Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 6 November 2018 for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the committee business planner as prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.  Members asked a number of questions in respect of items on the planner.

Members were advised that item 6 (School Estate Strategy) would now be reported in September 2019 to allow for further work to be undertaken on the strategy. 

Councillor Greig, seconded by Councillor McLellan, moved as a procedural motion:-

That this Committee agrees to instruct a report to be brought to this Committee on 14 March 2019 outlining the precise terms of the scope of work that is being carried out in reviewing the school estate, the findings so far of the audit, the aims, principles and policies of the review process and the timescale of consultation and decision making.

On a division, there voted:- for the procedural motion (12) – Councillors Greig, Henrickson, Catriona Mackenzie, McLellan, Nicoll and Samarai; and Mrs Stephanie Brock, Mrs Louise Bruce, Mr John Murray, Mr Colm O’Riordan, Miss Pamela Scott and Reverend Hutton Steel; against the procedural motion (7) the Convener; the Vice Convener; and Councillors Duncan, Imrie, Laing and Macdonald; declined to vote (1) – Mr Mike Paul.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        in respect of item 6 (School Estate Strategy), to note that officers intended to bring the school estate strategy report back to Committee in September 2019;

(ii)       also in respect of item 6, to instruct a report to be brought to this Committee on 14 March 2019 outlining the precise terms of the scope of work that is being carried out in reviewing the school estate, the findings so far of the audit, the aims, principles and policies of the review process and the timescale of consultation and decision making;  and

(iii)      to otherwise note the planner.

The Committee had before it a request from Dr Alison Murray to address the Committee in respect of item 9.2 on the agenda (The Inclusion Review and Out of Authority Placements).

Dr Murray advised that she helped to run a parent/carer support group for children with additional support needs, noting that they were grateful to the Council for providing accommodation for the group, and to Lesley Stopani who had previously attended meetings of the group and would be attending the next meeting in order to maintain a link with parents.

Dr Murray noted that the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 29) stated that education should be directed to “The development of the child’s personality, talents and physical abilities to their fullest potential”, and those rights had been embedded in Scots Law in the Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000.  In addition, she noted that the Act required that such education should be provided in mainstream schools unless it would not be suitable for the ability or aptitude of the child or would cost too much.

Dr Murray advised that the Scottish Government’s draft guidance on the presumption of mainstreaming made it clear that mainstreaming and inclusion were not the same thing.  Inclusion was about the importance of children being included no matter what setting they were in, whereas the key features of inclusion were ‘present, participating, achieving and support’.  She added that young people spoken to by Education Scotland felt that friendship and belonging were importance for inclusion.  Dr Murray stated that a recent report presented to the Scottish Government (“Not included, not engaged and not involved”) had found there was growing concern about the education experience of pupils with additional support needs, and in particular, autistic children.  Many autistic children were not having their right to an education fulfilled and were missing a significant and concerning amount of school.  Dr Murray noted that this included formal exclusion, and added that the support group were pleased to see from the committee report that these were decreasing in Aberdeen.  She did however note that children could be excluded from education in other ways, including the extended use of part-time timetables, missing school due to anxiety, or a lack of suitable school placement or support which would mean a child was unable to be in school or refused to attend.  Dr Murray mentioned that the support group were aware of approximately 22 children out of school or on a long-term part-time timetable in Aberdeen and suggested there may be others.  She stated that part-time timetables should not be used as a way of managing pupils’ additional support needs and should only be used for short periods.  Dr Murray added that several of these children were out of school long-term and not receiving any education despite it being a legal requirement.  She also noted that exclusion of children from education was occurring through families being called to pick up children early on a regular basis, with some parents  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

With reference to article 9 of the minute of its meeting of 29 May 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided the Committee with an update in respect of road safety in the vicinity of Lochside Academy.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the assurance provided in the report with regard to the road safety arrangements in the vicinity of Lochside Academy.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to approve the recommendation;

(ii)       to request that officers provide an update to Members in respect of the works being undertaken to resolve the flooding issue near South Loirston Road;

(iii)      to request that officers circulate a service update in respect of the half day event run by Lochside Academy and Policy Scotland for P7 pupils from the Lochside associated schools group;

(iv)      to instruct the Chief Officer Operations and Protective Services to undertake a survey of children crossing Wellington Road at lunchtime and outwith school hours and to bring a report back to Committee in May 2019 detailing any necessary measures to improve road safety, with the report to include the ongoing work being undertaken by the school in respect of road safety education; and

(v)       to recommend to the Operational Delivery Committee that the following be considered –

That the Operational Delivery Committee –

Notes the progress that has been made by officers with regards to the flooding issues affecting part of South Loirston Road near to Dunlin Road that forms part of the identified safe routes to school for Lochside Academy.  Instructs the Chief Officer  Strategic Place Planning to bring a report to this committee in the next cycle detailing the outcome of the proposed works and any further remedial action that may be required to alleviate the flooding.

With reference to article 17 of the minute of the meeting of the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee of 8 May 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided detail on the changes made as a result of the Inclusion Review to determine the impact on out of authority placements.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the actions which had been carried out to date.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to approve the recommendation contained in the report; and

(ii)       to request that officers submit separate committee reports to a future meeting of the Committee in respect of (a) the Inclusion Review and (b) Out of Authority Placements.

-     COUNCILLOR JOHN WHEELER, Convener