Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr G Suttle

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the previous meeting were signed and confirmed as a correct record.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to chris.harrod@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by 8.30am on

When submitting your question or statement please note that: 

• You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.
• a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.
• It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.
• Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.
• when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder) 
• Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting. 
• questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda. 
• all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.   

No public participation requests had been received

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to chris.harrod@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  8.30am on

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13 

No councillor questions had been received

To consider the Forward Plan.

The forward plan was noted.

To consider the report.

The Corporate Director for Commissioning, Quality and Partnerships introduced the report which set out an updated position for the school since the previous update in June 2023.

Officers responded to Members’ comments and requests for clarification, details included:

• There was an ambition to develop the facilities on site for curriculum enhancement activities and development of life skills. Focus was currently centred around the walled garden, which would be opened up and used as allotments for growth of food, although a full range of opportunities were being explored.

NOTED

To consider the report.

The Chairman of the Board for Dorset Centre of Excellence introduced the report, which set out the operational progress made and the successes of the school since the previous update in June 2023.

Officers responded to Members’ comments and requests for clarification, details included:

• The “Schools within schools” principle was not a new concept. The aim was to divide the school up to three within one campus into manageable units, which in turn would provide the optimal support for children that are on site. It was a method that allowed groups of children with particular needs or those of particular age groups to be focussed upon, whilst delivering a curriculum that worked for them, without any compromise to the quality of teaching as the school increased in size.
• The school was currently operating on a hybrid two schools arrangement as it wasn’t yet at capacity, but there was a very clear pathway to the three schools model as capital investment came and classrooms were handed over.

The Cabinet Members for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing and Children, Education, Skills and Early Help thanked the school, its directors and indeed commissioning officers of the council for the work that had been undertaken in working with the local community to open up facilities for community use. This was echoed by the Chairman of the Committee.

NOTED

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There was no urgent business.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following items in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended)

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.

It was proposed by Cllr B Quayle and seconded by Cllr J Somper:

DECISION

That In accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in item No 11 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

To consider the report.

The item was deferred at the request of the Chairman of the Board of Directors to allow further work to be undertaken prior to consideration by the Shareholder Committee.