Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Education and Schools presented a report on proposals to formalise a partnership between eight primary schools, known as the Primary Alliance for Collaborative Engagement (PACE) Network, via the setting up of a School Company under Sections 11 to 13 of the Education Act 2002, the School Companies Regulations 2002 and the School Companies (Amended) Regulations 2014.

The Cabinet Member explained that the eight schools – Becontree, Five Elms, Gascoigne, Grafton, Henry Green, Southwood, Valence and William Bellamy Primary Schools – had approached the Council last year seeking support in identifying the best way to give their partnership a formal legal status without affecting each school’s individual status as a local authority community school.  The formal establishment of a School Company would open up the benefits of a larger organisation, such as economies of scale, improved purchasing power and the ability to appoint staff to the Company, and assist in meeting their aspirations to be rated as ‘outstanding’ schools.  As part of its role in the Company, the Council would act as Supervising Authority and have two seats on the Board.

Members spoke in support of the initiative and placed on record their appreciation of all those involved in helping to develop the proposals.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Approve and provide consent to the formal establishment of a school company as set out in the report, including the appointment of two Council members of the company and subject to the relevant statutory requirements;

(ii)  Agree that the Council’s two Member representatives on the School Company shall be one councillor and one senior officer, to be nominated by the Cabinet Member for Education and Schools and the Corporate Director of Children’s Services respectively;

(iii)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, the Director of Law and Governance and the Strategic Director of Finance and Investment, to negotiate and approve on behalf of the Council the constitution of the proposed school company in order to discharge its responsibility as the supervising authority under the regulations; and

(iv)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance and the Strategic Director of Finance and Investment, to enter into any contracts, agreements and documents necessary to implement the above recommendations.