The Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee met on Friday, 23 January 2026, to discuss the council's budget proposals for the upcoming financial year, review school admissions policies, and consider the procurement of training programmes for Children's Services staff. The committee also reviewed its work programme to ensure scrutiny activities remain focused and beneficial.

Council Budget 2026/27

The committee was scheduled to receive a report outlining the council's budget proposals for the 2026/27 financial year. This report was expected to detail the implications of these proposals for Children's Services and cultural activities. The committee's views were to be reported to the Executive for their consideration on 3 February 2026.

Mainstream Schools Funding 2026/27

A report was presented for the committee's consideration regarding the proposed approach to mainstream schools funding for the 2026/27 academic year. The committee's views were to be reported to the Executive Councillor for Children's Services, who was due to make a decision between 10 and 13 February 2026.

Schools Admissions Policies and Co-ordinated Schemes for 2027 Intake

The committee was invited to consider the admissions policies for community and voluntary controlled Primary Schools, Spalding High School, and its sixth form. Additionally, the primary and secondary co-ordinated schemes for the 2027 intake were to be reviewed. The committee's feedback was to be provided to the Executive Councillor for Children's Services, who was scheduled to make a decision between 28 January and 27 February 2026. The report highlighted that the proposed changes included allowing parents to name four preferred schools on their application form, an increase from the current three, and a reduction in the published admission number (PAN) at Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School from 16 to 15. The report also detailed the admission arrangements for Spalding High School, including its Year 7 and sixth form admissions policies, and the co-ordinated schemes for primary and secondary admissions.

Quality and Standards Service: Learning and Development Training Programme Procurement

A report was presented for the committee's consideration regarding proposals for the procurement of external training for Children's Services staff. This was part of a review of the Quality and Standards Service's Learning and Development Training Programme. The committee's views were to be reported to the Executive Councillor for Children's Services, who was scheduled to make a decision between 2 and 6 February 2026. The report recommended the development of an open Light Touch Framework for external training requirements, which could potentially be used by other directorates within the council. This framework is intended to streamline procurement, improve economies of scale, and provide flexibility for fluctuating training demands. The proposed framework has a maximum value of £5,000,000 over an eight-year period.

Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee was invited to consider and comment on its work programme. The aim was to ensure that the committee's scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit. The report outlined the items scheduled for the current meeting and planned items for future meetings, including performance reports, commissioning decisions, and annual reports on various services. The committee was encouraged to highlight any additional scrutiny activities for inclusion in its work programme.