Minutes of meeting
Renfrewshire Council · 30 October 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 30 October 2025 and its agenda
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Minute of Meeting Education and Children's Services Policy Board Date Time Venue Thursday, 30 October 2025 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Present: Councillor Jennifer Adam, Councillor Fiona Airlie-Nicolson, Ms Mary Jane Bird, Provost Lorraine Cameron, Councillor Carolann Davidson, Councillor Audrey Doig, Councillor Gillian Graham, Councillor Neill Graham, Councillor Anne Hannigan, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Councillor Marie McGurk, Councillor Iain McMillan, Mr Jack Nellaney, Councillor Iain Nicolson, Councillor Jim Paterson, Councillor Emma Rodden, Councillor Ben Smith Chair Councillor Rodden, Convener, presided. In Attendance J O'Neill, Director of Children's Services; A MacArthur, Director of Finance & Resources; A Morrison, Head of Economy & Development Services (Chief Executive's); G McLaughlin, Head of Education (Strategy and Improvement), J Trainer, Head of Children & Justice Social Work, J Lochans, Strategic Manager (Learning Estate Strategy & Delivery) and K McDonagh Nolan, Education Manager (all Children's Services); and M Conaghan, Head of Corporate Governance, R Conway, Finance Business Partner, L Currie, Managing Solicitor (Projects), E Gray, Senior Committee Services Officer and J Barron, Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources). Webcasting of Meeting Prior to the commencement of the meeting, the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Policy Board would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site. Apologies Councillors Grady and McGonigle; and Ravinder Singh.
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Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. Transparency Statement Councillor N Graham indicated that he had a connection to item 3 by reason of being a volunteer for Barnardo's. However, he indicated that he had applied the objective test and did not consider he had an interest to declare. Councillor Davidson indicated that she had a connection to item 2 by reason of having a daughter who worked in one of the residential homes mentioned in the report. However, she indicated that she had applied the objective test and did not consider she had an interest to declare. 1 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 19 September 2025 There was submitted a joint revenue and capital budget monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Children’s Services for the period to 19 September 2025. The report intimated that the projected revenue outturn at 31 March 2025 for Children’s Services was an overspend of £0.154 million (0.1%) against the revised budget for the year. The projected capital outturn at 31 March 2025 for Children’s Services was a breakeven position. A number of revenue and capital budget adjustments were detailed at sections 6 and 7 of the report respectively. DECIDED: (a) That the projected revenue outturn position for Children’s Services, as detailed in Table 1 of the report, be noted; (b) That the projected capital outturn position for Children’s Services, as detailed in Table 2 of the report, be noted; (c) That the premises related budget virements totalling £0.021 million, set out at Section 6.3 of the report be approved; and (d) That the budget adjustments detailed in sections 6 and 7 of the report be noted. 2 Education Standards & Quality Report September 2025 Education Improvement Plan 2025/26 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the annual Education Standards & Quality Report (September 2025) and Education Improvement Plan (2025/26). The Education Standards & Quality Report, attached at Appendix 1 of the report, detailed the significant progress made by the Council during the 2024/25 academic session across a number of areas including raising attainment and achievement for all, while promoting equity and providing targeted support for our
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most vulnerable children, young people, and families and the continued focus on delivering The Promise. The Education Improvement Plan, attached at Appendix 2 of the report, set out the Council's strategic direction for improvement, informed by robust evidence on current performance and identified areas for improvement and detailed how this would be achieved. DECIDED: That the content of the Education Standards & Quality Report (September 2025) and Education Improvement Plan (2025/26), set out at appendices 1 and 2 of the report respectively, be approved. 3 2025/26 Mid-Year Service Improvement Plan Monitoring Report There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the performance and achievements of Children's Services during the period 1 April to 30 September 2025. DECIDED: (a) That the contents of the report be noted; (b) That the achievements of Children’s Services during the first six months of 2025/26 which fell within the remit of this Policy Board be noted; and (c) That it be noted that a revised suite of performance indictors would be submitted to a future meeting of this Policy Board for approval. 4 Learning Estate Programme Update There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to progress towards the delivery of the Learning Estate Programme. The report provided updates in respect of works on the Paisley Grammar School Community Campus, Park Mains High School extension and Thistle Primary School and advised that each of the projects were progressing well and were due to be completed on schedule. The Head of Education (Strategy & Improvement) gave a presentation containing up to date images of each project to illustrate the progress made. DECIDED: That the progress of project delivery in the Learning Estate Programme be noted. 5 Learning Estate Strategy Update – Longlist Options There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to progress of the review of provision of education in the Johnstone primary estate, Johnstone High School and Trinity High School. The report provided detail on the business case process and set out the Strategic Case for Change for each element of the project. It was highlighted that the purpose of the report was to present the current longlist of options for investment in each area and that detailed analysis for each option would be undertaken and submitted to the meeting of this Policy Board to be held on 12 March 2026. DECIDED:
