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.

The Convener welcomed Reverend Shuna Dicks to her first meeting, advising that she was the new Church of Scotland representative.  He also welcomed Councillor Cameron to the Committee, further to the resignation of former Councillor Catriona Mackenzie.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 16 May 2019 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. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         in respect of items 12 and 19 (Free School Meals), to note that officers would endeavour to combine the two reports to the November 2019 meeting of the Committee, and would advise Members at that time if the earlier report had resulted in any information being omitted which might require the further report in May 2020; and

(ii)        to otherwise note the updates provided.

With reference to article 5 of the minute of its meeting of 6 September 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided an evaluative summary of progress towards realising the outcomes set out in the Council’s National Improvement Framework (NIF) Plan 2018/2019, and sought approval to implement the refreshed NIF plan for 2019/2020 following submission of both documents to the Scottish Government.

The report recommended:-

that Committee –

(a)       approve (i) the Evaluation Report highlighting the impact of Aberdeen City work on the Council’s National Improvement Framework Plan 2018/2019 (Appendix A to the report) and (ii) the proposed Council National Improvement Framework Plan 2019/20 (Appendix B to the report);

(b)       instruct the Chief Operating Officer to submit the Evaluation Report and the Council National Improvement Framework Plan for 2019/2020 to the Scottish Government as soon as reasonably practicable;

(c)        instruct the Chief Operating Officer to implement the proposed Council National Improvement Framework Plan for 2019/2020 immediately; and

(d)       instruct the Chief Operating Officer to provide an overview of progress towards realising the outcomes detailed in the Council’s National Improvement Framework Plan through a service update in January 2020 and formally report on progress to the Education Operational Delivery Committee in September 2020.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations

With reference to article 10 of the minute of its meeting of 6 November 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided an update on the full year Pupil Equity Fund spend.

The report recommended:-

that Committee –

(a)       note the contents of the report; and

(b)       instruct the Chief Officer – Integrated Children’s and Family Services to incorporate Pupil Equity Fund spending and a review of the impact of spending in all future National Improvement Framework committee reports.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to request that officers provide information on the discussion in respect of a possible review of the Pupil Equity Fund formula to the Committee by way of Service Update; and

(ii)       to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 12 of the minute of the Education and Children’s Services Committee of 24 March 2016, and article 11 of the minute of 16 November 2017; and article 8 of the minute of the Capital Programme Committee of 12 September 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer on the outcomes of the recent statutory consultation on the proposals to establish a new primary school at Countesswells; and to relocate Milltimber School and St Peter’s RC School.

The report recommended:-

that Committee agree to –

Countesswells School

(a)      establish a new primary school on the identified site N7 within the Countesswells development, Aberdeen;

(b)      relocate pupils zoned to Countesswells School from their current temporary accommodation to the newly constructed school building at Countesswells following its completion; and

(c)       these proposals taking effect from August 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Milltimber School

(d)     relocate the existing Milltimber Primary School to a new building on an identified site within the Oldfold Farm development, Aberdeen with effect from August 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

St Peter’s RC School

(e)     relocate St Peter’s RC School to the existing Riverbank School building, after the new replacement Riverbank School has opened, with effect from August 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter, subject to the condition of the Riverbank building first being improved to a category A status; and

(f)      refer the proposal for investment works to improve the condition of the Riverbank building to a category A status to the Council Budget meeting in March 2020.

At this juncture, the Committee heard from Mr Andrew Jones, Service Manager Assets and Finance, who advised that the recommendations (a) and (d) required to be slightly altered to ensure that they were explicit in respect of fully costed business cases requiring approval at City Growth and Resources Committee, namely:-

(a)     to establish a new primary school on the identified site N7 within the Countesswells development, Aberdeen, subject to approval of the fully costed business case at City Growth and Resources Committee; and

(d)     to relocate the existing Milltimber Primary School to a new building on an identified site within the Oldfold Farm development, Aberdeen with effect from August 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter, subject to approval of the fully costed business case at City Growth and Resources Committee.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Boulton, moved the recommendations as amended.

Councillor Greig, seconded by Councillor Hutchison, moved as an amendment:-

That Committee:-

(a)       approve recommendations (a) to (d) as amended;

(b)       agree to instruct the Chief Officer – Integrated Children’s and Family Services to consult on the proposal to relocate St Peter’s RC School to a new school building on the site of the demolished Riverbank School and report back to the Education Operational Delivery Committee on the outcome; and

(c)        subject to the outcome of the consultation and agreement of the above at Education Operational Delivery Committee, to recommend to the City Growth  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.