Wrthi'n llwytho
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RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 16th July 2025 as an accurate reflection of the meeting, subject to the following amendment: In relation to page 17 of the document pack, it should read ‘Insightful’, not ‘Inciteful’. A Member in relation to the previous report of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Working Group, noted that the report had been accepted at the Cabinet meeting on the 22nd September, and asked what the next steps were, in relation to how it might be distributed to schools and anybody involved in other new developments. Additionally, the Member sought clarification around the lessons learnt information put together by the Education Directorate and making that available to the committee. The Temporary Head of School Organisation & WESP provided an update in relation to the lessons learnt confirming that the information had been shared with the internal project team, and they were looking to discuss in their team meeting on Monday, how this could be disseminated to schools and implemented where necessary in future projects. A Member in relation to the previous report on School Governance, was still concerned about the Hwb issues in relation to governance in schools and felt this was something that should be scrutinised in greater depth. The Chair acknowledged that a further report on School Governance would come back to the Committee, because it was felt there were some elements missing e.g. other representations and Hwb was a big section of that report. It was suggested that Hwb was looked at as part of that meeting, when it came back, and if it was felt more time and detail on Hwb was specifically needed, that could be determined at the meeting. It was agreed that this request would be recorded in the future report request.
RESOLVED: 1. That Members undertake pre scrutiny by reviewing the Play Sufficiency Assessment Report (Appendix A), PSA Executive Summary (Appendix 1) and RCT Play Action Plan 2025 – 2026 (Appendix 2), thus providing Scrutiny with an opportunity to comment upon this matter prior to consideration by the Cabinet. 2. That the comments and feedback of the Education & Inclusion Scrutiny Committee in respect of the aforementioned report, forms part of the reported feedback to Cabinet, at its meeting to be held on the 22nd October 2025. 3. To consider areas identified, for future scrutiny and inclusion with the Committees future work programme.
RESOLVED to: 1. Note the progress made since the previous update was reported to Members. 2. Consider the actions and updates contained within the appended Annual Review Report for 2024/25, noting that Welsh Government feedback is expected by the end of the calendar year.
The Chair began by saying a big thanks to the outgoing Vice-Chair, Councillor Scott Emmanuel who had taken up a cabinet position, and gave a warm welcome to the incoming Vice-Chair, Councillor Barry Stevens. The Chair also gave a warm welcome to Councillor Norman Morgan, who was a new member of the committee. Apologies of absence were received from County Borough Councillors P Binning, and J Smith, the Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Cllr R Lewis, the Director of Public Health, Protection and Community Services, L Davies.
The Senior Solicitor - Litigation explained that a blanket personal declaration for those present who were members of a Governing body would be declared in respect of Agenda Item 4, the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan Update, however separate declarations should be made by Members for other agenda items should such interest arise. In accordance with the code of conduct, the following declarations were made in relation to: Ø County Borough Councillor S Evans – Item 4 - Personal Interest – “My sons school is named in the report.” Ø County Borough Councillor J Brencher - Item 4 - Personal Interest – “I am a Member of the LEA Governors Committee.” Ø County Borough Councillor S Evans - Item 4 - Personal Interest – “I am a Member of the LEA Governors Committee.” Ø County Borough Councillor S Hickman - Item 4 - Personal Interest – “My children’s schools are both mentioned in the report.” Ø Ms Tracy Sweetland-Hodges, Co-opted Member – Item 4 - Personal Interest – “I was involved with the Project at Penderyn Community Centre and Cylch Meithrin Penderyn.” Ø County Borough Councillor J Barton – Item 3 - Personal Interest – “I am Chair of Litter-Free Beddau and Tynant.”
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 16th July 2025 as an accurate reflection of the meeting, subject to the following amendment: In relation to page 17 of the document pack, it should read ‘Insightful’, not ‘Inciteful’. A Member in relation to the previous report of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Working Group, noted that the report had been accepted at the Cabinet meeting on the 22nd September, and asked what the next steps were, in relation to how it might be distributed to schools and anybody involved in other new developments. Additionally, the Member sought clarification around the lessons learnt information put together by the Education Directorate and making that available to the committee. The Temporary Head of School Organisation & WESP provided an update in relation to the lessons learnt confirming that the information had been shared with the internal project team, and they were looking to discuss in their team meeting on Monday, how this could be disseminated to schools and implemented where necessary in future projects. A Member in relation to the previous report on School Governance, was still concerned about the Hwb issues in relation to governance in schools and felt this was something that should be scrutinised in greater depth. The Chair acknowledged that a further report on School Governance would come back to the Committee, because it was felt there were some elements missing e.g. other representations and Hwb was a big section of that report. It was suggested that Hwb was looked at as part of that meeting, when it came back, and if it was felt more time and detail on Hwb was specifically needed, that could be determined at the meeting. It was agreed that this request would be recorded in the future report request.
It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 16th July 2025 as an accurate reflection of the meeting, subject to the following amendment: In relation to page 17 of the document pack, it should read ‘Insightful’, not ‘Inciteful’. A Member in relation to the previous report of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Working Group, noted that the report had been accepted at the Cabinet meeting on the 22nd September, and asked what the next steps were, in relation to how it might be distributed to schools and anybody involved in other new developments. Additionally, the Member sought clarification around the lessons learnt information put together by the Education Directorate and making that available to the committee. The Temporary Head of School Organisation & WESP provided an update in relation to the lessons learnt confirming that the information had been shared with the internal project team, and they were looking to discuss in their team meeting on Monday, how this could be disseminated to schools and implemented where necessary in future projects. A Member in relation to the previous report on School Governance, was still concerned about the Hwb issues in relation to governance in schools and felt this was something that should be scrutinised in greater depth. The Chair acknowledged that a further report on School Governance would come back to the Committee, because it was felt there were some elements missing e.g. other representations and Hwb was a big section of that report. It was suggested that Hwb was looked at as part of that meeting, when it came back, and if it was felt more time and detail on Hwb was specifically needed, that could be determined at the meeting. It was agreed that this request would be recorded in the future report request.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: 1. That Members undertake pre scrutiny by reviewing the Play Sufficiency Assessment Report (Appendix A), PSA Executive Summary (Appendix 1) and RCT Play Action Plan 2025 – 2026 (Appendix 2), thus providing Scrutiny with an opportunity to comment upon this matter prior to consideration by the Cabinet. 2. That the comments and feedback of the Education & Inclusion Scrutiny Committee in respect of the aforementioned report, forms part of the reported feedback to Cabinet, at its meeting to be held on the 22nd October 2025. 3. To consider areas identified, for future scrutiny and inclusion with the Committees future work programme.
