Agenda, decisions and minutes

No declarations of interest were made

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2017 were confirmed as a true record by the Cabinet and signed by the Chair

Options Considered/Reasons for Decision

Cabinet received and considered a report prepared by the Head of Finance which referred to the change and efficiency programme and asked Cabinet to agree a number of key budget matters, for recommendation to Council.

The Leader of the Council offered thanks to all Cabinet colleagues and officers for the hard work in getting the budget to this point. The Leader stated that the grant settlement was very disappointing and had made work very difficult.  During discussions on the draft settlement a credit gap was left in the budget to deal with any reductions in the final grant due to adjustments on council tax base and to deal with feedback from consultation. The Leader stated that, however, room for manoeuvre was reduced significantly when the final settlement confirmed a further large reduction in the revenue support grant for 2017/18. 

The Leader informed Members that she had written to the Cabinet Secretary prior to the final settlement expressing concerns around any reduction to the draft position; and that she had again written to the Cabinet Secretary outlining the challenging position arising from the extremely disappointing settlement which had led to the Council facing a very difficult position.

However, following consultation, Cabinet had been able to deal with the key concerns of the public and other consultees and in the context of the financial position. The Leader confirmed that there would be a £1.1 million investment in schools and the deletion of the proposed saving item related to outsourcing of the support function at the Linc extra care scheme.  Both issues had been highlighted in the consultation on the draft budget.

The Leader stated that as the consultation exercise was based on a 4% Council tax increase, there would be a budget ‘in-hand’ of £225,000. The proposed increase had raised some concerns in the consultation period; therefore the Leader stated she would be suggesting a reduction in the proposed increase by 0.5%.

The Leader referred to the Head of Finance’s comments that the medium term financial outlook is very challenging and Newport, like others, must find a way through this, where reductions on funding comes at the same time as unprecedented pressures on budgets.

The Leader considered Newport’s administration had managed very well so far, carrying on investing in our schools, our social care services and the city centre but options to find further savings will need to come from a thorough review of strategic options for key service areas and managing budget pressures wherever possible. 

All Councils, across the UK, are in the same position and all would l have to find a different way to ensure we can meet the needs of residents. The Leader referred to her recent visit to the LGA where there were considerable concerns expressed by Leaders of English authorities.

In conclusion the Leader of the Council stated that the significant reduction in the final settlement presented a very difficult position, and left little room for manoeuvre around the budget  ...  view the full decision text for item 3.

Cabinet received and considered a report prepared by the Head of Finance which referred to the change and efficiency programme and asked Cabinet to agree a number of key budget matters, for recommendation to Council.

The Leader of the Council offered thanks to all Cabinet colleagues and officers for the hard work in getting the budget to this point. The Leader stated that the grant settlement was very disappointing and had made work very difficult.  During discussions on the draft settlement a credit gap was left in the budget to deal with any reductions in the final grant due to adjustments on council tax base and to deal with feedback from consultation. The Leader stated that, however, room for manoeuvre was reduced significantly when the final settlement confirmed a further large reduction in the revenue support grant for 2017/18. 

The Leader informed Members that she had written to the Cabinet Secretary prior to the final settlement expressing concerns around any reduction to the draft position; and that she had again written to the Cabinet Secretary outlining the challenging position arising from the extremely disappointing settlement which had led to the Council facing a very difficult position.

However, following consultation, Cabinet had been able to deal with the key concerns of the public and other consultees and in the context of the financial position. The Leader confirmed that there would be a £1.1 million investment in schools and the deletion of the proposed saving item related to outsourcing of the support function at the Linc extra care scheme.  Both issues had been highlighted in the consultation on the draft budget.

The Leader stated that as the consultation exercise was based on a 4% Council tax increase, there would be a budget ‘in-hand’ of £225,000. The proposed increase had raised some concerns in the consultation period; therefore the Leader stated she would be suggesting a reduction in the proposed increase by 0.5%.

The Leader referred to the Head of Finance’s comments that the medium term financial outlook is very challenging and Newport, like others, must find a way through this, where reductions on funding comes at the same time as unprecedented pressures on budgets.

The Leader considered Newport’s administration had managed very well so far, carrying on investing in our schools, our social care services and the city centre but options to find further savings will need to come from a thorough review of strategic options for key service areas and managing budget pressures wherever possible. 

All Councils, across the UK, are in the same position and all would l have to find a different way to ensure we can meet the needs of residents. The Leader referred to her recent visit to the LGA where there were considerable concerns expressed by Leaders of English authorities.

