Issue - meetings

The Cabinet considered an Interim Recommendations Report, presented by the Chair of the Education and Children Scrutiny Committee Task and Finish Group on the School Organisation Consultation Process and how that fed into the Education and Children’s Services Departments Plans on how it intended to consult, whilst being mindful that urgent solutions were required from the Welsh Government on school categorisation.

The scope and aims of the Task and Finish Review were:

·       Review the current process of engaging and consulting with schools, pupils, parents and the public in terms of any proposed school changes;

·       Identify national and international best practice on consultation and engagement;

·       Review the way in which the Council’s Strategic Objectives are communicated, consulted upon and understood by schools, pupils, parents and residents e.g. WESP and MEP;

·       To formulate recommendations for consideration by the Cabinet

The Cabinet noted that the group had split the review into two parts a) how the Authority engages and consults in developing its strategic plans (WESP, MET etc) and b) How the Authority engages and consults on specific school organisation proposals. The current interim report concentrated on a) above, incorporating six recommendations for consideration.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Interim Recommendations Report of the Education and Children Scrutiny Committee’s Task and Finish Group on the School Organisation Consultation process be endorsed.