To receive apologies for absence, including notifications of any changes to the membership of the Board.

It was reported that, in accordance with the wishes of the Conservative Group, the membership of the Sub-Board had been amended to include Councillor Foster in place of Councillor Fellows.  Jo Hunter Co-opted Member was represented by Sue Lockwood. 

The Chair welcomed Dr Ndubisi Obasi who had joined the Sub-Board as a Statutory Primary Academy Parent Governor Representative.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings of the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board held on 19 January 2026.

The minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Board held on 19 January 2026 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

a)         To receive declarations of non pecuniary interests in respect of items on this agenda

For reference:  Having declared their non pecuniary interest members may remain in the meeting and speak and, vote on the matter in question.  A completed disclosure of interests form should be returned to the Clerk before the conclusion of the meeting.

b)        To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on this agenda

For reference:  Where a Member has a disclosable pecuniary interest he/she must leave the meeting during consideration of the item.  However, the Member may remain in the meeting to make representations, answer questions or give evidence if the public have a right to do so, but having done so the Member must then immediately leave the meeting, may not vote and must not improperly seek to influence the outcome of the matter.  A completed disclosure of interests form should be returned to the Clerk before the conclusion of the meeting.

(Please Note:  If Members and Officers wish to seek advice on any potential interests they may have, they should contact Governance Support or Legal Services prior to the meeting.)

No declarations of interest were made.

To carry out a Spotlight Review on Education covering the following areas:

·       School Improvement

·       Exclusions, Suspensions and Absences

·       Elected Home Educated

·       Free School Meals

·       Schools Capital Programme

·       Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

(Note:  representatives from the Department for Education, Regional Director South West, Director for Children’s Services, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Divisional Director – Education, Head of Virtual School and Vulnerable Pupils, Divisional Director - Children’s Services Transformation, Head of Quality First Teaching and Head of Education and Corporate Services – Schools Capital have been invited to the meeting.)

The Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Board undertook a spotlight review on education.  The following people attended the meeting and provided responses to questions:

·         Councillor Bye – Cabinet Member for Children’s Services

·         Nancy Meehan – Director of Children’s Services

·         Hannah Baker – Divisional Director Education and SEND

·         Dan Hamer – Head of vulnerable pupils and Virtual School

·         Claire Talbot – Head of Education and Corporate Services – Schools Capital

·         Brian Gale – Department for Education and SEND Advisor

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services outlined the engagement that had taken place with schools over recent weeks. He reported admirable work being carried out in schools despite the serious financial and operational pressures caused by falling birth rates. He also highlighted challenges relating to attendance and exclusions and noted that work continued with families to keep children engaged in mainstream education wherever possible.

School Improvement

The Department for Education SEND Adviser, Brian Gale, explained that many of the challenges experienced in Torbay, including rising exclusions and concerns around elective home education, were also reflected in nearby localities such as Devon and Plymouth. He reported that Torbay will undergo a stock-take of progress in March and emphasised the importance of ongoing scrutiny and shared learning between local authorities.

Officers outlined the wider education landscape in Torbay, noting that falling birth rates continued to place significant pressure on schools. Several schools that once operated as three-form-entry now function as two-form-entry, and officers anticipate that reductions in pupil numbers will soon reach the secondary phase following the end of the recent bulge cohorts. Some schools had begun to re-utilise existing spaces, such as sensory rooms, to address changes in demand.

The Divisional Director Education and SEND described the three targeted projects being delivered through the RISE programme. The first project focuses on improving transition from Year 6 to Year 7, particularly for vulnerable pupils, by introducing enhanced, summer-based transition arrangements. The second project concentrates on attendance and behaviour, with specific attention given to highly mobile pupils who move frequently between schools. The third project aims to strengthen long-term aspiration through a cradle-to-career approach. All primary schools and non-selective secondary schools had already committed to taking part in this summer’s enhanced transition initiative.

Members asked a number of questions about the progress of school improvement initiatives. They asked what support was available to young people who aspire to attend university, and officers confirmed that aspiration was a major theme raised by headteachers and that RISE was working to develop consistent frameworks to track and encourage aspiration. Members questioned how the Council could evidence positive outcomes from the RISE projects without clear baseline data. Officers acknowledged this gap and confirmed that they had asked the DfE to provide a governance and KPI framework, which had been used in other parts of the country.

Members also sought clarity on the high levels of pupil movement within Torbay. Officers reported that 180 pupils did not finish the academic year in the school where they began it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.