Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

Resolved that the Minutes of the Education & Skills Service Transformation Committee held on 26 July 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

 

The Chair referred to his attendance at Cabinet on 21 July, 2023 and expressed his thanks to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills for inviting him to the meeting to introduce the former Education and Skills CDC report on Leadership, Inclusion and Governance: Building Excellence in Swansea Schools. The report was approved by Cabinet and included the new Headteacher and Senior Leader Handbook, the new Swansea Attendance Policy (part of the Inclusion Strategy) and the Governing Body Support Strategy, and School Governance Development Action Plan. 

  

The Chair also referred to progress towards the recommendations of the report from the Education and Skills PDC in 20/21 - Supporting the Challenges for Learners in Recovering from the Pandemic which would be part of the Education and Skills Scrutiny Committee in September. 

  

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills introduced the report and stated that the report provided an insight into the different demographic, financial pressures and other issues that would need to be considered over the next ten years.  He expressed his thanks to the Officers for the report. 

  

The Director of Education, stated that the Head of Education Planning & Resources would detail some of the drivers, the enablers and some of the constraints faced in setting out a course of action in terms of what the school estate will look like in the next 10 years.  She stated the importance of the Committee considering how our methods are transparent and fair to all schools, and indeed the public. 

  

The Head of Education Planning & Resources presented a ‘for information’ report which detailed the contextual information regarding the school stock in Swansea at July 2023 and suggested the production of a school organisation plan to cover a ten-year period.   

  

The report, the first of three programmed for the municipal year 2023-2024, set the context for the school estate in Swansea and outlined the Council’s demographic details relevant to the supply of school places. 

  

The Head of Education Planning & Resources detailed the current estate, the need for change and links to the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. 

  

Members noted through the Education and Skills STC, it was proposed that a ten-year school organisation plan should be produced for consideration by Cabinet.  The plan should dovetail with the Strategic Outline Programme under SCfL, as well as other relevant plans, but should also include the following information: 

  

·                  Demographic details relevant to the supply of school places, including: 

 

·                 Pupil rolls – actual and projected (English medium, Welsh medium and faith) 

·                  Surplus/shortage of capacity - primary and secondary 

·                  ALN provision and places (including at non-maintained schools) 

·                  6th form provision  

·                  Vocational provision 

·                  WESP and Welsh-medium school place requirements 

·                  Ages of school buildings 

·                  DEC ratings 

·                  Condition ratings 

·                  Pupil Turnover Percentage 

 

·         A statement of assumptions in respect of provision for pupils, for example appropriate/maximum size of schools 

·          Details on historical school reorganisation in Swansea 

·         Policies and principles linked to school organisation, including Home to School Transport  

·          Diversity of provision  

·          Accessibility of provision  

·          Parental preference and popular schools  

·          Energy efficiency  

 

 

The draft plan could be shared with stakeholders and workshops could be held with the Committee to consider aspects of the plan if appropriate.  

  

Members discussed the report and asked questions of the Officers who responded accordingly.  The key issues arising from discussions included: 

  

·             The importance of openness, transparency and sensitivity during the planning process.  

·             Catchment area reviews (last undertaken in September 2021) and the implications arising from parental preference and home to school transport. 

·             The complexities surrounding sixth-form provision funding and the impact on the environment in regard to young people travelling to alternate providers within the county.    

·             The benefits of a workshop on home to school transport.    

·             Determining the optimum figure in regard to surplus spaces in order to ensure a reasonable maintenance cost per pupil. 

·             Examining the configuration of schools in order to use the buildings more effectively.    

·             Timescales and descriptions of each of the key plans were discussed along with the need to ensure all plans are dovetailed (specific reference was made to projects such as Flying Start). 

·             Interpreting and reviewing LDP pupil projection data.    

  

The Chair thanked the Head of Education Planning and Resources for her informative report. 

  

Resolved that a work shop on Home to School Transport be scheduled. 

 

The Chair introduced the ‘for information’ Education & Skills STC Work Plan 2023-2024.

 

The topic for discussion at the following meeting were noted:-

 

·       27 September 2023 –

 

      Transforming Additional Learning Needs.