Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

None

None

The minutes of the 15 December 2023 where accepted by the Panel.

The Panel accepted the letter sent to the Cabinet Member following the Panel meeting on the 15 December 2023.

Questions can be submitted in writing to scrutiny@swansea.gov.uk up until noon on the working day prior to the meeting. Written questions take precedence. Public may attend and ask questions in person if time allows. Questions must relate to items on the open part of the agenda and will be dealt with in a 10-minute period.

No public questions were received.

The Panel was pleased to meet the Head and Chair of Governors from Pontardulais Comprehensive School and each of the schools in the cluster of Primary Schools feeding into the Comprehensive School, including Pengelli, Pontlliw, Penllergaer, Pontardulais and Llangyfelach Primary Schools.  They were also interested to hear about the support provided to the cluster by the School Improvement Service, the Commissioned Headteachers and Partneriaeth.

The Panel were keen to discuss with them how the new Curriculum for Wales was being implemented on the ground and how the work being done at each Primary School in the Cluster was being brought together as pupils made the transition to the Comprehensive School.

The Panel had a set of key questions they discussed with the cluster, these included:

a)    How is it going so far?

b)    What are you finding most challenging?

c)     How are you supporting your teachers and school staff to transition to the new curriculum?

d)    How are you working together as a cluster to ensure a consistency of approach?

e)    How are you taking learners along with you on this journey?

How is information about the new curriculum being shared with the learners?  How are the learners responding to the new curriculum, particularly those who have had experience of both systems? 

f)      How do you feel about the support you have received from the local authority and Partneriaeth?

The Panel were glad to hear from them first-hand about how the cluster were working as a team, as well as listening to their successes and the issues that they faced and how they worked together to overcome these.

The Panel were grateful to the team at each school for taking the time to join them and gave a big thanks for their enthusiasm and for the fantastic work they are doing.

The discussion, the Panels thoughts from the session and any recommendations will form part of the letter that will be sent to the Cabinet Member following the meeting.

The Panel agreed to look at School Attendance in the new municipal year.  The Work Programme was agreed.

The individual school inspection outcomes list was noted by the Panel.