[To note the latest summary of the Council’s strategic risk register and the main sources of assurance available to show that the risks are being mitigated]

Mike Ager declared a personal interest in the report in so far as it referred to Highfields School where he is a Governor.

Alex Jones, Assistant Director School Standards was in attendance for this item.  She updated the Committee on the action taking place to manage risk 14 - School Improvement as well as the achievements arising from those actions.  The Committee had called in the risk area for detailed consideration at the last meeting.

Cllr Phil Bateman welcomed the report and action the Local Authority (LA) had taken through the Managing Director of the Council to write to the Regional Schools Commissioner requesting that they re-broker Wednesfield School as soon as possible in order to achieve rapid improvement in the performance of the academy.  Cllr Bateman went on to asked whether contacting the Regional Schools Commissioner was the only tool available to the LA to intervene where it had concerns about the standards of education at an academy.  The Assistant Director School Standards advised that practically it was the only recourse available to a LA. However, the Council’s Schools Standards Service Improvement Plan (SIP) made clear how the LA would hold academies to account for their performance.  An annual desk top data analysis was completed in respect of all academies and they received a letter on where the LA viewed the school’s position. The letter would include an offer of support where the LA had concerns about an academies performance. Where the LA felt that an academy was not engaging or if the Service felt it necessary it would write to the Regional Schools Commission about its concerns.  In response to a further question, the Assistant Director School Standards undertook to make enquiries as to whether a copy of the letter to the Regional Schools Commission and any response received could be shared with the Committee via a briefing note.

Mike Ager, Independent Member queried the direction of travel on risk 14 – School Improvement. The Assistant Director School Standards informed the Committee that the score had been adjusted to 8 by the Strategic Executive Board (SEB) but was still lower than previously recorded. The Director of Finance confirmed that SEB had challenged the score as it felt it was too low and did not reflect the ongoing challenges in this area.

Mike Ager also stated that in his view the big problem facing schools in the coming year would be financial and this would not help with school improvement. He also suggested that there was little contact between the School Improvement Service and school governors. In response the Committee was informed of the engagement that took place with governors and schools.  This included half termly governors’ forums; policy meetings with Head Teachers and Chair of Governors to discuss best practice and where schools are in terms of performance; the production of monthly newsletters; and an invitation to Governors to attend Service Improvement Board (SIB) meetings.

Cllr Mary Bateman requested an update on the position at St Albans CoE Primary School.  She was advised that a new Interim Head Teacher had been appointed. A SIB was in place and meeting and the LA was confident that the Head Teacher had the capability to move the school forward.

In response to other issues raised by the Committee on risk 14, it was reported that: 

·         The national average for pupils achieving A*- C in both in English and maths was 59%. Wolverhampton was in line with the national average at 58%.  Over the next three years Wolverhampton’s schools would need to improve upon this.

·          Wolverhampton was the second best performing LA within the West Midlands region at the end of key-stage 2.

·          Safeguarding falls within the remit of Dawn Williams, Head of Safeguarding.  The School Performance Service does provide a safeguarding offer that schools could procure.

·          Comparisons with the performance of academies and free schools, are made, however such comparisons in the primary sector make little difference because there are so few academies in the sector.

·          Her Majesty’s Inspectors hold the LA to account for performance across all schools within the city not only the maintained schools.

Hayley Reid, Senior Auditor, outlined the salient points of the rest of the report on the key risks the Council faced and how the Committee could gain assurance that the risks are being mitigated.

Cllr Christine Mills asked whether the Council was sure that risk 22 (Skills for Work and Economic Inclusion) would move to RAG rated amber in three months.  The Assistant Director School Performance advised that a lot of the risk was tied into the Skills and Employment Action Plan.  The majority of the actions within the plan were due to be completed by the end month at which time the position would be reviewed to determine whether the risk area was on target.

The Chair commented that some of the key risks were ‘ongoing’ and he queried whether target dates had been set for them.  The Senior Auditor reported that where risks were recorded as ongoing the position with regards to them being mitigated down to a certain level was still under consideration.  The Audit Team could go back to the risk owners and seek a more accurate indication of the target score and date for completion.

At the end of the discussion the Chair invited the Committee to decide if there were any risks it wished to consider in more detail at the next meeting.

Resolved:

1. That the strategic risk register at Appendix A to the report be noted.

2. That the identification of the following two new risks be noted;

·         Risk 23 - Cyber Security.

·         Risk 24 – Maximising Benefits from West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

3. That it be noted that following discussions with the risk owner, risk 2 – Skills for Work and risk 10 – Economic Inclusion have been reviewed and combined to create a new risk, risk 22 – Skills for Work and Economic Inclusion.

4. That the increase in risk 14 – School Improvement to reflect on-going challenges in this area be noted.

5. That it be noted that risk 1 – Looked after Children and risk 7 – Safeguarding would be reviewed again following the current Ofsted inspection.

6. That the main sources of assurance available to the Council against its strategic risks at Appendix B to the report be noted.

7.     That risk 23 - Cyber security be considered at the next meeting and the risk owner be invited to attend.