The Children, Education and Families Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee of Bromley Council met on Wednesday 10 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included updates on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan, pre-decision scrutiny of various decisions related to the portfolio, and policy development items. The committee was also scheduled to review the Children, Education and Families Contracts Register and Risk Register.

Appointment of Co-opted Members

The committee was asked to confirm co-opted membership appointments for the 2026/27 municipal year. Recommendations included Ms Shamilah Martin as the Special Schools Representative, Reverend Roger Bristow as the Church of England Representative, and Ms Rosie White as the Early Years Representative. These appointments are in line with statutory requirements and aim to bring diverse expertise to the committee's work.

Matters Outstanding and Forward Work Programme

A report was presented detailing progress on outstanding actions from previous meetings and outlining the committee's forward work programme for the upcoming year. This included plans for reviewing the need for school places to advise the Council on meeting its statutory duties under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996. The reconstitution of the School Place Planning Working Group for 2026/27 was also scheduled for discussion.

Portfolio Holder Update: Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan

An update was provided on the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Plan for 2025/26, including a Quarter 4 review. A draft of the refreshed 2026/27 Portfolio Plan was also presented for comment. The plan focuses on five priority outcomes: Safeguarding, Affordable Homes, Life Chances and Wellbeing, Multi-Agency Working, and Efficiency and Effectiveness.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Decisions for the Children, Education & Families Portfolio Holder

Several decisions were scheduled for pre-decision scrutiny:

• Provisional Outturn Report 2025/26: This report presented the provisional financial outturn for the 2025/26 financial year, highlighting a projected overspend of £1,292,000 on controllable expenditure. The report detailed variations across different divisions and noted pressures in areas such as Children's Social Care, SEN Transport, and staffing costs. It also outlined the significant projected overspend within the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of £12,918,000, with discussions around government reforms to address SEND deficits.
• Contract Award: Autism Family Support Service: The committee was asked to consider the renewal of a contract with Bromley Mencap for Autism Family Support Services. The recommendation was to renew the contract for a further 18 months, from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2028, via a Direct Award, at an estimated value of £59,168. This renewal aims to ensure continuity of a critical service while national SEND reforms are embedded.
• Education Planned Maintenance Programme 2026/27: This report sought agreement on the capital maintenance programme for 2026/27 for maintained schools. Bromley's allocation of £285,954 from the Department for Education's School Condition Allocation (SCA) was noted, with proposed expenditure focused on boiler replacement and rationalisation works at Riverside School.
• Award of Contract for Capital Works at Marian Vian Primary School Part 1 (Public) Report: The committee was asked to note the report concerning capital works at Marian Vian Primary School, specifically the demolition of an existing modular block and replacement with a new two-storey classroom block. The Portfolio Holder was recommended to agree the award of the contract, funded by Section 106 contributions.
• Early Intervention and Family Support Service Update: This report provided an annual update on the work of the Early Intervention and Family Support Services. It detailed activities undertaken by Children and Family Centres, the Family Support and Parenting Practitioner Team, the Parenting Offer, Youth Services, the Information Advice and Support Service (IASS), and the Reducing Parental Conflict Programme. The report highlighted increased referrals and positive feedback on services, as well as the growth in the use of digital platforms.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Executive Reports

The committee was also scheduled to conduct pre-decision scrutiny on two executive reports:

• Gateway 1 - Permission to Tender for a Children and Adults Passenger Transport Framework: This report sought Executive approval to procure a new Passenger Transport Service framework for both children and adults. The current contract, valued at £89 million, was due to end in August 2027. The proposed new framework would be an open framework for an eight-year term, with an estimated annual value of £20 million.
• Gateway 1 - Permission to Tender for an Independent Fostering Agency Framework: This report sought Executive authorisation to procure a new Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) Framework for children looked after. The proposed framework would be for a four-year duration, with an estimated annual value of £7.16 million. The report highlighted the ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining foster carers and the reliance on IFAs to meet sufficiency needs.

Policy Development and Other Items

Several policy development and other items were on the agenda:

• Children, Education and Families Risk Register - 2025/26 Q4 Update: An update on the Children, Education and Families Risk Register was presented, detailing current risks and the controls in place to mitigate them. Key risks included failure to deliver the financial strategy, failure to deliver effective children's services, recruitment and retention challenges, and issues related to school place planning and SEND transport.
• Children, Education and Families Contracts Register Part 1 (Public) Report: The committee was presented with an extract from the Contracts Register as of May 2026, detailing active contracts with a whole life value of £50k or higher. This report aimed to facilitate scrutiny of suppliers and procurement arrangements.
• Performance Reporting - Children's Scrutiny Dataset Part 1 (Public) Report: This report provided an update on the performance of children's services as at the end of March 2026. It highlighted indicators performing below expectation, including the number of in-house foster households recruited and the stability of children looked after placements.
• Education Outcomes for Children in Bromley Schools 2024/25: A summary of education outcomes for children in Bromley schools for the 2024/25 academic year was presented, including comparisons with national and regional data.
• Deep Dive: The Disadvantage Gap in Education Outcomes: A thematic session was scheduled to discuss the disadvantage gap in education outcomes and key activities in Bromley addressing this issue.

Information Items

• Elective Home Education Briefing Paper: This briefing paper was circulated for information only, with the possibility of debate if requested by a committee member.

The meeting also included a Part 2 (Closed) agenda, which was not publicly available.