The Children, Education and Families Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee meeting was scheduled to cover a range of important topics concerning the borough's children and young people. Key discussions were expected to include updates on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan, budget monitoring, and the capital programme. The committee was also set to review the Bromley SEND Reform Plan, a significant initiative aimed at improving services for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Additionally, the meeting agenda included a report on spending by primary, secondary, and special maintained schools, as well as an update on the Bromley Children and Families Reform Programme, focusing on the implementation of Best Start in Life, Family Hubs, and the Families First Partnership Programme.

Appointment of Co-opted Member

The committee was scheduled to consider the appointment of Ms Sam Gower as the Catholic Representative to the Children, Education and Families Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee for the 2026/27 municipal year. This appointment is a statutory requirement under the Parent Governor Representatives (England) Regulations 2001 and DfEE Circular 19/99, which mandates the inclusion of church representatives on education scrutiny committees. Ms Gower's background includes experience as a Trust Relationship Officer for the Archdiocese of Southwark's Education Service and as a former primary school headteacher.

Matters Outstanding and Forward Work Programme

The committee was due to review progress on actions arising from previous meetings and discuss the Forward Work Programme for the upcoming year. This included noting the completion of an action to provide costs associated with SEND Tribunals to members. The forward work programme for 2026/27 included items such as quarterly updates on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan, budget monitoring, and capital programme monitoring. It also scheduled pre-decision scrutiny of executive reports related to the Independent Fostering Agency Framework and annual reports on Independent Reviewing Officers and Local Authority Designated Officers.

Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan – 2026/27 Q1 Update

This report was scheduled to present the first quarter update on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan for 2026/27. The plan focuses on delivering strategic priorities for children and families in Bromley, aligned with the Council's Transformation Programme and Corporate Strategy, Making Bromley Even Better. The plan is structured around five priority outcomes: Safeguarding, Affordable and Decent Homes, Life Chances, Resilience and Wellbeing, Supporting and Challenging Effective Multi-Agency Working, and Ensuring Efficiency and Effectiveness. The update was expected to highlight key achievements from Quarter 1, such as the high uptake of funded places for vulnerable two-year-olds, the strong rating of early years settings, and progress on school place planning, including the upcoming opening of the Rivermead Inclusive Trust's new satellite site. Updates were also anticipated on initiatives related to Free School Meals eligibility, disadvantage and attainment gaps, the Traveller Education Network, mental health support teams, therapeutic and placement support for children in care, early intervention and family support services, and the implementation of the SEND Reform Plan.

Budget Monitoring 2026/27

The committee was scheduled to scrutinise the budget monitoring position for the Children, Education and Families Portfolio as of the end of June 2026. The report indicated a projected overspend of £1,782,000 on the controllable budget. Key areas contributing to this overspend included the Education Division, with particular pressures in SEN and Inclusion due to staffing restructures and increased demand for EHCP reports, as well as Adult Education facing income shortfalls and staffing pressures. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) also showed an in-year overspend of £17,584,000, primarily due to high needs block costs related to placements. Children's Social Care was projected to overspend by £1,122,000, driven by increased costs in residential placements, higher numbers of Children Looked After (CLA) and Care Leavers (CL), and additional staffing costs. The report also detailed amounts carried forward from 2025/26 and requested drawdowns from the Central Contingency.

Capital Programme Monitoring – Quarter 1 2026/27

This report was to provide an update on the capital expenditure and receipts following the first quarter of 2026/27, specifically highlighting changes to schemes within the Children, Education and Families portfolio. The committee was to note the current position and any revisions to the capital programme for the period 2026/27 to 2030/31. Key changes included the rephasing of £7,556,000 from 2026/27 and 2028/29 into future financial years to reflect revised expenditure estimates. Additionally, an increase of £6,852,000 was proposed for the Basic Need programme, representing supplementary capital funding from the Department for Education (DfE) for the Education Capital Programme. Devolved Formula Capital Grant was also set to increase by £39,000, with this funding passed directly to schools.

Spending by Primary, Secondary and Special Maintained Schools in 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to review the financial position of primary, secondary, and special maintained schools in Bromley as of 31 March 2026. The report detailed revenue and capital balances held by these schools, comparing them to the previous year. It noted that the average level of revenue balances for maintained primary schools was 12% of their School Budget Shares, a slight decrease from the previous year. Secondary school balances had decreased from 2% to 1%, while special school balances had decreased by 4% to minus 9%. The report also highlighted that all schools with uncommitted balances exceeding 8% were required to provide justifications for holding high balances and outline plans for their reduction.

Bromley SEND Reform Plan

This report was to provide an update on the Bromley SEND Reform Plan, a comprehensive programme of system reform aimed at improving services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The plan, developed in collaboration with the Local Area Partnership, responds to national SEND reform requirements and the DfE's Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper. Its strategy focuses on shifting Bromley's SEND system from one characterised by escalation and high-cost provision to one prioritising earlier intervention, inclusive mainstream practice, and coordinated partnership delivery. Key expected outcomes include moderated EHCP growth, increased mainstream inclusion, reduced reliance on independent and out-of-borough provision, improved family confidence, and enhanced value for money. The report was also to detail financial implications, including the Experts at Hand allocation and anticipated High Needs Block funding, subject to DfE approval.

Bromley Children and Families Reform Programme: Implementation of the Best Start in Life, Family Hubs and Families First Partnership Programme

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the national Children's Social Care Reform Programme, encompassing the Best Start in Life Programme, Family Hubs, the Families First Partnership Programme, and the Children's Social Care Reset. Bromley's proposed approach to implementing these reforms through a single, integrated Children and Families Reform Programme was to be presented, with a phased implementation plan and the Community Vision site in Penge designated as the primary test-and-learn location. The report aimed to set out the requirement for the new operating model to be implemented borough-wide by April 2027, emphasising a move towards a more coordinated, family-centred system.

Corporate Parenting Annual Report

This report was to provide an annual update on the progress of children in care and care leavers in Bromley, assessing achievements against the outcomes outlined in the Corporate Parenting Strategy. It was expected to detail progress in areas such as placement stability, recruitment and retention of foster carers, the development of residential care, and support for young people preparing for adulthood, including education, employment, and training. The report was also to cover health outcomes, education attainment, and efforts to address extra-familial harm and exploitation. Participation activities for children in care and care leavers, including co-production groups and events, were also to be highlighted.

Children, Education and Families Risk Register – 2026/27 Q1 Update

The committee was to review the Children, Education and Families Risk Register for the first quarter of 2026/27. This report enables members to scrutinise identified risks and the actions being taken to mitigate them. The register includes high-level departmental risks, such as failure to deliver the Children's Services Financial Strategy, failure to deliver effective children's services, recruitment and retention challenges, and risks associated with school place planning and SEND transport. Updates on controls and further actions required for specific risks, such as SEND Transport, Youth Offending, Out of Borough Placements, and School Attendance, were to be presented.

Performance Reporting – Children's Scrutiny Dataset Part 1 (Public) Report

This report was scheduled to provide a regular update on the performance of services for children as at the end of June 2026. The Children's Performance Management Framework guides this reporting, allowing committee members to scrutinise areas of underperformance and make recommendations. The dataset includes key performance indicators across various service areas, with management commentary provided for indicators performing below expectation. Specific areas highlighted as performing below expectation included the number of in-house foster households recruited (Red), the stability of placements for Children Looked After (Amber), and average caseloads within the Referral and Assessment Service (Amber). The report also noted changes to the risk cause and effect for school attendance, including the addition of Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).