Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Education and Schools presented a report on proposals to procure a five-year contract to provide an alternative education service for Year 11 children, which would cater for children moving into the Borough with no allocated school place or those who would benefit from alternative provision outside the mainstream setting. 

The Cabinet Member referred to the success of the current contractual arrangements with Lifeline, which were due to expire on 31 August 2015, and advised that over 90% of the children had gone on to further education, employment or training.  In response to questions, the Cabinet Member confirmed that the children would be taught by qualified teachers and that there would be scope to extend the facility to more than 30 children if the need arose, although the aim was always for as many children as possible to be allocated places in the mainstream setting. 

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree for the Council to proceed with the procurement of a contract for an Alternative Education Provision (AEP) for a period of five years (three years with an option to extend for a further two years dependent upon funding and satisfactory performance) in accordance with the strategy set out in this report; and

(ii)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, the Chief Finance Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to award and execute the contract and other documents on behalf of the Council following the appointment of a provider.