This in from the council, in their own words. Ed
A new panel aimed at helping to drive up education standards across the Island is due to be set up.
The proposed Schools and Educational Attainment Scrutiny and Support Panel will include education representatives from across the Island and Hampshire County Council. It will support the children’s services cabinet member and members of the current Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel and will also feature a Diocesan representative and trade union officers.
Diverse panel
It is envisaged that other people from all kinds of education settings will provide views and information to the panel. It will be an opportunity to explore areas such as current performance, innovative or excellent practices that may be of benefit to others, or to discuss current concerns and issues. These discussions could then lead to reports being prepared for consideration by the relevant scrutiny panel, committee or the Cabinet.
Councillor Richard Priest, who is the Cabinet member for children’s services, said:
“Improving education standards across the Isle of Wight is a top priority. Setting up this new panel will give all educational settings on the Island an additional resource to share any updates or concerns they may have directly to the council so that we can all work together.”
The proposed new panel needs to be approved by members of the council’s Cabinet, which meets on 9 January 2014.
Subject to Cabinet approval, the first meeting of the new panel would be held either late January or early February, and then at least once each school term.
