Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

*Declaration made at the commencement of item 5.

There were no declarations of prohibited party whips.

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

[Note: Councillor S. L. Rees had earlier declared an interest in this item and remained in the meeting during the deliberation and voting thereof].

The Committee received for consideration the outcome of the Estyn inspection of Carmarthenshire’s Education Services undertaken in July 2023 in accordance with the Local Government Education Services (LGES) framework.

The inspection covered 3 main areas pertaining to outcomes, education services and leadership & management. The inspection concluded that Carmarthenshire’s education services was being led robustly by senior leaders and elected members, who shared a clear vision for education within the authority.

The inspection identified productive working relationships with schools and other providers, with valuable and purposeful school improvement processes in place.

On the whole, arrangements for modernising and re-organising the Authority’s schools were considered to be robust, with suitable provision in place to meet the needs of pupils with additional learning needs (ALN).  Reference was also made to the recent work undertaken by education services to refine its provision to support and improve behaviour within schools, and it was pleasing to note that positive outcomes had already emerged in this regard.

The report identified that over time, the inspection outcomes of schools in Carmarthenshire varied, although more recently, since the recommencement of Estyn Inspections in 2022, the proportion requiring follow-up activity by Estyn had decreased. 

Committee considered the areas for improvement which had culminated in a total of 3 recommendations in respect of improving pupils’ attendance in the Authority’s schools, strengthening school improvement processes, particularly for secondary schools and refining approaches to self-evaluation and improvement planning.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language expressed his appreciation for the sterling efforts of all those involved to ensure the continued provision of the best possible education for children and young people.

A number of observations and queries were addressed, as follows:

The Committee welcomed the positive judgements set out within the report and commended the education services department, schools and pupils alike for the exceptional report, and which provided a clear focus for the Authority in moving forward with the provision of educational services for Carmarthenshire.

In considering the areas for improvement set out within the report, the Committee was appraised of the progress made in response to each recommendation and was assured to note that work had already begun to address aspects of the recommendations prior to the inspection as they had already been identified via the Authority’s self-evaluation and improvement planning processes.  The Committee acknowledged the clear commitment towards improving pupil attendance within the Authority, with progress already achieved in many schools.  It was suggested that support could be provided to the education service to address this national issue by way of a partnership approach involving key stakeholders, including Committee members, parents, governors, teachers, pupils and input from Welsh Government to review the available data and identify best practice to inform the education service’s strategy in going forward.  Reference was made to research undertaken by ‘ParentKind’ on behalf of the Welsh Government  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

[Note: Councillors B. W. Jones and H. Jones declared an interest in this item and remained in the meeting during the deliberation and voting thereof].

The Committee received for consideration a report which reviewed the Authority’s primary school admission arrangements and which had been prepared in response to the recommendations emanating from the Task and Finish Review of the current provision for early years education, childcare and play opportunities undertaken by the Committee in 2018/19.

The report provided an overview of the current arrangements for nursery and full-time admissions to primary schools in Carmarthenshire, together with a research-based comparison of full-time and part-time admission arrangements with all other Local Authorities in Wales.  In this regard, it was confirmed that Carmarthenshire was the only Authority in Wales with a ‘rising 4s’ policy.

The report outlined the challenges faced in relation to accommodation and school capacity, inconsistency with other Authorities, nursery and early years provision, funding and the admissions process itself.

Committee considered the potential implications of any changes to current arrangements in terms of parental perception, equity of provision, redistribution of funding and consultation requirements. In an update to the Committee regarding timescales, the Director of Education and Children’s Services reported that the implementation date of any changes to the full-time admission arrangements of learners would be September 2025, with consultation commencing in the near future.  

A number of observations and queries were addressed, as follows:

It was expressed that the termly intake of pupils presented challenges for education services in terms of administration processes and could also place significant accommodation pressures for schools in terms of the organisation of classrooms.  In this regard, it was suggested that a set start date of September could be an appropriate way forward, depending on the outcome of the mapping exercise that was currently underway, as well as other factors associated with the development of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.

The Committee acknowledged that the disparity generated from the mixed economy early years/nursery arrangement was perceived as unfair by Governing Bodies and communities, particularly due to the adverse impact on rural areas.   Accordingly, it was expressed that a consistent approach would ensure equity of provision. An assurance was provided to the Committee that the mapping exercise to identify the existing provision and future requirements for each area was near completion.

