Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Policy Review Committee and Executive Member -

Recreation and Heritage Item 8

Policy Review Committee: 23 May 2002

Best Value Outcome Report of the School Library Service

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: John Dunne Ext: 6057

1. Summary

1.1 The School Library Service, which is managed by the Library Service on behalf of Education, recently undertook a Best Value Review. The Outcome Report was presented to the Education Policy Review Committee (Appendix 1) and all the Recommendations in the Report were agreed.

2. Main Findings and Recommendations of the Outcome Report:

2.1 The main findings of the Outcome Report were:-

    · The broad conclusions are that the Hampshire School Library Service shows very high levels of client satisfaction, a high level of comparative cost effectiveness and substantial progress towards achieving service objectives.

    · Overall, 98.5% of schools buy back into the service, compared with 83% for the OFSTED statistical neighbours.

    · In consultation with schools, 100% of primary school representatives at Focus Groups, 92% of secondary school managers and 100% of special schools said that the service would be missed if it did not exist.

2.2 The main recommendations of the Outcome Report were:

    · That the School Library Service continues to be provided from within the Local Education Authority.

    · That the Action Plan be approved by Committee.

    · The Service Review Team unanimously recommends that: `Option 4 of the Option Report be approved by Committee, which is that the School Library Service continues to provide the service, with improved standards and with additional finance for resource provision for literacy across the curriculum, which will bring the School Library Service up to the level of the county average of resources per capita, based on comparisons in the LISU (Loughborough University Information & Statistical Unit) statistics on resource spending, amounting to a growth bid of £27,000 per annum.' (An additional £27,000 has now been provided in the base budget by Education).

3. Outcomes of the Best Value Review

3.1 There were five main outcomes from the Review.

    1. To improve resources provision to schools

    2. To improve service to Special Schools and children with learning difficulties in mainstream schools

    3. To improve School Library Service communication both internally and

    externally

    4. To improve School Library Service staff knowledge of service provided

    5. To improve aspects of purchasing facilities

4. Recommendation

    That the recommendations of the Education Policy Review Committee in respect of the Outcome Report of the School Library Service be welcomed.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works.

2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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