Agenda item

5.1

The three following questions were received anonymously:-

(a)       Can Sheffield City Council explain and justify the choice of Headteacher for the proposed merged Holt House Infants/Carterknowle Junior School, as many feel a conflict of interest is at play here.  The Headteacher at Holt House has been appointed to advise the Junior School since the School got ‘requires improvement’ in its Ofsted report in January 2015.  Since then, the Infants were proposing to take over the Juniors to the point where they physically merged, and were consumed by the Infants.  Does the Council feel there is a conflict of interest here?  The Juniors has been left vulnerable by the absence of its Headteacher (through ill-health) and an ineffectual governing body (deemed weak by Ofsted).

(b)       How do Sheffield City Council explain away the fact that they failed to engage all parents in the consultation process?  Over 40% of parents of children at Holt House and Carterknowle are of Pakistani descent.  No interpreters have been provided.  No literature relating to the consultation, online or otherwise, has been translated.

(c)        What criteria will Sheffield City Council use to judge the success and effectiveness of this particular consultation process?  All information relating to the consultation provided was online – discriminating against anyone without access to the internet.  Information was drip fed through the Council website.  There was no facility to sign up for e-mail updates when changes were being made.  It relied on people checking every day.  A new plan was added to the website on the last day of the consultation.

5.1.1

The Chair stated that the questions would be referred to the Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, and to Councillor Jackie Drayton (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families) for a response.

5.2

The following three questions were raised by representatives of the GMB:-

(a)       Can the Council give its assurances today that the vital work of the specialist Early Years Safeguarding Children Advisers and their posts will continue to be funded?

(b)       The Safeguarding Children Advisory Service is already running at only 60% of its original capacity.  This is a service that schools and early years rely heavily on.  Can the Council give its assurances that this service will be protected from further cuts?

(c)        Does the Council agree that further fragmentation of our Safeguarding Children’s Service is in no-ones interests?

5.2.1

The Chair stated that the questions would be referred to the Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, and to Councillor Jackie Drayton (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families) for a response.