Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Lyndon Jones was confirmed as Convener for the Panel for the municipal year 2024/2025.

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

Cllr’s L Jones and M Day declared a personal interest on agenda items 8, 9 and 11.

None

The minutes of the meeting on the 9 May 2024 were agreed by the Panel.

The letter to the Cabinet Member for Education and Learning following the meeting on the 9 May 2024 was noted by the Panel.

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 noted the report detailing the role of the Performance Panel.

Cllr Robert Smith (Cabinet Member Education and Learning), Helen Morgan Rees (Director of Education) and David Thomas (Principal School Improvement Adviser)

The Panel thanked the Lead School Improvement Adviser for the providing a report and attending the meeting to discuss progress with the introduction of the Curriculum for Wales.

The Cabinet Member said that this was still an evolving piece of work and that it is not without its challenges but that he continues to be pleased with how it was progressing in Swansea.

The report outlined:

·       Background and context to the Curriculum for Wales

·       Updated the Panel on the work that is happening across Swansea schools, the school improvement team and Partneriaeth.

In summary:

a.     The focus for schools in Swansea will be the evaluation of the impact of their curriculum offer. Officers will support the use of toolkits to provide effective, thought-provoking questions and promote deep self-evaluation.

b.     Swansea schools continue to feel they are supported well.

c.     LA officers need to continue the focus on how school leaders influence ongoing Curriculum for Wales design.

d.     LA officers ensure schools are supported well to make use of and evaluate the impact of professional learning offered locally and by the region.

e.     Further develop collaborative partnerships to support a better shared understanding of progression across and between schools.

f.       School improvement advisers have and will continue to identify schools that have the capacity to share effective practice in terms of curriculum design and review.

g.     School improvement advisers will sensitively identify schools that require additional support in their reform journey indicated by the progress that learners make over time.

h.     School Improvement Team and Additional Learning Needs officers will collaborate more closely to support a holistic view of support for learners.

i.       School improvement advisers will continue to make representations to Welsh Government on behalf of our stakeholders to inform national policy.

The following questions/issues were raised by the Panel.  Summary of the Panels views on progress and the responses to these issues will form part of the letter to the Cabinet Member following the meeting:

·       How are the clusters of schools across Swansea working together with regard to the Curriculum for Wales.

·       Those schools in Wales that Estyn have identified that the Curriculum for Wales has not yet had a positive impact.

·       Are we taking teachers with us in Swansea in the development of the Curriculum for Wales.

·       Are we still focused on pupils learning basic skills in the bid to introduce the new curriculum.

Cllr Robert Smith Cabinet Member (Education and Learning and Skills) and Helen Morgan Rees (Director of Education)

The Panel thanked the Director of Education for her presentation outlining some of the key issues affecting education in Swansea 2023/2024.  She covered 8 key issue areas including:

1.     Resource Management

2.     Support for Learners

3.     Accountability

4.     Learner Attendance

5.     Behaviour and Wellbeing

6.     Quality of Teaching

7.     Welsh Language

8.     Tiered Roles and responsibilities

The Panel will consider this presentation when they discuss and agree their work plan for the coming 12 months so that it is reflective of the key issues highlighted where possible.

The Panel discussed the key issues identified for the Panels work programme for the coming 12 months. The Scrutiny Officer will now formulate the plan to take this forward and circulate a draft to the Panel for agreement.