To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Councillor Johanna Llewellyn-Hopkins, Councillor Ellie Richards and Councillor Tim Thomas.

Registered Representative

Lyndsey Morris

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)

The following declared personal interests:

Reverend Canon Edward Evans as a Community Governor of Bryntirion Comprehensive School;

Councillor Melanie Evans as a Community Governor for Pencoed Comprehensive School and Croesty Primary School;

Councillor Richard Collins as a Community Governor for St Mary’s and St Patrick’s Primary Schools;

Councillor Martyn Jones as Chair of the Interim Executive Board of Ogmore Vale Primary School; and

Councillor Alex Williams as his partner is a teacher in a school piloting the Curriculum for Wales in another local authority.

Invitees:

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell – Cabinet Member Education

Lindsay Harvey - Corporate Director – Education and Family Support

Nicola Echanis - Head of Education and Family Support

Susan Roberts – Group Manager (School Support)

Clara Seery - Managing Director - Central South Consortium

Louise Blatchford – Deputy Managing Director – Central South Consortium

Darren Jones – Principal Improvement Manager – Central South Consortium

Kathryn John - Headteacher, Brackla Primary School and Chair of Primary Federation

Ravi Pawar – Headteacher, Bryntirion Comprehensive School

The Corporate Director for Education and Family Support introduced the representatives from Central South Consortium (CSC) and the Managing Director of CSC introduced the report, the purpose of which was to provide an overview of the work of CSC and to update Members on the contribution of CSC, working in partnership with the local authority, to raise standards in schools across Bridgend.

The Chairperson thanked the Corporate Director of Education and Family Support and the Managing Director of CSC and Members discussed the following:

·       The formula for the annual contribution made to CSC, the use of funds and how the authority measured tangible outcomes in relation to the revenue investment.

·       The sufficiency of support from CSC given the decrease in funding and efficiency savings in schools budgets, the impact of reduced funding on CSC’s improvement partners within Bridgend and targeting priorities of individual local authorities to minimise the effect of any changes.  

·       Systems to track and analyse pupil performance to secure school improvement, whether schools were being sufficiently transparent through self-assessment and other consistent data from tests undertaken according to the assessment framework they were developing in line with the curriculum for Wales.

·       The sources of collaboration/cluster funding in Bridgend, including grant funding and professional learning grants that go into CSC, which is given to schools as a lump sum for meaningful use on any type of collaboration.

·       Themes from the mid-year and end of year evaluations submitted by the 9 clusters, embedding a system of self-improvement and the cluster agreeing what it would like to focus on, e.g. assessment and progression with a consistent approach in line with the curriculum for Wales.

·       Reasons why 16% of clusters had been deemed to be ineffective, concerns that not all schools were participating in CSC support and professional learning and the School Improvement Group’s role in determining strategic priorities in particular schools.

·       Improvement Partners working with schools to integrate recommendations from Estyn inspections into their school development plans and the possibility of Estyn increasing the regularity of their inspections.

·       Archbishop McGrath School no longer being under Estyn review having made appropriate progress against each recommendation made at the original inspection.

·       School representatives provided the following feedback of key aspects from their experience of the implementation and continued roll out of the new curriculum for Wales;

-        Learners and learner voice at the heart of what they do

-        Importance of embedding the four purposes at Key Stage 5, before they are mandatory

-        Autonomy of staff to determine best methods of implementation together with teaching and learning pedagogy

-        Ensuring literacy, numeracy and digital competency are integral to lessons

-        Sharing of practice with other schools.

-        Improvement in soft outcomes – thinking, problems solving, literacy and numeracy skills

-        Attendance rates higher than previous year

and some challenges, including:

-        The Model clashing against structures elsewhere in school

-        School buildings not fit for purpose in terms of innovative approach

·       The outcome of Corneli Primary School’s case study on financial awareness.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Invitees

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell – Cabinet Member Education

Lindsay Harvey - Corporate Director – Education and Family Support

Nicola Echanis - Head of Education and Family Support

Susan Roberts – Group Manager (School Support)

Clara Seery - Managing Director - Central South Consortium

Louise Blatchford – Deputy Managing Director – Central South Consortium

Darren Jones – Principal Improvement Manager – Central South Consortium

Kathryn John - Headteacher, Brackla Primary School and Chair of Primary Federation

Ravi Pawar – Headteacher, Bryntirion Comprehensive School

Ryan Davies – Headteacher, Brynteg Comprehensive School

Tracey Wellington – Headteacher, Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen

The Group Manager, School Support presented the report, the purpose of which was to update Members on the ‘School Improvement Guidance: Framework for Evaluation, Improvement and Accountability’ (Welsh Government, 2021) and the implications for the local authority and regional processes and systems.

