Pre-Scrutiny
The
Committee scrutinised the following matters.
Cabinet
Proposal
The
Joint Committee received information on the Education through Regional Working
– Regional School Improvement Consortium and the Council’s future participation
in the (South West and Mid Wales) Regional School Improvement Consortium (ERW)
as detailed in the circulated report.
Discussion
took place on the process that had resulted in the proposal to serve notice of
the intention to withdraw from ERW with affect from 31 March 2020. It was explained that officers of Neath Port
Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC) had raised concerns to the Consortium
and the Welsh Government in relation to three areas of concern Governance,
Quality and Financial over the last 2 years and the proposal before Members
today was the last resort. Evidence was
available for Members to scrutinise if required.
Following
on, it was explained that the support currently provided by ERW was in relation
to school development, self evaluation and
professional coaching. In addition, one
area that ERW was to focus on was the plans to roll out the new curriculum, to
date no information had been made available.
Director of Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning explained that as a
result Neath Port Talbot Education Department was taking steps to arrange plans
for the new curriculum locally as this would have a significant impact on the
life chances of the young people of Neath Port Talbot.
Reassurance
was given that links with schools outside of Neath Port Talbot would
continue. Strong links currently exist
between NPTCBC and the City and County of Swansea as both councils have similar
geographically and demographical makeups.
ERW has a system of partner schools but these were not arranged by the
matching of areas, in some instances head teachers travelled from Neath Port
Talbot to Cerdigion where the schools did not face
similar issues.
Lliw Afan Nedd Primary
Head Teachers (LLAN) views had been sought in addition to a School Survey
undertaken where the feedback was that the support received from the Education
Department within NPTCBC was excellent but raised issues in connection to the
support received from ERW which was in line with the issues that Education
Officers had previously raised.
The
Chair of the ERW Joint Committee identified a new model for working in her
letter to the Minister for Education in February 2019. To date no response had been received from
Welsh Government or ERW to the letter or to the requests for meetings to
discuss a way forward. Emphasis was
given that work would continue to try to resolve issues and to develop an
improved model for regional working and that the decision to withdraw was the
last option for the Council to take.
Officers
confirmed that there was no penalty for withdrawing from the consortium stated
in the Contract. “ Any Authority may withdraw from the Agreement
by giving notice in writing to each of the other Authorities to expire 12
months from the end of the date Financial Year in which the notice is ... view the full minutes text for item 3.
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