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Item 3 – SG’s enquiry concerning Facilities Management - add the word “staff” to read “specialist staff in the special schools.”

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Item 3 – re therapy support - MC met with Chief Executives of the PCTs, who agreed the need to take this forward to try to develop agreed models for the minimum of level of input for the new schools.  MC to write to PCT Chief Executives to convene a group to oversee the work at Director level.  Representation could also come from this group and special school HTs.  MC will write to seek nominations.  Ideas developed would be taken back to PCTs.

Item 3 – PG - Brenda Bignold (Director for Partnership for Schools) visit to Beckfoot, Salt and Heaton Royds was very successful.  BB was convinced of the need to deliver for 2007.  MC – the need to be mindful that PfS could agree to 2007 but possibly not for the mainstream element of co-located projects – the special school element is the must go aspect.

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PG – At present, establishing an Education Vision Group.  This is to promote the BSF programme as an education driven development and to ensure all decisions are informed by/can be related to the vision.  Representation will include a special school HT, and secondary HT, Sid Slater – Confederations Manager, secondary student/s from the Youth Parliament.  GB agreed to approach Glynn Freeth (Lister Lane Special) as a rep for special schools. Education Client Team office to liaise with RH for an Early Years representative.

MJC – Bidders have now been shortlisted to 3:

      IntegratED – a consortium led by Amey

      Mowlems

      Environments for Learning

They now have four months to develop their bids further and the project team’s role is to facilitate three bids of the highest quality. Target date for the signing of the preferred bidder is February 2006.

Held initial discussions to move things forward and to ensure that the bidders recognise the importance of the Phase 2 programme. Representation required from Health, special schools, the project team, and Vision into Practice sub group. CD requested membership as a Social Services rep.

Putting together a joint bid with the PCT for Department of Health PFI credits for Children Centre facilities at Salt Grammar.

Two BSF appointments made – communications role joint with SEN and an administration assistant.

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Deaf provision – EPP recommending to Executive that further consultation take place for Model 3.  A final decision is expected to be made before the end of the summer term when the outcomes of the consultation on models 1 and 2 will be considered alongside those for model 3.

PG – Successful initial meetings with some of the temporary governing bodies have already taken place.  All temporary governors to meet with representatives from the Client Team and EB at the Bankfield Ramada Jarvis on 9 March.

PC agreed to distribute the new list of temporary governing bodies to special school HTs. 

More community governors are required for Bradford Moor/Lapage and anyone interested was asked to act swiftly.

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Health – Education and Health Working Group met on 8 Dec.  Sub group working group’s first meeting scheduled for 30 March.

Early Years (RH)

      Good progress being made with Children Centres Plus. 

      Four Children Centres area conferences being held in the District.

      David Mallen (Chair EPP) content with the EPP report concerning the development of Children Centres.  A report will go to Executive.

      Consulting in the summer term concerning the closure of 8 resourced nurseries with resources being re-directed to the Children Centres Plus.  Publication of Formal Notices will be required.  There will be staffing implications with these proposed changes – this has been an item at Teachers’ OJC and will shortly be going to SEN Reorganisation OJC.

Communications (MJC) – The Officer has now been appointed and will join the Steering Group shortly.

HR (SM/MB)

      A number of meetings have taken place recently – HR sub group, OJC and Officers’ meeting, with good progress having been made.

      Agreed the Temporary Governing Body statement on how to work/support on the transfer of staff from the old schools to the new.

      Difficulty being experienced with the creation of draft staffing structures.  At the last SEN OJC meeting it was suggested that DW and Sue Eastwood urgently work on generic Development Plans for Primary and Secondary schools.  GB – a small group of HTs looking at funding which is well on the way to being agreed.  This exercise could inform work on staffing structures.  SM – timing is a major issue – it must be progressed early next term. Suggest HTs group and Vision into Practice/Co-location Development Groups meet and HTs on Staffing Sub can then draft structures.

Buildings Transition – PC needs more up-to-date/realistic information in order to update the timeline.  CH suggested that Buildings Transition be revisited.

It was agreed that the funding ex of Temple Bank would be an item for discussion at the next meeting.

Vision into Practice (CH) – This group will be wound-up in the summer term.  A new group amalgamating the functions of this group and the Co-location Development Group should be formed.

      Undertaken audit related to training/support and need to re-look at how best to use the funding.  CH suggests that some funding be used on how to work with mainstream schools.

      Another £70,000/80,000 agreed for next year.

      The bespoke training provided by Bradford College working very well.  SG confirmed this for Bolling, adding that this led onto further qualifications for some staff.  SG also asked that the training sub group be aware of the different systems which special school HTs operate and GB added that some areas required standardisation while others allowed for more autonomy. 

Pupil Transition (CH) – Process being established to review the statements of all special school children.

MB stated that, possibly, support staff may follow the pupil to a particular school.  At this stage, CH was unsure how this would operate.  SG stated that some staff are trained to work with a particular child but it would be discriminatory to force staff to follow the child to a particular school.

Co-location Development Group (CH for DW) – Will progress further after the Temporary Governing Body meeting on 9 March.  Next meeting of the sub group is 11 March. 

MJC asked for an update on end timelines and timing for reporting back of co-location and site options.  CH – looking across the whole District in terms of Co-location.

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PC – arranging visits for parents for after Easter to:

      Portland – a secondary special school in Sunderland

      Oakdale – a primary special school in Tameside

      The Meadows – a secondary special school in Sandwell

Please alert parents and contact Julie Bruce if you would like to visit any of the above.

MJC agreed to follow up with PG the proposed secondment of a HT/DHT to work with colleagues around the design of schools.

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Friday, 8 April, 10.30 am at Future House.