To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including whipping declarations)

A number of Members declared a personal interest Agenda Item 4, in that they were School Governors, however, they were advised by Officers that such declarations were not required as they had been appointed onto these by the Local Authority.

The following Councillors declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 4, as they had children who were students in some of the schools mentioned in the report relating to this item:-

Councillor C Webster

Councillor N Burnett

Councillor AJ Williams

The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to present the items prioritised by the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee including the next item delegated to this Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee; to present the Committee with a list of further potential items for comment and prioritisation, and finally to ask the Committee to identify any further items for consideration using the pre-determined criteria form.

Attached at Appendix B to the report, was the overall FWP for the SOSCs which included the topics prioritised by the COSC for the next set of SOSCs in Table A, as well as topics that were deemed important for future prioritisation at Table B.

In terms of items in Table A of Appendix B, it was highlighted that the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had delegated SOSC 1 with the School Modernisation Band B item for their next meeting, followed by Early Help – Social Care for its meeting on 16 April 2018.

The Scrutiny Officer advised that post April the Committee had been delegated the topic of the budgetary implications in respect of Parc Prison. She added that the further items detailed in Appendix B were items that would be considered at future meetings, the dates of which had not as yet been established.

RESOLVED:               The Committee approved the feedback and responses from their meeting in December 2017 and noted the items delegated to them for the next sets of meetings.

Invitees

Lindsay Harvey, Interim Corporate Director - Education and Family Support;
Cllr Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration;
Nicola Echanis, Head of Education and Early Help;
Mandy Paish, CSC Senior Challenge Advisor;
Mike Glavin, Managing Director CSC.

The item commenced with the CSC Senior Challenge Advisor giving a Presentation entitled ‘Foundation Phase, Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 and Post-16 Outcomes 2016-2017’.

The Chairperson then invited questions from the floor.

The Chairperson referred to paragraph 4.53 of the report, and noted that the standard of attainment for post-16 pupils at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen for grades A* to C had dropped by 20.8% in 2017 when compared to 2016, which she felt was a significant reduction.

The Specialist Officer: Post 16 Education and Training advised that this was largely to do with the fact that staff turnover in key subject areas (ie welsh, mathematics, science and English) had taken place during the above period. These key posts had since been filled and monitoring processes had been put in place in order to ensure improvements are being made this current year in readiness for this year’s AS examinations. .

A Member asked what happened to students who failed their A level examinations and if a high percentage of these re-sat the exams.  They also queried how many pupils went onto further education.

The Specialist Officer: Post 16 Education and Training confirmed that in terms of the Level 3 threshold, over 90% of students achieved some sort of grade even if it wasn’t the highest in terms of attainment. However, he added that poor A level results were not as significant for students as they used to be, as Universities were far more relaxed now than previous in terms of entrance requirements. This fact was borne out in that nearly all students in the County Borough of Bridgend who applied for a place in a university last year had been accepted. He added that some of these pupils were admitted without any A level qualification at all, so there was no detriment for these students in terms of their application to be accepted in higher education environments. Notwithstanding that, teaching staff at all schools were looking to assist in improving grades of qualifications for all pupils.

A Member asked if there were suitable contingencies in place at schools if a number of members of staff there left around the same time, in order that pupils were able to maximise their chances of good A level results.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration advised that there was scope for staff to be moved from one school to another in order to supplement the staffing compliment there, should there be a deficiency in teaching staff for whatever reason. He added that it was easier to mitigate anticipated and even long term absence of staff at a school, though there was more of a struggle to put contingencies in place for the more unpredicted cases of short term absence.

The Chairperson noted from the report that Pencoed Comprehensive School reflected very good performance levels for post-16 pupils/education.

The Specialist Officer: Post 16 Education and Training advised that this school did have a good reputation at all age levels, and that this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.