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Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Chamber Meeting Room - Civic Centre, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Michelle Roberts, Scrutiny Officer 

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None

2.

Readiness for Schools Scrutiny Inquiry Impact and Follow-up Report pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Inquiry Panel reconvened to look at the impact of and progress made with the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Inquiry into Readiness for School.   Cllr Mark Child, Sian Bingham and Sharon Jones attended the meeting to discuss progress.

 

The Panel are pleased to hear that their work and the resulting recommendations have made an impact in many areas and that substantial progress had been made. They are keen to hear about that changes that have occurred at operational and strategic levels.  That the strategic changes will ensure a longer term commitment and strategy is in place, whilst at an operational level services are becoming more widespread, aligned and linked across different organisations.

 

They were interested to hear about the work being done to utilise resource in those areas not covered by Flying Start by developing that ethos, where possible, within other early years setting within these areas. Councillors are happy to hear about the success of the multi-agency Jigso Project and the extending of Childcare Offer Pilot.

 

The Panel is particularly pleased that the Public Service Board has agreed that early years should continue to be one of their key priorities moving forward.

 

The Panel is therefore satisfied with progress made on recommendations 1, 2, 4 and 9 and will not follow up on those any further.

 

They heard about those recommendations that are not yet complete but that there has been progress with a number of these recommendations including for example:

 

·         Significant progress made with responding to specific requirements of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act in relation to early years.

·         That the Pupil Deprivation Grant is now mapped and data collected so that the type of spend is monitored and good practice can be highlighted.  The panel are keen to see the good practice found shared across schools.

·         That a working party comprising of all key stakeholders has been established to share recommendations and develop a united understand of the actions to be taken to develop a Foundation Phase Profile baseline.  The Panel were keen for this to progress to help develop and ensure consistency and robustness.

·         The new Foundation Phase Strategic Lead is starting to build working relationships with relevant people and will start to share good practice.  The Panel are keen to see minimum standards in relation to transition to school from day care settings to be fully developed.

 

Councillors recognise that some of the recommendation made will have a longer term development timescale. They will therefore refer those outstanding recommendations, namely 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 to the Schools Scrutiny Performance Panel to follow up upon in 12 months’ time. 

A letter will be written to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and Children, Education and Lifelong Learning reflecting the Panels views.

Letter to Cabinet Member pdf icon PDF 162 KB