The Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee met on Friday, 23 January 2026, to discuss the Council's budget proposals for 2026/27, mainstream schools funding for the upcoming academic year, and proposed changes to schools admissions policies and co-ordinated schemes for the 2027 intake. The committee also reviewed the procurement of a learning and development training programme for Children's Services staff and considered its work programme.

Council Budget 2026/27 and Implications for Children's Services and Culture

The committee received a report outlining the Council's budget proposals for the 2026/27 financial year, with a particular focus on the implications for Children's Services and Culture activities. The report, presented by Heather Sandy CBE, Executive Director – Children's Services, and others, detailed the Council's financial plans and their potential impact on these key service areas. The committee's views on these proposals will be reported to the Executive for their consideration on 3 February 2026.

Mainstream Schools Funding 2026/27

Mark Popplewell, Strategic Finance Lead – Children's Services, presented a report on the proposed approach to mainstream schools funding for 2026/27. The committee was invited to consider these proposals before a decision is made by the Executive Councillor for Children's Services between 10 and 13 February 2026. The committee's feedback will be relayed to the Executive Councillor.

Schools Admissions Policies and Co-ordinated Schemes for 2027 Intake

Jessica Hart, School Admissions Manager, provided a report on the proposed admissions policies for community and voluntary controlled Primary Schools, Spalding High School, and its sixth form. The report also covered the primary and secondary co-ordinated schemes for the 2027 intake. The committee was asked to consider these policies and schemes prior to a decision by the Executive Councillor for Children's Services, which is scheduled between 28 January and 27 February 2026. The committee's comments will be forwarded to the Executive Councillor.

Key proposals discussed included:

• Increasing the number of school preferences: The co-ordinated admission schemes for both primary and secondary schools were proposed to be amended to allow applicants to express four school preferences, an increase from the current three. This change aims to encourage parents to include their closest schools on applications, potentially reducing the risk of children being placed far from home and decreasing pressure on school transport.
• Reduction in Published Admission Number (PAN) at Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School: A proposal was made to reduce the PAN for Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School from 16 to 15. This adjustment is intended to help the school comply more effectively with the Infant Class Size regulations, which limit reception, Year 1, or Year 2 classes to 30 pupils per qualified teacher. A PAN of 15 would allow the school to manage mixed-age teaching for Year 1 and Year 2 without creating an additional infant mixed-age class, while ensuring sufficient capacity for local children.
• Spalding High School Admissions: The admissions policy for Spalding High School, a girls' grammar school with a mixed-sex sixth form, was reviewed. For Year 7 entry, a qualifying standard of an aggregate standardised score of 220 in verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests is required, identifying the top 25% of children by ability. The published admission number for Year 7 is 150. For the sixth form, entry requirements include achieving at least a Grade 4 in Mathematics and English Language or Literature, plus four further GCSEs at Grade 9 to 4, and a Grade 6 in the three subjects intended for A-Level study.

The committee was asked to consider these proposals and provide any additional comments to the Executive Councillor.

Quality and Standards Service: Learning and Development Training Programme Procurement

Mark Rainey, Children's Services Strategic Commissioning Manager, presented a report on proposals for the procurement of external training for Children's Services staff. The committee was invited to consider these proposals before a decision by the Executive Councillor for Children's Services between 2 and 6 February 2026. The committee's views will be reported to the Executive Councillor.

The report recommended the development of an open Light Touch Framework for up to eight years to procure external training for Children's Services. This approach aims to streamline the procurement process, improve economies of scale, provide flexibility for fluctuating training demands, and potentially align with the training needs of other council directorates. The proposed maximum framework value is £5,000,000.

Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

Tracy Johnson, Senior Scrutiny Officer, presented the committee's work programme for review. The committee was asked to comment on its contents to ensure that scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit. The committee was encouraged to highlight any additional scrutiny activities for inclusion in the work programme.

The work programme included several items for the 23 January meeting, such as the Children's Services and Culture Budget Proposals 2026/27, Mainstream Schools Funding 2026/27, Schools Admissions Policies and Co-ordinated Schemes, and the Quality and Standards Learning and Development Training Programme. Planned items for future meetings included Service Level Performance Reporting, commissioning decisions for various services, school building projects, and annual reports on attendance and childcare sufficiency.

The committee agreed to the proposed work programme.

The meeting concluded at 1.02 pm.