Minutes of meeting
Renfrewshire Council · 15 May 2024
Back to Placing Requests and Exclusions Appeals Panel — 15 May 2024 and its agenda
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Minute of Meeting Placing Requests and Exclusions Appeals Panel Date Time Venue Wednesday, 15 May 2024 09:30 Microsoft Teams Meeting, Present: Councillor Stephen Burns, Councillor Graeme Clark, Ms Sarah Smith Chair Councillor Burns, Convener, presided. In Attendance G Thomson, Senior Solicitor (Litigation and Advice) and E Gray, Senior Committee Services Officer (both Finance & Resources). Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Appeals Panel resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Order of Business In terms of Standing Order 16, the Convener intimated that he proposed to alter the order of business to facilitate the conduct of the meeting by considering items 2(g) and 2(h) of the agenda together.
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1 Gryffe High School Consideration was given to eight appeals against the refusal of a placing request at Gryffe High School. All participants had been invited to attend virtually by means of MS Teams. L Mitchell, Senior Solicitor (Litigation & Advice) (Finance & Resources) and K Christie, Headteacher of Gryffe High School and A Gallagher, Operations Manager (both Children's Services), all representing the Education Authority, were invited to attend the meeting together with the appellants in relation to appeals Gryffe High School 2024/02, 2024/03, 2024/04, 2024/05, 2024/07, 2024/08 and 2024/09. G Thomson, Senior Solicitor (Litigation & Advice) outlined the procedure to be followed in hearing the appeals. L Mitchell then presented the case for the Education Authority and led evidence from K Christie and A Gallagher in relation to the circumstances surrounding the refusal of the placing requests. The appellants were then asked to leave the meeting and were advised that they would be invited back individually to present their case to the Panel. 2(a) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/02 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting, together with the appellant in relation to appeal 2024/02 who then presented their case. Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing. DECIDED: That one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in Section 28(A) (3) and (3A) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 existed and that in all the circumstances, it was appropriate to confirm the Education Authority’s decision and that the appeal be not upheld. This was agreed by a unanimous decision. 2(b) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/03 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting, together with the appellant in relation to appeal 2024/03 who then presented their case. Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing. DECIDED: That consideration of the appeal be continued to a future meeting, with a Panel consisting of the same members, to allow further evidence to be be presented. This was agreed unanimously.
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2(c) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/04 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting, together with the appellants in relation to appeal 2024/04 who then presented their case. Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing. DECIDED: That one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in Section 28(A) (3) and (3A) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 existed and that in all the circumstances, it was appropriate to confirm the Education Authority’s decision and that the appeal be not upheld. This was agreed by a unanimous decision. 2(d) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/05 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting, together with the appellant in relation to appeal 2024/05 who then presented their case. Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing. DECIDED: That one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in Section 28(A) (3) and (3A) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 existed and that in all the circumstances, it was appropriate to confirm the Education Authority’s decision and that the appeal be not upheld. This was agreed by a unanimous decision. 2(e) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/06 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting. The appellant in relation to appeal 2024/06 was not in attendance. It was proposed that consideration of the appeal be continued to a future meeting to allow the appellant a further opportunity to present their appeal. This was agreed unanimously. DECIDED: That consideration of the appeal be continued to a future meeting of the Panel. 2(f) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/07 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting, together with the appellant in relation to appeal 2024/07 who then presented their case.
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Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing. DECIDED: That one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in Section 28(A) (3) and (3A) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 existed and that in all the circumstances, it was appropriate to confirm the Education Authority’s decision and that the appeal be not upheld. This was agreed by a unanimous decision. 2(g) Gryffe High School: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Requests - 2024/08 and 2024/09 The Education Authority representatives were invited back into the meeting, together with the appellant in relation to appeals 2024/08 and 2024/09. The appellant was asked to confirm that they were content with appeals 2024/08 and 2024/09 being considered together, to which they agreed. They then presented their case. Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing. DECIDED: That one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in Section 28(A) (3) and (3A) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 existed and that in all the circumstances, it was appropriate to confirm the Education Authority’s decision and that the appeal be not upheld. This was agreed by a unanimous decision. 3 St Andrew's Academy: Appeal against refusal of a Placing Request - 2024/01 Consideration was given to an appeal against the refusal of a placing request for S1 at St Andrew's Academy. All participants had been invited to attend virtually by means of MS Teams. L Mitchell, Senior Solicitor (Litigation & Advice) (Finance & Resources), and A Gallagher, Resource Manager (Children's Services), both representing the Education Authority, were in attendance. The appellant in relation to appeal St Andrew's 2024/01, was also in attendance. G Thomson, Senior Solicitor (Litigation & Advice) outlined the procedure to be followed in hearing the appeal. L Mitchell then presented the case for the Education Authority and led evidence from A Gallagher in relation to the circumstances surrounding the refusal of the placing request. The appellant was then invited to present their case. Each side having been given the opportunity to cross examine and sum up, were thanked for their attendance and left the hearing.
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DECIDED: That one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in Section 28(A) (3) and (3A) of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 existed and that in all the circumstances, it was appropriate to confirm the Education Authority's decision and that the appeal be not upheld. This was agreed unanimously.