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 Service Transformation Committee held on 18 May 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

 

For information

 

The Terms of Reference of the Service Transformation Committees were provided ‘for information’.

 

Workplan approved

 

The Chair stated that he, the Cabinet Member and Officers had met prior to the meeting to discuss potential topics, and information had been circulated to members prior to the committee for background information.

 

He indicated that the committee will focus on the two transformational goals and they will be the topics to explore for the whole municipal year.

·       Transforming Additional Learning Needs.

·       Right Schools in Right Places.

 

Helen Morgan-Rees outlined that the 2 topics above are in the authority’s corporate plan to be considered over a medium to long term period.

 

She referred to the background and history to the current provision, and the rationale that developed the services that developed over many years.

 

Kate Phillips then gave a detailed verbal overview relating to the potential programme for Transforming Additional Learning Needs. Included in the overview were the following areas:

·         Level of current provision within CCS;

·         Historic establishment of the 34 current Specialist Teaching Facilities (STFs) at the various locations across the city;

·         Currently STFs are hosted in individual schools and provide high quality provision and are valued by the young people, parents, schools and the local authority;

·         The current provision and historical context means that not all the places are in the right location geographically, which does means some travelling for children;

·         The effect on and implications for children that have to travel to school, such as lack of ability to participate in after school activities and friendship bonds with school friends that live in different communities;

·         Changes of children’s needs and problems over the years, such as the reduction in need for speech & language therapy for example, whilst demand for autism and ADHD services has risen sharply;

·         Need to amend and update our provision and services accordingly;

·         Major implications of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 on the service and provision provided by the department;

·         Ongoing work and development of a transformation programme around our specialist provision and assistance to schools whilst maintaining the current provision in schools;

·         The liaison, input and involvement in the transformation programme of partner agencies such as the health board and social services was detailed.

 

Kelly Small also gave a verbal personation relating to the issue around Right Schools in the Right Places.

 

Outlined during her presentation were the following areas:

·         Current provision in Swansea of 77 primary, 14 comprehensive and 2 special schools;

·         Falling birth rate in CCS, but increase of inward migration;

·         Duty to monitor our current provision and review the places available;

·         Trend towards Welsh medium education;

·         Condition of current building stock and ongoing maintenance and capital works;

·         Modernisation and building of new schools and its impact on learning, change towards all through primary schools and closure of smaller schools;

·         Increase in home to school transport costs and provision;

·         Welsh Government focus on community focus schools;

·         Pupil projection numbers and fate and input from health and social services staff;

·         Small staffing numbers to support the work being undertaken across the city.

 

Members of the committee asked numerous questions and made comments regarding the information provided and highlighted in the two presentations, the Officers, Director and Cabinet Member responded accordingly.

 

Resolved that the two areas outlined above be the areas for review and discussion during the current municipal year, whilst each topic be on the agendas for alternate meetings.

Approved

 

The Chair referred to the dates of future meetings provided in the agenda pack and proposed that future Committee meetings continue be held at 4pm.

 

Resolved that future Committee meetings commence at 4 pm.