Agenda, decisions and minutes

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None

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Approved

Resolved that the Minutes of the Education & Skills Corporate Delivery Committee held on 15 February 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

For Information

Jeff Fish presented a ‘for information’ report which updated members of the committee on the formulation of an action plan which aims to best support school governance in the future and to realise the Council’s priorities to ensure leadership supports learner progress.

This report builds on the report and discussions at the previous meeting which had reviewed and referenced the previous scrutiny report on the topic.

The comments and discussions at the last meeting had formed the basis for the draft action plan which was appended to the report. The Officer explained that a policy would be developed for the effective recruitment and retention of governors and that all the actions within the draft plan were designed to support that policy intention.

The main areas covered by the draft action plan included:

·       Recruitment & retention of governors;

·       New and improved ways of sharing of best practice;

·       Issues around Hwb mail;

·       Development of an ‘excellence’ pool of experienced governors to support new and existing governors;

·       Development of more opportunities for governor networking;

·       More targeted and bespoke communications with governors;

·       Development of new governor support database;

·       Enhancement of Arweinwyr;

·       Working with key stakeholders and partner groups;

The Chair thanked the officer for the report which had built on the one presented at the last meeting and had included areas identified during the comments and feedback that committee members gave during the session.

He indicated that the report has developed and incorporated those areas identified and discussed into an action plan for the future.

Members of the committee asked numerous questions and made comments regarding the information highlighted in the report, officer presentation and action plan, particularly around the following areas:

·       Assistance/help/support for new governors when they first become governors;

·       Need to make new governor welcome and feel part of the governor ‘family’;

·       Possible introduction of a ‘buddy’ system;

·       Issues around the need for Hwb e mails for councillors and the need to ease not complicate the process of receiving information electronically;

·       Online meetings do work well but the need to expand both face to face meetings and training, this would further help with the integration of new governors going forward;

·       Additional support for Chairs of governors needed;

·       Possibility of the development of a short video guide for new governors;

The Officer, Director and Cabinet Member responded accordingly to the issues and points raised above.

Noted

The Chair indicated that the next meeting was the final one for this municipal year.

He outlined a proposal to liaise with officers from the Department and review the meetings held during the year and bring together a report which combines all the information, evidence and reports received and the work done on the three main topic area of Strengthening School Leaders, Attendance & Inclusion and Strengthened and Effective School Governance into one report.

The report can then be discussed by the committee at the next meeting.