Issue - meetings

Appendix 2 to the report is exempt from publication as it contains commercially confidential information (exempt under paragraph 3, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended)).

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Core Services introduced the Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership (BDSIP) Business Plan for 2022/23.

The Business Plan set out BDSIP’s vision, values, and social and commercial ambitions for the year and provided an update against the 2021/22 financial performance and forecast for 2022/23.  The Cabinet Member was pleased to report that all of the Borough’s schools purchased services from the BDSIP and a key objective for the year was to increase the take-up from the wide range of services on offer.  It was noted that BDSIP was a not-for-profit organisation and any increase in business would be reinvested in schools to improve the life-chances of young people in the Borough. 

The Cabinet Member highlighted the key objectives for 2022/23, which included:

·  To increase the number of work experience opportunities for pupils which had been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and changes to working practices.  On that issue, the Cabinet Member referred to a recent jobs fair that took place at the film studios development at Dagenham East which covered all types of jobs linked to the filming industry and provided a unique opportunity for over 700 secondary school pupils to learn more about the industry and become involved.

·  That all schools be rated by Ofsted as “good” or “outstanding” - at the moment, 91% of Borough’s schools met that objective.

Cabinet Members spoke in support of the excellent work of the BDSIP and the relationship that it had established with schools, Headteachers and Governing Bodies.

Cabinet resolved to endorse the BDSIP Business Plan 2022/23 as set out in the appendices to the report.