Meeting documents

            Meeting: Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Sub-Committee (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 1A - 27/03/2006 10:00:00 AM)

                  Item: A9 Work Programme -Report of Head of Overview and Scrutiny

Purpose of the Report

1 To update the Sub-Committee about the current work programme.

Background
2 Under the new Constitution, the Sub-Committee, following consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the main Committee, sets its annual work programme.

3 The School Meals Working Group report appears on the agenda today.

4. The Special Educational Needs Working Group has recently visited Belmont Community Arts College. This provided an opportunity to consider the assistance given by the authority to schools to prepare Disability Access Plans to facilitate inclusion of special educational needs pupils and also to discuss progress in relation to Communities of Learning.

5. Belmont School has a specific resource for pupils with visual and hearing impairment. The school takes pupils from throughout the County and their education at the school is truly inclusive. The Working Group was able to understand, in particular, how pupils with severe visual impairment were assisted in their education and were very much part of the whole school. Braille signs were a particular feature.

6. It was interesting that issues about inclusion of special needs pupils at this school were related more to those pupils who had other special needs than visual or hearing impairment.

7. In relation to Communities of Learning, which are part of the County’s All Together Better policy, the position is still developing and some opportunities to provide further support have been raised with the Education Service.

8. Performance management is now a regular feature of reports to the Sub-Committee.

Recommendation

9. You are recommended to note the work programme for the Sub-Committee which will need to be considered after the election.

 Work Programme - 27 March.pdf