Education And Children's Services Committee round-up August
All agenda papers and a recording of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
Committee Chair Cllr David Keating welcomed members to the meeting and began by noting the enthusiasm brought to Aberdeenshire schools by the 87 new probationer teachers that began work in schools at the start of term.
He continued: “There are concerns that we are really starting to see the full impact of teacher shortages in some subject areas, particularly at our advanced higher level - so whilst we've got 87 probationers, I'm afraid to say we only got eight out of 44 secondary teachers and I think we're beginning to see the evidence of the impact.”
Cllr Keating also congratulated pupils for their SQA exam results.
The committee then viewed a 15 minute video produced by unaccompanied asylum seeking children and Aberdeenshire Council’s children's social work team that support them.
Petition - Mothballing of Tullynessle School
The committee heard a petition requesting a review of the council’s mothballing protocol. Petitioner Silvia Hufstetler spoke to the committee before it was unanimously agreed to a review and members instructed the Director of Education and Children’s Services to provide a report at a future meeting.
Financial Performance 2024/25
The committee considered and commented on the latest budget position, which was noted to be, as at June 30, £2.262m over budget.
Discussion included Peterhead Community Campus, janitorial budget savings, teacher working hours and early years spending.
Mothballing of Kinneff School
Committee members noted that Kinneff School has been mothballed.
Kinneff School, part of the Stonehaven Cluster which includes nine other primary schools, can hold up to 50 pupils.
The school's numbers have been declining and by January, numbers had dropped to 10, with no new admissions for the upcoming school year. The number of pupils would fall to eight by August. Of the 27 primary-aged children in the Kinneff area, only 10 attended Kinneff School.
All students have now moved to their new schools, and staff have been reassigned.
Mothballing of Tullynessle School
Committee members noted that Tullynessle School has been mothballed.
A remote rural school with a capacity for 25 pupils, it has seen its numbers drop from 21 in 2018 to just 13 in 2023. By April 2024, it was expected to drop to eight pupils.
Students were offered places at nearby schools, and all families chose to enroll their children at Keig School. The staff at Tullynessle were offered other positions within the council. The school is not expected to see an increase in student numbers in the coming years, and only six out of 32 primary-aged children in the area attended Tullynessle last year.
The nursery at Tullynessle was also mothballed, with all children being placed in their second-choice nurseries. Nursery staff were temporarily redeployed to other settings. There were 14 children enrolled in the nursery for August 2024, and all were accommodated in their second-choice settings.
Members of the committee instructed officers to begin the pre-engagement stages of a statutory consultation with regard to the permanent closure of the school, and a further consultation with regard to the permanent closure of Tullynessle School Nursery.
This decision comes on the back of a letter from the Tullynessle Parent Action Group stating they did not support the mothballing of the school and nursery and requested that the council move directly to the statutory consultation on closure.
Closure of Clatt School Statutory Consultation
Members agreed to begin the consultation process to close Clatt School.
The consultation will run from September 4 until November 8, and any written comments on the proposal must be received by Aberdeenshire Council within this period for them to be taken into account.
They should either be emailed to LearningEstates@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or posted to Aberdeenshire Council, Education & Children’s Services, Learning Estates Team, Gordon House, Blackhall Road, Inverurie, AB51 3WA.
An online survey will be available as part of the consultation. This can be completed at the following address https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/clatt-school-closure-consultation
A public meeting to discuss the proposal will be held at Clatt Village Hall on Tuesday, October 1 at 6.30pm.
Closure of Easterfield School Statutory Consultation
Members agreed to make a recommendation for the consideration of Full Council in September for the permanent closure of Easterfield School and re-assigning its catchment area to Auchterless School.
Closure of Fisherford School Statutory Consultation
Members agreed to make a recommendation for the consideration of Full Council in September for the permanent closure of Fisherford School and re-assigning its catchment area to Rayne North School.
Year-End Performance Monitoring Report – October 2023 to March 2024
Members of the committee considered and commented on the progress made during 2023/24 toward achieving the Council Plan Priorities through the directorate Head of Service business plans 2023/24.
They then instructed the Director of Education and Children’s Services to continue to present performance reports to the committee on a six-monthly basis, evidencing progress and performance with delivery of the directorate business plans.
Discussion included the increase of 27% in level 6 foundation apprenticeships, the increase of 16 to 19-year-olds who are in further education and employment, the appointment of a lead teacher to support the work of teachers in raising the attainment gap and literacy and numeracy and numeracy, staff surveys, and school improvement.
Pupil Equity Funding
The committee agreed that the stage one scrutiny report and recommendations provided reassurance to members.
The committee then endorsed the steps taken to ensure Head Teachers are aware of IR35 legislation and are aware of their roles and responsibilities within this legislative framework.
They also endorsed the steps taken to work with Head Teachers in supporting them appropriately spend allocated Pupil Equity Funding to benefit identified children and families and within the financial year.
They endorsed the steps planned to continue to support Head Teachers across the next two financial years as they look to sustain identified priorities beyond April 2026. Officers were requested to bring back information on the number and types of posts funded through PEF.
Children’s Services Plan Annual Report 2023-24
Members of the committee were given an update on the plan which provides information on how local services plan and deliver support to children, young people and families across Aberdeenshire; to make sure they get the right support, at the right time, by the right people.
The Annual Report highlighted successes, including:
• Stronger multi-agency partnerships improving data collection and understanding of children's experiences.
• Upholding children’s rights through creative engagement with children and families.
• Providing ongoing training for the workforce, emphasising trauma-informed approaches.
Looking ahead, the focus will be on:
• Continuing to develop the five key priorities.
• Implementing the 2024 law incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law, with a plan to protect children’s rights in Aberdeenshire.
• Ensuring strong collaboration with Third Sector organisations in planning and delivering services.
Progress Report from the Virtual Head Teacher
Members of the committee were given an update from the virtual head teacher – a role that promotes positive outcomes for care experienced children and young people in Aberdeenshire.
Corporate Parenting is the council’s responsibility to care for children and young people who are or have been in the care system.
Some key achievements include:
• Setting up 27 "Promise Groups" in primary and secondary schools.
• Hosting four successful Twilight events with support from the Corporate Parenting Leads.
• Creating an Instagram page called ‘We Care Aberdeenshire,’ which has gained a following among young people, service providers, families, and education professionals.
• Continuing investment in trauma-informed practices, particularly in training related to Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), to better support all children and young people.
• Securing funding for Promise Group projects from various organizations, including CORRA, Moniack Mhor, and Step into the Arts funds.