The Chair thanked the Group Manger, School Support and Members discussed the following:

·       Self-evaluation evidence being used to focus on school improvements and individual learner progress moving away from the narrow measures, focus on progress rather than attainment, meaning data, the schools use themselves was focused on what progress the children made since starting school or the year.

·       Schools publish a summary of their curriculum on the school websites along with their school development plan for parents / prospective parents to see. Moving away from a narrow data set and looking at what the curriculum the children will receive, the strategic priorities of the school based on the school self-evaluation and how they are meeting the needs of those vulnerable learners.

·       Training that is provided for school Governing Bodies:

-        New Governor induction training;

-        Chairperson induction training;

-        Coaching as part of the role;

-        Curriculum for Wales question and answer sessions;

-        Sharing of Estyn Inspection experiences;

-        Introduction to the Self Evaluation Toolkit;

-        Wellbeing.

·       Short term support for Governing Bodies was delayed and Improvement Partners had yet to attend the Governing Body meetings to support that process. It would be ongoing and fully developed in the coming months.

·       It was schools’ responsibility to work on making sure they had all School Governor vacancies filled. It was suggested by Members that an outstanding list of positions could be shared with local Community and Town Councils.

·       Additional support for schools being determined; the School Improvement Framework stated that schools would as part of their development plan identify where they were accessing support, whether that be from an external provider, CSC or bespoke support. Any additional support would then be discussed with the Improvement Partners as part of their meetings in the autumn term.

·       The funding for the Bridgend Governors’ Association had been removed and although not coordinated directly form the Local Authority going forward, the Corporate Director of Education and Family Support and Officers could attend to represent the Authority and provide input if required.

·       Ensuring responses provided to all Scrutiny Recommendations.

The Chairperson advised that Members of the Committee who wanted to ask questions had all spoken, so as there were no further questions for the Invitees, thanked them for their attendance and advised that they may leave the meeting.

RESOLVED:            Following detailed consideration and discussions with Officers and Cabinet Members, the Committee made the following Recommendations:

1.     With School Governor Training being amended in line with the new curriculum, there could potentially be Governors who had not had the new data and induction training required. The Committee therefore recommended training for existing School Governors be offered and made available to them as soon as possible.  

2.     Members expressed concern over the number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The Scrutiny Officer presented the Committee with the Forward Work Programme (FWP) in Appendix A for discussion and consideration, requested any specific information the Committee identified to be included in the items for the next two meetings, including invitees they wished to attend, requested the Committee to identify any further items for consideration on the FWP having regard to the selection criteria in paragraph 4.3, asked the Committee to note the Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet to track responses to the Committee’s recommendations made at previous meeting in Appendix B and asked the Committee to note that the FWP and Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet for the Committee would be reported to the next meeting of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee requested that the following items be considered for addition to the Annual Forward Programme at the next Scrutiny Planning Meeting for SOSC 1:

1.     Home to school transport / safe routes to school

2.     Delays in Capital Schemes – Universal Free School Meals; looking at schools and whether they are ready.

3.     Governing Bodies – Support and funding. Invitation to be extended to representatives and the Governors Association.

There were no further items identified for consideration on the FWP having regard to the selection criteria in paragraph 4.3, and this could be revisited at the next meeting.

There were no requests to include specific information in the item for the next meeting.

RESOVLED:              1. The Committee also requested that avenues to be considered by Scrutiny in collaboration with the Education Directorate on how to take forward future monitoring of Learner progress. Suggestions were made including, but not limited to; assurances on direction of travel, Estyn inspections, sources of information and evidence needed to make judgement on learner progress, improvement activities and self-evaluations.  

2.   The Committee agreed to monitor in the form of an outcome report as to how leadership and safeguarding is being audited, specifically in relation to the collaboration within the authority between Social Services and Education and Wellbeing directorate, working closely together, to ensure schools are receiving specialist support timely. 

3.   That the Committee approved the FWP in Appendix A, subject to the incorporation of the above requests, noted the Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet in Appendix B and noted that the FWP, Recommendations Monitoring Action Sheet and any updates from the Committee would be reported to the next meeting of COSC.

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.