The Corporate Director – Education and Family Support reminded Members, that in April 2019, Cabinet gave approval for work to be undertaken to prepare specific option proposals under Phase 4 of the review of post-16 provision across Bridgend. 

This update report, provided Cabinet with the detail of those option proposals and seeks approval to go to public consultation on the basis of the proposals contained in Appendix 1 and supporting information in Appendices 2 to 4.

He confirmed by way of background information, that in 2016, a Strategic Review Board (SRB) was established.

The SRB in turn established a Post-16 Operational Board to review post-16 provision across Bridgend County Borough. This Board presented its report back to the SRB and then to Cabinet in October 2017.  SRB recommended that six concepts be considered for the future of post-16 education and recommended two preferred options.  Cabinet endorsed these recommendations and asked for more detailed work to be undertaken.  This was completed and reported back to Cabinet in April 2018 where Cabinet gave approval for a public consultation on the six concepts and preferred options for post-16 provision across Bridgend County Borough.

Arising from the above and further consultations subsequently undertaken, Cabinet last April, approved the further analysis of three options from the original 6 concepts and details of these, were outlined in paragraph 4.1 of the report.

Supporting information with regards to each of these, Options was contained in the supporting information attached to the report, in the form of a series of Appendices.

The Corporate Director – Education and Family Support concluded his report, by advising that Cabinet approval was now being sought to take the option proposals detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, out to public consultation from 2 December 2019 to 21 February 2020, with the intention of bringing the results of the consultation back to Cabinet in April 2020. In addition feasibility studies will be prepared, particularly where there are capital implications, and be presented to Cabinet together with the outcomes of the consultation, should Cabinet give approval to go out to consultation.

The Cabinet Member – Education and Regeneration, extended his thanks to the Specialist Officer – Post 16 Education and Training for putting together such an informative report. He added that Option 3 in the report had previously been the most favourable option to pursue, though there would be further consultation following which it would be revealed if this was still the case, or whether an alternative option would be preferred.

He was fully understanding of the view of many, namely that a popular choice would be to retain a 6^th form within every Comprehensive School within the County Borough, though this would come with the need for some considerable collaboration and financial resource. He welcomed the contribution from the Council’s Subject Overview and Scrutiny 1 on the review of Post-16, whereby Members of this Committee had been broadly supportive of proposals moving forward.

The Cabinet Member – Future Generations and Wellbeing asked if there had been any calculation to date of the costings relating to each of the 3 Options being put forward, to include school transport costs and potential capital costs.

The Corporate Director – Education and Family Support confirmed that these would be fully considered as part of the next phase of the project.

The Leader stated that he was pleased to see that the next consultation would again be a comprehensive process.

RESOLVED:                        That Cabinet gave approval to go to consultation on the options detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, for the future of Post-16 Education across the Bridgend County Borough.