In conclusion the Leader of the Council stated that the significant reduction in the final settlement presented a very difficult position, and left little room for manoeuvre around the budget to deal with pressures being highlighted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Options Considered/Reasons for Decision

The Cabinet Member for Education and Young People introduced a report informing Cabinet that there were three steps to national schools’ categorisation:

The Cabinet Member explained that the steps were:

·         Step 1 which was a data driven calculation which describes ‘standards’. This was communicated through a grading system

·         Step 2  which described the schools capacity to self – improve through teaching and learning, leadership and management

·         Step 3 which was indicated through a red -> green measure and shows the level of support which a school is perceived to need. 

The Cabinet Member stated that Newport is ranked at 1^st in Wales for the number of green and yellow category primary schools. All Cabinet Members were delighted with this outcome and passed on their congratulations to all involved, including governors; staff; parents and pupils. The Cabinet Member stated that Newport’s Secondary Schools are ranked at 12^th in Wales for the number of green category schools

Cabinet Members were informed that the number of green category primary schools is now at 52%, double that of Wales and 21% higher than the regional average

The Cabinet Members stated that the number of green category secondary schools in Newport is now 22%, this being slightly below the all- Wales average but 13% above the regional average. The majority of secondary schools in Newport are now categorised as either yellow of green

Newport has 5 amber category schools and three category red schools. The Cabinet Member and the Chief Education Officer stated that bespoke support plans are in place to ensure that each school is able to progress. Support plans and their impact are reviewed regularly. The Chief Education officer also described the range of support offered to schools in relation to

The Education Support Service Plan focuses on a range of priorities to reduce the number of schools placed in amber and red categories and improve the number of yellow and green category schools

Members were very pleased with this report and the outcomes of the categorisation and encouraged further progress.

Decision:

To welcome the outcomes of the categorisation and to congratulate Newport Schools on their achievements

Consultation

Monitoring Officer; Head of Finance; Head of People & Business Change

Implemented By:  Chief Education Officer 

The Cabinet Member for Education and Young People introduced a report informing Cabinet that there were three steps to national schools’ categorisation:

The Cabinet Member explained that the steps were:

·         Step 1 which was a data driven calculation which describes ‘standards’. This was communicated through a grading system

·         Step 2  which described the schools capacity to self – improve through teaching and learning, leadership and management

·         Step 3 which was indicated through a red -> green measure and shows the level of support which a school is perceived to need. 

The Cabinet Member stated that Newport is ranked at 1^st in Wales for the number of green and yellow category primary schools. All Cabinet Members were delighted with this outcome and passed on their congratulations to all involved, including governors; staff; parents and pupils. The Cabinet Member stated that Newport’s Secondary Schools are ranked at 12^th in Wales for the number of green category schools

Cabinet Members were informed that the number of green category primary schools is now at 52%, double that of Wales and 21% higher than the regional average

The Cabinet Members stated that the number of green category secondary schools in Newport is now 22%, this being slightly below the all- Wales average but 13% above the regional average. The majority of secondary schools in Newport are now categorised as either yellow of green

Newport has 5 amber category schools and three category red schools. The Cabinet Member and the Chief Education Officer stated that bespoke support plans are in place to ensure that each school is able to progress. Support plans and their impact are reviewed regularly. The Chief Education officer also described the range of support offered to schools

The Education Support Service Plan focuses on a range of priorities to reduce the number of schools placed in amber and red categories and improve the number of yellow and green category schools

Members were very pleased with this report and the outcomes of the categorisation and encouraged further progress.

Decision:

To welcome the outcomes of the categorisation and to congratulate Newport Schools on their achievements

CAB 09 /17

Key Stage 4/ Key Stage 5 Performance

Options Considered/Reasons for Decision

The Cabinet Member for Education and Young People introduced a report informing Cabinet of the outcomes for Key Stages 4 and 5 as validated in December 2016

The Cabinet Member stated that the Leader of the Council had been a driving force and strong advocate in terms of performance and its impact on continuous improvement.

The Cabinet Member informed the Cabinet that Newport was ranked 16^th in Wales in terms of its free school meals population, with first being the most affluent.

At Key Stage 4, the Cabinet Member reported that the outcomes were:

·         The figure for Level 2 inclusive (Measuring 5 GCSE’s at C and above, including English and Maths) had risen by 3.1%. This was faster than the all – Wales rate of progress which was at 2.4% Newport was ranked 15 in Wales for this indicator 

·         The number of English and Maths GCSE’s had improved. There had been a 4.1% increase in maths. The Cabinet Member stated that this had been a specific focus of improvement for Newport, so it was good to the impact of specific support packages.

·         The Level 2 indicator declined as did science. The Cabinet Member explained that this was linked to the change from science BTEC to pure GCSE. The majority of Newport Schools decided to convert to GCSE one year earlier than the statutory timeframe.

·         The performance of pupils gaining level 2 inclusive ( see above) that are entitled to free school meals had improved significantly by 10%. The Cabinet Member reported this was stronger that the all- Wales average and the best outcome in the region.