The important contribution of the early years education provision was emphasised to the Committee.  In this regard the complexities of the various factors and implications surrounding the review was acknowledged by the Committee.  In response to a comment that a consistent approach should be applied whereby all 3 year old children within the county should be eligible for part time education within their locality, the Director of Education and Children’s Services confirmed that the provision is currently offered by way of a mixed economy early years/nursery arrangement and that making all schools 3-11 could not be guaranteed.  However, the results of the gap analysis would determine the best provision for each area of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

[Note: Councillor B. W. Jones had earlier declared an interest in this item and remained in the meeting during the deliberation of the matter but did not vote].

The Committee received for consideration a schools budget report which provided an update on the Authority’s end of financial year position as at 31 March 2023 for primary, secondary and special schools within Carmarthenshire.  Comparable figures were also provided 2020/21 and 2021/22. 

The issues/observations raised by the Committee were addressed as follows:-

The Committee recognised that significant additional grant funding had been made available to schools by the Welsh Government during the coronavirus pandemic, which had resulted in a positive impact upon several school budgets for the 2021/22 financial year.

The Head of Access to Education, in response to a query, confirmed that no instances of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) had been identified within schools to date and school surveys were ongoing in this regard.

It was queried whether the Authority’s capital programme was achievable to deliver the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme in the light of the decision made by Welsh Government to withdraw the mutual investment model for the Band B for Local Authorities.  The Head of Access to Education clarified that a 3, 6 and 9 year rolling funding programme would be introduced by Welsh Government in April 2024 which would require a revised capital programme based upon current priorities and the ability of the Authority to match fund capital at a 65% intervention rate for mainstream and 75% intervention rate for ALN provision and Special schools.

Committee was appraised of the main financial pressures faced by schools, which were, in the main, attributable to staffing costs.  It was also recognised that school budgets were determined in accordance with the general funding formula for schools and based upon pupil numbers.  It was reported that the issue of school deficits was further compounded by building maintenance costs, whereby the existing budget provision was insufficient to meet the cost of repairs. Accordingly, the Director of Education and Children’s Services clarified that the cumulative deficit balances in future years remained a concern and a significant risk to the Authority which would need to be considered as part of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.

A synopsis of the ongoing support mechanisms offered to schools was provided to the Committee, which comprised a ‘Change Review Panel’ whereby ideas for savings were explored with representatives from education services, Human Resources and Finance.

In response to a query, the Head of Education and Inclusion Services provided an assurance to the Committee that as a result of the support mechanisms provided by the Authority, schools now had an enhanced awareness of budget planning and expenditure requirements. However, special intervention measures were available to the Authority, if required, by way of a formal warning issued by the Section 151 Officer and Director of Education and Children’s Services.

The Head of Education and Inclusion Services clarified to the Committee that the funding per head from Welsh Government  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Committee considered a report which summarised the delivery of the Education Service’s business objectives through a series of collaborative Strategic Focus Groups (SFG). The report provided a synopsis of the 8 SFGs which had been aligned to each of the departmental priority areas and detailed the remit, membership, meeting schedule and reporting mechanisms for each group.

Progress updates would be provided whereby the Committee would focus on one priority in each quarter of the year, reviewing the objectives and proposing updates/changes as required.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED:

7.1      That the report be noted;

7.2     That progress reports in respect of the Estyn Inspection    recommendations be provided to the Committee in the first instance followed by an update in respect of the Sustainable Communities Strategic Focus Group.

The Committee received an explanation for the non-submission of the following scrutiny report(s):

•         An update on Estyn’s review of the Welsh for Adults Provision.

•         10  Year Social Services strategy.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the explanation for the non-submission be noted.

The Committee received a list of forthcoming items to be considered at its next meeting to be held on the 1^stDecember 2023.  In a correction to the report, the Director of Education and Children’s Services confirmed that the item pertaining to the music service provision for schools would provide an update on the delivery of the provision, though it was clarified that the service remained in-house.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 1st December 2023 be noted.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 23 June 2023 be signed as a correct record.