requested that information be provided as to their location.  In this regard, it was disappointing that some key workers had been unable to access childcare provision;
• it was stated that, given the wider financial challenges facing the Council, no decisions in relation to ELC could be made without considering the wider financial impact and the need for the Council to carefully scrutinise any financial decisions in terms of affordability and ongoing sustainability.  However, it was feared that this suggested that ELC monies would be repurposed and this would lead to parental uncertainty and worry;
• it was recognised that changes had taken place rapidly but an update on what new builds were proposed, which buildings were to be requisitioned and the costs involved was sought;
• it was acknowledged provision of ELC would vary between each local authority as well as within Highland itself and a one-size approach would not fit; 
• if there was flexibility to use the funding originally ringfenced for the expansion of ELC, it was queried if there would be additional funding provided by the Scottish Government in the future;
• it was concerning that some parents, particularly in Gaelic Medium Education (GME), would not be afforded the opportunity to benefit from the increase in early learning and child care hours and it was questioned what work was being undertaken to increase the provision and the associated timeline;
• GME opportunities were available throughout Highland but any delay in providing Gaelic Medium ELC would have an adverse effect on those parents wishing to educate their children through the medium of Gaelic, especially in settings where 1140 hours were available in English Medium ELC but not in Gaelic;
• Parent Councils were expressing concern at the uncertainty and delay.  This had a negative impact on those wishing to return to work, especially single parents, and equity of provision across Highland was required to ensure there was equality of employment opportunities;
• it was queried what flexibility the Council had been given in relation to the capital allocation and if this could potentially be used to assist with the expansion.  Furthermore, the Scottish Government had given the Council additional funding to provide flexibility during the crisis for looking after the children of key workers and vulnerable children; and
• it was questioned how many of the centres would be able to deliver 1140 hours, if the funding would cover any additional costs incurred this year and what support was being provided to them.

The Committee:-

i.    NOTED the recent national and local level developments in relation to ELC, the financial context and also the implications arising from COVID-19, as set out within the report;
ii.    AGREED that from August 2020 onwards, the Council would continue to fund existing ELC settings delivering 600 or 1140 hours, at those levels, to provide sustainability and allow settings to continue funding ELC funded provision as and when circumstances allowed;
iii.    NOTED that this would continue to support over 50% of Highland ELC settings funded to deliver the 1140 agenda, with actual delivery subject to permissible capacity and COVID-19 circumstances;
iv.    NOTED that a further report taking cognisance of the change to legislation regarding the expansion of ELC (that was invoked during COVID-19 lockdown) would be subject to discussion at the Education Committee in August once a complete impact assessment of the Council’s financial position and the recovery programme was finalised;
v.    NOTED that the re-opening of ELC settings, Council and Partner/Childminders, was being taken forward as part of the Council’s overall schools return programme, as detailed as a separate agenda item for this Committee; 
vi.    NOTED that the Council would continue to engage with Partner Providers, Childminders, and Council staff, relating to ELC developments; 
vii.    AGREED the design principles that had been prepared to shape the Council’s planning around ELC, that had been set out in section 4.6 of the report; and
viii.    AGREED that responses to the points raised by Councillor Graham MacKenzie be circulated to all Members.

The meeting concluded at 3.15 pm.