Agenda and minutes

Including any notices of motion and any other items of business submitted as urgent for consideration at the meeting.

Members should declare any financial and non-financial interests they have in the items of business for consideration, identifying the relevant agenda item and the nature of their interest.

3.1      Towerbank Parent Group (in relation to item 7.1 – Towerbank Primary School Catering Provision

3.2      Edinburgh Local Association of the EIS – Results of Violence at Work Survey

Minute of the Education, Children and Families Committee of 8 October 2019 - submitted for approval as a correct record

Work Programme

Rolling Actions Log

Business Bulletin

By Councillor Mary Campbell – Appointments to Sub-Committees and Working Groups

“Committee:

1)       Agrees to replace Councillor Mary Campbell with Councillor Steve Burgess on the Consultative Committee with Parents, Sub-Committee on Standards for Children and Families and Committee on Pupil Student Support.

2)       Agrees to replace Councillor Gavin Corbett with Councillor Mary Campbell on the Corporate Parenting Member Officer Group.”

Motion by Councillor Laidlaw – Thistle Foundation’s Children’s Wellbeing Project

“Committee notes:

1)       The success of the Children’s Wellbeing Projects piloted by the Thistle Foundation - the Craigmillar based charity supporting the well-being of individuals with long-term conditions - that has supported children at Brunstane and Castleview Primary Schools to better manage their worries, cope with difficult emotions and best respond to change.

2)       That following a pilot in 2018, the 2018/19 project extended the work from a programme of six standalone sessions to working with children across the schools year, with children at Castleview aged between 8-10 years and those at Brunstane 6-8 years.

Committee recognises:

3)       That the schools involved have an above average number of children with additional support needs and catchments that fall within SIMD areas 1 and 2.

4)       That the best way to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences is through preventative action with Health and Wellbeing with the project supporting the requirement in the Curriculum for Excellence to support ‘mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing’.

Committee asks:

5)       Officers to review the results of the projects to date and assess how these principles and partnership working could be applied in other schools across the ward and then potentially across the school estate, through delivery through partners like the Thistle and others.”

Motion by Councillor Young – Queensferry High School

“On the 31st March 2020, pupils of Queensferry High School will move into their new school building. As part of the transition, parents were advised in November that the school will be closed for an additional 4 days before the start of the Easter break.

Council:

·       regrets that parents were notified of this proposal without any prior engagement, and that local ward councillors were not consulted in advance.

·       recognises that the transfer of the school community into the new building, is a major logistical undertaking

·       Acknowledges that all parties involved are keen to minimise the disruption to pupils and their education, especially at this time of exam preparations

·       Notes that parents have expressed concern about the 4 additional days of closure and the challenge this creates for working parents who need arrange alternative childcare or take annual leave/unpaid leave 

·       Notes that there will be no pre-existing ‘holiday clubs’ in place to provide an alternative option, as this is normal term time for other schools

·       Notes that the next Education Committee is scheduled for March 2020 which is too late to consider any proposals to mitigate this impact

Council therefore requests a survey of parents on their ability to accommodate these 4 days without financial or other loss before the end of term, and a member briefing by 31 January 2020 to cover the following:

·        the experience of the transition for Boroughmuir High School, and what lessons were learned in minimising the impact on pupils and childcare

·       The pupil numbers affected in each academic year for QHS

·       The findings of the parent survey as requested above

·       Proposals for different ways to provide an additional holiday club type service (or alternative solution informed from the results of the survey) and recommendations on how this could be delivered within the Communities and Families existing budgets

Due to the lack of a committee meeting date to formally agree on the briefing recommendations, Council agrees to delegate to group spokespeople and council officers to review the proposals and agree any implementation of a solution.”