Education and Children's Services Committee December round-up
You can read all the reports and watch a playback of the meeting by clicking here.
Chair of the Committee Cllr David Keating welcomed members to the meeting and began by congratulating Banff Academy for its win at the Scottish Government Delivering Excellence Award.
The school won for its community crafted project-based learning and was recognised as an inspiring example of innovation in education. It focused on empowering young people through community connected learning.
Cllr Keating went on to highlight the Young People’s Organising and Campaigning (YPOC) group which has had its stigma campaign featured in the national youth work magazine Youthlink.
To end, Aberdeenshire’s virtual headteacher Holly Robertson was congratulated following her invite to St James’s Palace in recognition of her work supporting care-experienced children and young people across the region.
Petition for Consideration - 'Rhynie Primary School and Nursery Kitchen Conversion'
Committee welcomed petitioner Annabel MacDougall to the meeting following her request, on behalf of the Rhynie Primary School Parent Teacher Council, to reverse the decision to turn Rhynie Primary School and Nursery Kitchen into a servery kitchen.
The item began by hearing from Head of Resources and Performance Anne Marie Davies Macleod who told committee that Aberdeenshire Council’s catering services produces over 13,000 primary meals across 83 production kitchens and through 63 serveries. She highlighted that the council has made meals in production kitchens and transported them to schools for serving for over 40 years.
The most recent change comes following a May 2024 ECS Committee decision where it approved the Catering Strategy. Among its priorities was that all sites that have fewer than 35 meals a day (along with certain other schools that could change over with minimal impact on that kitchen but would have higher numbers than 35 meals) would change to a servery and another school that is close by would become a production kitchen for that school.
Since then, there has been the conversion of 14 production kitchens to serveries over the last two years.
Earlier this year, the catering service assessed Lumsden, Rhynie and Kennthmont to determine if there was a more efficient service-delivery model. Neither Rhynie nor Lumsden had a kitchen capable of expansion or upgrade, but Kennethmont was able to easily accommodate all three schools.
She went on to tell committee that servery kitchens follow the same procedures as production kitchens for portion size, food safety and allergen management controls and that converted kitchens still retain full cooking facilities, ensuring meals can be prepared and served on site if required.
Discussion by the committee included the need for consultation with parents. It was highlighted that it was operational decision and outside the scope of consultation.
The petitioner was then able to talk to committee, and requested that the decision be paused, ensure that consultation takes place, and the delegated authority used in the decision is referred to full committee.
Following a lengthy discussion, committee agreed to note the petition.
Education And Children's Services Financial Performance Report 2025/26
The report provides the ECS budget position as of September 30, showing a forecast overspend of just over £5.3 million.
Committee heard the main financial pressures remain out-of-authority care costs and the under-delivery of planned transformation and efficiency savings.
Over £10 million of agreed savings are achieved or on track, but 24% are at risk and 3.2% will not be achieved, the latter relating to early years.
Overall, the report highlights ongoing budget risks, both for the current year and looking ahead.
Aberdeenshire Council Devolved School Management (DSM) Scheme (2022-25): Review
Devolved School Management guidelines require local authorities to review and update their DSM scheme every three years.
The report presented to committee showed the outcomes of the review together with proposed revisions to the DSM Scheme.
Committee held a discussion on the changes and approved the new scheme.
Analysis of Attainment and Achievement of Young People from Aberdeenshire Secondary Schools in Accredited Awards (2024 -2025)
Committee considered a report on an analysis of secondary school attainment based on the qualifications taken by young people in Aberdeenshire secondary schools during the 2024-25 school session and school leavers who left during the same session.
Following a discussion, committee agreed to note the report and congratulated young people, their parents and carers, teachers and support staff and the wider children’s services across Aberdeenshire on the level of success and achievement.
Aberdeenshire Children's Homes Annual Report
Committee heard from Interim Head of Children’s Services and Chief Social Work Officer Andrew Dick who said that Aberdeenshire’s children’s homes continue to provide high-quality care for up to 17 young people, with substantial improvements made since the 2023 service review.
Committee welcomed the report and heard that a strengthened matching process has ensured that new admissions fit well with existing residents, contributing to a significant reduction in unplanned exits, with only one occurring in the reporting period.
Staffing structures, including 24-hour shift patterns and clearer processes for assessing staffing needs and providing support, has helped maintain consistency and positive relationships for young people, including those who have moved on.
Ensuring that the voices of young people and their families shape both individual care planning and wider service development remains a high priority, with the report providing examples of feedback.
The homes have maintained strong inspection results from the Care Inspectorate, with three rated very good and one good. This, committee was told, provides a solid foundation as the service progresses plans for new children’s homes, with the first expected to open in May 2026.
Virtual School Head Teacher Annual Report
Committee heard from Interim Head of Children’s Services and Chief Social Work Officer Andrew Dick who said that each year the council receives funding through the Scottish Retainment Challenge to support care-experienced children and young people.
In Aberdeenshire, part of the funding is used to employ two virtual school head teachers, with one focusing on early years and primary, and the other on secondary.
Aberdeenshire has around 400 children who are formally looked after, and an estimated 800 more who are care-experienced but no longer in care, such as those who have returned home, are in kinship care, or have been adopted. Virtual school head teachers help schools support both groups.
This support can be individual - such as attending multi-agency planning meetings, advising on exclusions, or helping create tailored learning plans - or strategic, such as promoting the Keeping the Promise Award or developing Promise Groups in schools.
These Promise Groups have grown rapidly, with more than 50 now active across nurseries, primary and secondary schools, and even the local college. They give young people a space to share their experiences, influence how they are supported, and help adults better understand their needs.
All of this work aims to improve outcomes for care-experienced young people, such as attendance, attainment, post-school destinations, and reduced exclusions.
Education & Children's Services Committee - Transformation and Efficiencies Programme 2025/26
The report updates on the Education and Children’s Services (ECS) transformation and savings programme for the 2025/26 budget.
The council’s overall budget included about £14 million of savings that were not yet assigned to specific services. These were shared across directorates, with £8.6 million given to ECS to find.
So far, £1.6 million in permanent savings has been achieved and a further £1.6 million in one-off savings, though it was highlighted that one-off savings do not help next year, creating pressure for the 2025/26 budget.
Other permanent and one-off savings are expected but not yet allocated. At present, ECS faces a remaining savings gap of about £3.75 million that is at risk of not being achieved.
Committee heard that ECS will continue to look for ways to close the gap, including reviewing the final year-end budget position, looking closely at school budgets, and continuing work on transformation projects.