Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors W Nichols and R Sweeting.

Also in attendance was Councillor M Jordan.

A copy of the Register of Interest for each Selby District Councillor is available for inspection at www.selby.gov.uk.

Councillors should declare to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest in any item of business on this agenda which is not already entered in their Register of Interests.

Councillors should leave the meeting and take no part in the consideration, discussion or vote on any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Councillors should also declare any other interests.  Having made the declaration, provided the other interest is not a disclosable pecuniary interest, the Councillor may stay in the meeting, speak and vote on that item of business.

If in doubt, Councillors are advised to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer.

There were no disclosures of interest.

There was no Chair’s address to the Committee.

To consider the Committee’s work programme.

There were no comments on the work programme.

A special themed meeting around education in Selby District and what the Council can do to work better with local schools and colleges that young people from Selby District attend. Attendees have been invited from Selby College, Pontefract College, York College, Ebor Academy Trust, Hope Learning Trust York, NYCC Education Services.

Confirmed attendees are:

-       Tim Moat, Director of Communications and Development, Ebor Academy Trust

-       Representative from Selby College (Name to be confirmed)

-       Representative from North Yorkshire Education Services (Name to be confirmed)

The Chair welcomed the following representatives to the meeting:

·           Tim Moat, Director of Communications, Ebor Academy Trust

·           Dave Barber, Executive Headteacher, Ebor Academy Trust

·           Judith Kirk, Assistant Director for Education and Skills, North Yorkshire County Council

·           Jane le Sage, Assistant Director for Inclusion, North Yorkshire County Council

·           Andrew Dixon, Strategic Planning Manager, North Yorkshire County Council

·           Phil Sayles, Principal, Selby College

·           Nick Probert, Principal, York College

The Chair explained that they had been invited to explore the Council’s relationship with local providers, and to find out how they could work together to improve and develop education and skills in the District. The Committee received short presentations from each of the attendees and asked numerous questions.

Phil Sayles, Principal, Selby College

·                Mr Sayles, who had been Principal at the college for 18 months, gave an overview of its the mission and values, the curriculum strategy and strategic goals.

·                Members noted that the college had over 3,000 students and more than 250 members of staff, worked with 150 employers, had won a TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) Silver Award and a number of other accolades.

·                The Committee asked questions relating to the college’s work with Drax Power. Mr Sayles confirmed that the college did currently have some apprenticeship positions at Drax but not in engineering, and acknowledged the important partnership between the college and Drax Power.

·                Members asked if there was anything the Council could do to help the college in its work; Mr Sayles emphasised the importance of a business development and skills strategy for the Selby District, and how this would assist the college and other education providers to offer appropriate courses. Through the development of such a strategy, events for recruiting talent could be held to benefit both students and employers.

·                Mr Sayles explained that the college received funding to attract students from areas of deprivation to further education courses but acknowledged that there was always more that could be done on this. It was suggested that should the previously discussed skills strategy be developed by the Council, this element should be included and potentially benefit from joint working between the local authority and the college.

·         In response to a question, the Principal of Selby College explained that around seven out of ten students that came to study at the college were there to study at A-Level or BTEC but could also do GCSEs if required. Some students did drop out of their studies, but rates for this were not particularly high or a cause for concern.

Judith Kirk, Assistant Director for Education and Skills, North Yorkshire County Council

The Committee received an overview from the Assistant Director on a variety of issues, including:

·           The attainment, performance and achievement of schools in the North Yorkshire and Selby area, including OFSTED judgements for primary and secondary schools, early years education and development tests and key stage 2 and 4 performance and progress.

·           Members were informed that there was a great deal of data available on the performance of schools. The main  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.