Agenda and draft minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor E. Skinner.

There were no declarations of prohibited party whips. 

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

[Note: Cllr S.M. Allen, Cllr K.V. Broom, Cllr B.W. Jones, Cllr H. Jones, Cllr M. J. A Lewis, Cllr E.M.J.G. Schiavone, Cllr J. Williams, Cllr S. Williams, Ms D. Elias, Mr. A. Enoch, Ms M. Hughes and Ms V. Kenny had earlier declared an interest in this item and remained in the meeting during the deliberation of the matter].

The Committee considered a referral from the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee which was resolved at its meeting held on 6^th November 2024. The referral requested that the Education, Young People and the Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee look at the broader issue of school delegated budgets.

In reviewing the referral appended to the report, the Committee was reminded that an in-depth report which provided an update on the financial position of the county’s Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special Schools, together with information in relation to Welsh Government funding streams for education services was considered by the Committee at its meeting on 15 October 2024.  Furthermore, the Committee was informed that a programme of school visits was underway to facilitate schools in reviewing their budget and developing an appropriate recovery plan.  Accordingly, members expressed that an awareness session outlining the process and current situation in respect of the support mechanisms and monitoring arrangements within the Authority to assist schools in managing their budgets be provided to the Committee in early 2025.

RESOLVED that:

The Committee received for consideration a report which outlined the progress made with the recommendations provided by Estyn following their inspection of education services in Carmarthenshire in July 2023. The first recommendation focused on improving pupils' attendance in the authority's schools. The Committee was advised that the department continued to work on innovative ways of analysing attendance data using software tools to enable senior managers to gain instant access to data and for schools to monitor their data and compare it with other schools.  The Committee was appraised of the attendance figures for primary and secondary schools and received a synopsis of the array of initiatives and campaigns which aimed to ensure a strengthened approach and ownership of attendance improvement over time.

The second recommendation sought to strengthen school improvement processes, particularly for secondary schools.  It was reported that a comprehensive school improvement strategy had been communicated to all team members and focused upon strengthening pupil progress and engagement and the professional development of newly qualified teachers, teaching assistants, and future leaders. The school improvement processes involved regular, accurate self-evaluation and monitoring professional learning and enabled leaders to know their schools better, which was reflected in fewer schools receiving a recommendation of self-evaluation and monitoring from Estyn.  Furthermore, school to school collaboration, cluster working and effective practice sharing events further enhanced school improvement processes.

The third recommendation was to refine approaches to self-evaluation and improvement planning. In this regard, measures had been implemented to enable issues of concern to be identified early through improved use of evidence and data, utilisation of a risk rated system to prioritise issues for improvement and enhanced utilisation of the Performance and Improvement Monitoring System to critically review information against set criteria.

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

The Committee noted their gratitude to the Education and Children’s Services department for its sterling progress thus far in addressing the recommendations put forth by Estyn.

In response to a query regarding projected improvements to attendance levels, the Interim Head of School Effectiveness explained that the Authority utilised a holistic approach to address the pastoral and individual wellbeing needs of pupils which would, in turn, positively impact upon attendance levels in the long-term.  The Director of Education, Children and Family Services

reported that the challenges of school attendance was reflective of the national situation and the Welsh Government had, on 3^rd December 2024, announced £8.8m funding over a two-year period to be provided to support the work of the Family Engagement Officers to improve attendance levels.

In response to the concerns raised in respect of the significant financial pressures facing the Authority, the Director of Education, Children and Family Services reported that he was confident that further progress would be made in this area by making the best use of the resources available e.g. working in different ways.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the progress update on Estyn Inspection Recommendations be noted.

The Committee received for consideration a report which provided an update on the national context of the Medr commissioning body for Post 16 Educational Provision.

The report highlighted the importance of collaboration between schools to improve subject offerings, develop independent learning skills and ensure equitable provision for all pupils, including those with additional learning needs. The Committee was informed that schools were actively developing their provision and outcomes through increased collaboration and learner engagement.  In this regard the advantages and challenges of collaborative teaching approaches was highlighted to members.

The report also provided examples of current collaborations and plans for 2025/26. The next steps included strengthening strategic coordination of Post 16 courses, enhancing Welsh language provision, and developing links with external partnerships.

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

In response to a query regarding the provision of 'out of the classroom' and ‘real world’ learning experiences, the Committee was advised that the aim was to provide opportunities to participate in real world decision making within society as a means of developing independent thinking and giving learners a voice and confidence in such settings. Accordingly, a project had been piloted within Dyffryn Amman School to introduce real world learning opportunities into the curriculum.

A discussion ensued in respect of the significant increase in transportation costs which was considered to be a barrier in providing experiences for pupils.  Accordingly, to support the hybrid learning provision going forward, a suggestion was put forth to further explore opportunities with the Dolen Teifi non-profit making organisation which aimed to provide affordable and accessible transport to individuals, organisations, and groups within the counties of Carmarthen and Ceredigion. 