Key Stage 5 outcomes were reported as follows:

·         The percentage of A levels (A*to E) achieved this year was 96.9%. The Cabinet Member informed Cabinet that whilst this percentage was a decline on last year, Newport students had gained 113 more A Levels collectively than in 2015

·         The number of pupils gaining A or A* grades at A level in Newport was at 20.1%. The Cabinet Member stated this was broadly in line with the rest of the region and the rest of Wales.

·         The number of pupils achieving level 3 threshold had improved by 5.4% to 97.7%. The Cabinet Member informed the Cabinet that this was an important indicator which allows pupils to move on to access higher education. Councillor Giles stated that this compares very well to improvement rates across the region and the rest of Wales

The Cabinet Member for Education and Young People informed Members that in response to the 2015/6 outcomes, the Education Service had ensured that science support is available to each of the secondary schools in Newport and that each secondary school has a bespoke plan to improve.

In conclusion the Cabinet Members stated that the current academic year presented new challenges owing to the new English, Maths and Science examinations. Schools were being closely monitored and supported to prepare  ...  view the full decision text for item 5.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Young People introduced a report informing Cabinet of the outcomes for Key Stages 4 and 5 as validated in December 2016

The Cabinet Member stated that the Leader of the Council had been a driving force and strong advocate in terms of performance and its impact on continuous improvement.

The Cabinet Member informed the Cabinet that Newport was ranked 16^th in Wales in terms of its free school meals population, with first being the most affluent.

At Key Stage 4, the Cabinet Member reported that the outcomes were:

·         The figure for Level 2 inclusive (Measuring 5 GCSE’s at C and above, including English and Maths) had risen by 3.1%. This was faster than the all – Wales rate of progress which was at 2.4% Newport was ranked 15 in Wales for this indicator 

·         The number of English and Maths GCSE’s had improved. There had been a 4.1% increase in maths. The Cabinet Member stated that this had been a specific focus of improvement for Newport, so it was good to the impact of specific support packages.

·         The Level 2 indicator declined as did science. The Cabinet Member explained that this was linked to the change from science BTEC to pure GCSE. The majority of Newport Schools decided to convert to GCSE one year earlier than the statutory timeframe.

·         The performance of pupils gaining level 2 inclusive ( see above) that are entitled to free school meals had improved significantly by 10%. The Cabinet Member reported this was stronger that the all- Wales average and the best outcome in the region.

Key Stage 5 outcomes were reported as follows:

·         The percentage of A levels (A*to E) achieved this year was 96.9%. The Cabinet Member informed Cabinet that whilst this percentage was a decline on last year, Newport students had gained 113 more A Levels collectively than in 2015

·         The number of pupils gaining A or A* grades at A level in Newport was at 20.1%. The Cabinet Member stated this was broadly in line with the rest of the region and the rest of Wales.

·         The number of pupils achieving level 3 threshold had improved by 5.4% to 97.7%. The Cabinet Member informed the Cabinet that this was an important indicator which allows pupils to move on to access higher education. Councillor Giles stated that this compares very well to improvement rates across the region and the rest of Wales

The Cabinet Member for Education and Young People informed Members that in response to the 2015/6 outcomes, the Education Service had ensured that science support is available to each of the secondary schools in Newport and that each secondary school has a bespoke plan to improve.

In conclusion the Cabinet Members stated that the current academic year presented new challenges owing to the new English, Maths and Science examinations. Schools were being closely monitored and supported to prepare for the changes and education professionals agree nationally that there are many uncertainties linked to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Options Considered/Reasons for Decision

The Corporate Assessment suggested to the Council that it should consider strengthening committee work programming arrangements to ensure they are timely, meaningful, informative, and transparent, balanced, monitored, and joined up. In response to that suggestion, Cabinet had previously agreed that the Head of Democratic Services will regularly ask Chief Officers to update the Cabinet work programme and an update will be reported to Cabinet each month.

An updated work programme for the coming municipal year suggested by Chief Officers was discussed. This was, of course, a working document and will be subject to change. 

Decision:

To adopt the suggested programme and provide an update at the next meeting

Consultation

Directors, Heads of Service, Monitoring Officer, Head of Finance, and Head of People & Business Change

Implemented By:  Head of Democratic Services

The Corporate Assessment suggested to the Council that it should consider strengthening committee work programming arrangements to ensure they are timely, meaningful, informative, and transparent, balanced, monitored, and joined up. In response to that suggestion, Cabinet had previously agreed that the Head of Democratic Services will regularly ask Chief Officers to update the Cabinet work programme and an update will be reported to Cabinet each month.

An updated work programme for the coming municipal year suggested by Chief Officers was discussed. This was, of course, a working document and will be subject to change. 

Decision:

To adopt the suggested programme and provide an update at the next meeting