The Town Council’s Policy and Resources Committee met on 16 April. The Committee agreed to cooperate with the Aycliffe Village History Society to commemorate the First World War, by assisting the Society as it seeks to put on exhibitions and refurbish the War Memorial in Aycliffe Village Churchyard. The Committee also signed off a successful Parish Plan performance report, which showed that all the council’s targets were either complete or on-going. A major decision was to commit £20,000 from the Capital Programme budget to replace the bar roof at the Oak Leaf Sports Complex.
The most important business of the Committee, however, was to consider a significant threat to its Pre-School Learning Centres.
Provision of Pre-School education is not a statutory duty of the Town Council – the Town Council’s Pre-Schools originally started as playgroups in the 1970s, but were registered with Ofsted in 1998 to provide early years education.
The two Pre-Schools are located in St. Oswald’s Park and Woodham Burn Community Primary School, and are open during school term time to all children from their 3rd birthday.  Places are part-funded by the government, with the first 15 hours free for eligible children, and £3.50 per hour thereafter. The Centres are open for the full school day, but provide flexible hours to meet users’ individual needs.
Last Wednesday, Councillors heard that the government has changed the funding formula to pre-schools, awarding more funding to those which are judged ‘outstanding’ by Oftsed (where the Town Council’s Pre-Schools are judged ‘good’).  The result is a 5% (£10,633) reduction of funding (to add to the £135,000 of cuts already made to the Town Council’s income).
In addition, the Town Council had received an invoice for £4,000 from Woodham Burn Community Primary School. The Town Council owns its St Oswald’s Park site, but rents a room from Woodham Burn School; the demand, received without prior warning, is a 90% increase in the rent the Council is being asked to pay (£1900).
These costs represent a threat to the Town Council’s ability to provide Pre-School education. Councillors asked officers to negotiate with Woodham Burn School in regard to the increase in rental, and to report back to Council on the impact of the changes to funding.