Reference was made to the lack of public transport which presented challenges for pupils in attending an education setting of their choosing.  Notwithstanding that the Authority’s post-16 school transportation policy was not based upon a statutory requirement, it was expressed that an integrated policy, by way of collaboration between schools and colleges, could benefit post-16 learners across the county, and particularly those in rural areas.  An assurance was provided to the Committee that representations were been made to lobby Welsh Government for improved public transport.

The Committee welcomed the ongoing efforts to enhance the post-16 offer within schools, particularly in light of research which indicated that over half of college students would prefer a sixth form setting within a school, should the desired subject offer be available to them.

Reference was made to the limited post-16 learning provision within mainstream schools for pupils with ALN.  The Committee was advised that whilst the current funding model did not necessarily support this provision, schools were endeavouring to accommodate the demand, as evident in a number of recent successful cases.  Furthermore, it was noted that a review of the ALN provision was ongoing.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the update on the post-16 provision in Carmarthenshire be noted.

The Committee considered a report on Adult Learning in the Community which outlined the collaborative arrangements between various stakeholders in Carmarthenshire. The partnership was structured with a Strategic Group and an Operational Group, which directed the work of delivery partners and facilitated referrals and progression routes for learners. The service primarily delivered Essential Skills and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to eligible post-16 learners across multiple centres in the county. 

The report detailed the funding mechanisms for Adult Learning in the Community and highlighted the successful implementation of the Multiply Project, a UK government initiative aimed at improving the numeracy skills of adults. The project brought significant funding into the county and exceeded its targets by enrolling over 1040 learners.

The report also identified areas for improvement, such as strengthening the strategic partnership and promoting Welsh medium provision, both of which were being progressed.  Future development plans for the service included expanding provision to reach more adults in the community, particularly hard-to-reach groups.

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

The Committee expressed their gratitude for the successful implementation of the Multiply Project, which had positively impacted the community, with learning opportunities also being offered to parents and guardians of pupils within the elective home education (EHE) category.

In response to a query regarding the Multiply Project, the Committee was advised that funding had been extended to February 2025, and thereafter the project would likely to cease.  However, discussions were ongoing between Welsh Government and UK Government regarding the possibility of transition funding for a period of one year.  It was reported that work was ongoing to implement the exit and legacy strategy for the Multiply Project, engaging with learner groups to offer opportunities to transfer into Adult Community Learning, with open days and information events taking place and a new structure for Family Learning being developed to continue the work that the Multiply Project had started in schools. The Committee was encouraged to note a positive response thus far, with an array of information being available on the website in respect of learning pathways to support continued learning.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the update on the Adult Community Learning be noted.

The Committee received a report which provided an update on the current position regarding the Welsh for Adults provision for Carmarthenshire.  The Committee was advised that the service was provided through the National Centre for Learning Welsh, based in Aberystwyth, since 1^st September 2024.  The report outlined the array of ‘Learn Welsh’ courses offered at different levels from beginners to experienced speakers, together with the current enrolment numbers.

In view of the limited information contained within the report, a request was made for a comprehensive update report be provided to the Committee in the spring of 2025 on the transition of the Welsh for Adults provision from Carmarthenshire County Council to the National Centre for Learning Welsh which would also include trends in terms of enrolment figures and provision of courses.  It was requested that a representative from the National Centre for Learning Welsh be in attendance to address the Committee.

RESOLVED that:

The Committee received a report which detailed the progress made in relation to requests or referrals emerging from previous meetings of the Education, Young People and Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee.

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

EYP&WL24/25-04 – in an update to the Committee, the Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language confirmed that the matter had been raised regularly at meetings of the WLGA to convey the concerns of Local Authorities to the Cabinet Secretary in respect of the Free School Meals measure of deprivation not being fit for purpose.  The Director of Education, Children and Family Services added that the Authority continued in its endeavours to raise awareness of the benefits of families in applying for Free School Meal status.  The Committee noted the adverse impact on school budgets as a result of the decline in the number of families applying for free school meal status following the roll out of free school meals across primary schools and acknowledged potential difficulties in identifying eligible families who may need support in applying.

EYP&WL24/25-01 – the Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language advised that further information in respect of the rural innovation grant funding would be available following consideration of the draft budget for 2025/26.

EYP&WL22/23-27 –  It was noted that a progress update would be circulated to the Committee in respect of the possible introduction of taster sessions, or workplace experience as Teaching Assistants for university students to further understand the requirements of the teaching role.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Committee received a list of forthcoming items to be considered at its next meeting to be held on the 21 January 2025. 

In reviewing the Committee’s Forward Work Plan for 2024/25 appended to the report, a request was made for information pertaining to the wellbeing of staff within both the education department and schools.  The Chair advised that such information could be incorporated into the Behavioural Support Services development session.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting on the 21^st January 2025 be noted.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15^th October 2024 be signed as a correct record.