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(a) That the updates detailed within the report and the routes forward for the future provision of primary education in Johnstone, at Johnstone High School and at Trinity High School be noted; (b) That it be noted that the routes forward would be further developed and assessed in anticipation of submission of Outline Business Cases, identifying the recommended way forward for each project and presenting a shortlist of options for consideration; and (c) That it be noted that informal stakeholder engagement on options for Johnstone primary and secondary learning estate and Trinity High School would continue and would inform development of the business cases. 6 Learning Estate – Roll Projections There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the projected school roll across the Council's primary and secondary learning estate. The report advised that the Council had partnered with Edge Analytics to produce projections for the next 15 years based on both medium and high pupil product ratios. Key findings of the projections were set out in section 7 of the report with the results attached in full at Appendix 1 of the report. DECIDED: (a) That the contents of the report, including the 15-year roll projection estimates for each of Renfrewshire’s primary and secondary mainstream schools, be noted; and (b) That the insertion of two scenarios per school, based on ‘medium’ and ‘high’ projections in recognition of the uncertainty naturally associated with roll projection modelling over a long-term basis, be noted. 7 National Qualifications Results 2025 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to attainment in the Scottish Qualification Authority National Qualifications in 2025 based on key measures contained within the Insight benchmarking tool. The report detailed how the Insight benchmarking tool was used by schools and education authorities and the four key measures which were used to analyse attainment. A summary was provided for each key measure at S4, S5 and S6 together with comparisons to national averages. DECIDED: (a) That the content of the report be noted; (b) That the efforts of the young people and staff in achieving these results be noted; and (c) That it be noted that a further report would be submitted to Policy Board when leavers data became available.
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8 Early Learning and Childcare Annual Report There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the provision of early learning and childcare (ELC) within Renfrewshire. The report set out the Council's duty under the Scottish Government's legislation to provide the entitlement of 1140 hours of free ELC for all children aged three and four, and also for some eligible two-year-olds, and provided updates in terms of the uptake of places, the delivery models used, the quality of care provided as determined by the Care Inspectorate and Education Scotland and the sustainable rate paid to providers. DECIDED: That the continued progress in delivering 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare in Renfrewshire be noted. 9 Joint inspections of services for children and young people at risk of harm - review of findings from the joint inspection programme 2021/25 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the Care Inspectorate's joint inspections of services for children and young people at risk of harm across Scotland between 2021 and 2025. The findings were set out at section 7 of the report together with reflections, conclusions and proposed next steps at section 8. The report also provided details of the inspection of services in Renfrewshire undertaken in 2024. DECIDED: (a) That the contents of the report and the findings of the review be noted; and (b) That it be noted that the joint inspection of services for children at risk of harm in Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership found major strengths with very few areas for improvement and that the areas for improvement were being addressed through the current Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee Improvement Plan. 10 Education Scotland Inspection of Jennyswell Nursery There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the results of an inspection of Jennyswell Nursery carried out by Education Scotland. The letter sent by Education Scotland to the parents and carers of pupils detailing the outcome of the inspection was set out at Appendix 1 of the report. DECIDED: That the key strengths in the Education Scotland report for Jennyswell Nursery be noted and celebrated and the areas for further improvement be recognised. 11 Education Scotland Inspection of Rashielea Primary School There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the results of an inspection of Rashielea Primary School carried out by Education Scotland. The letter sent by Education Scotland to the parents and carers of pupils
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detailing the outcome of the inspection was set out at Appendix 1 of the report. DECIDED: That the key strengths in the Education Scotland report for Rashielea Primary School be noted and celebrated and the areas for further improvement be recognised.