The Chair began by reminding Members that the purpose of the report was to provide the Committee with the opportunity to pre-scrutinise the Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) and final draft of the action plan, prior to consideration by Cabinet. The Children and Young People’s Service Manager then took Members through the background at section 4, the Consultation/Involvement at section 7 and the Financial Implications at section 8, before highlighting Appendix 1, the Executive Summary and Appendix 3, the Play Action Plan 2025-2026. Following comprehensive responses received by the Young People’s Service Manager and the Head of Community Wellbeing and Resilience Services, to Members questions, in summary, the following points were discussed in relation to the Play Sufficiency Assessment 2025 – 2028. · A Member noted that the consultation highlighted a number of poor experiences for disabled children trying to access play, and whist the report acknowledged that play opportunities weren't equitable for all in RCT, it was recognised the actions to mitigate this inequity were lacking and sought clarification on what was being done to close the gap with disabled children and young people when it came to access and play. · A Member was encouraged to see on page 25 of the report, the Play Sufficiency ratings had improved between 2022 and 2025 and there were no areas rated red. · Members sought reassurance from officers in respect of the consultation process undertaken with children and young people, that the approach had reached all areas and wards of the county borough and there was a fair and accurate reflection of the needs of children and young people across RCT reflected in the responses. · Members felt strongly that there needed to be equitable distribution of specialist play equipment across RCT to encourage use, noting that some specialist play equipment was only available in specific places, and could mean a long journey of up to an hour, for parents and carers, which had a knock on effect in respect of costs e.g. parking, fuel, public transport, and sought reassurance of this in terms of funding. · A Member felt the report would benefit from an additional paragraph in respect of the 217 fixed equipment play spaces. The Member sought clarity on the sufficiency of provision and the formula used across Wales to determine such sufficiency. · A Member noted the report stated that 20% of children hardly ever played or ‘hung out’, which was a significant figure and felt a deeper analysis should be done on this cohort, in terms of were, they concentrated in specific wards, or from particular socioeconomic backgrounds or have specific needs e.g. disabilities and what was the targeted action plan for these children. · A Member noted within the financial section that amber and red rated actions required funding and sought clarification on the estimated total cost to achieve full play sufficiency, the gap between this and the identified (often time limited) grants and the Council’s long term revenue commitment to maintain play provision, whilst acknowledging the partnership working already in place. · A Member acknowledged local parks were critical to parents, especially with young children, and noted that when some older play items were removed for health and safety reasons, there seemed to be a long gap before they were replaced and sought clarification around the cohesive approach to this. · A Member noted on page 78 of the report of those who responded “In an afterschool club” by district: 33.60% (83) were from Cynon, 35.63% (88) were from Rhondda, and 17.41% (43) were from Taf and sought reassurance that afterschool clubs were consistently offered across the county borough with play opportunities available to everyone and accessibility across the board. · A Member felt parents often had concerns about allowing their children to go to the park / play area, due to anti-social behaviour and felt it would have been useful to hold focus groups in secondary schools / more work with young people to encourage them to keep these places clean and safe. The Member sought reassurance about partnership working going forward. A Member felt additional lighting could also solve a lot of problems, whilst recognising it was part of a crime reduction tactical option. · A Member highlighted that play was necessary for overall growth and wellbeing as it helped children develop healthy bones, strong muscles, strong social skills and clear minds, so was glad this was being brought to the foreground and whilst acknowledging the investment already gone in, felt more investment was needed in play areas, as it was absolutely essential to all children. · Members sought reassurance around the use of facilities in schools after hours, as part of play development and play sufficiency, but noted the report mentioned limited progress. In addition Members sought clarification around the pilot scheme and whether this was something that could be scaled up across the county borough. · Members highlighted the importance of open access to schools in terms of play equipment, but also in terms of wider sporting facilities, and sought reassurance that there was cross discussion when it came to Sustainable Communities for Learning Schools design, whilst acknowledging the security elements in some older schools. · A Member noted that play was not referenced in the Council’s Wellbeing plan, and recommended that it should be added, as it was pivotal to children and young peoples’ wellbeing. · A Member felt there were some obvious links around opportunities to play through the medium of Welsh and acknowledged this was an area that had been identified for improvement and sought clarification how the outcomes and the actions identified, could be linked with the WESP / Welsh language promotion strategy and therefore strengthening the efforts of both this assessment and the Welsh language promotion strategy, and aligning those. · A Member recommended that the report would benefit from SMART timelines, even though it was recognised some timelines would be a three year process. It was RESOLVED: 1. That Members undertake pre scrutiny by reviewing the Play Sufficiency Assessment Report (Appendix A), PSA Executive Summary (Appendix 1) and RCT Play Action Plan 2025 – 2026 (Appendix 2), thus providing Scrutiny with an opportunity to comment upon this matter prior to consideration by the Cabinet. 2. That the comments and feedback of the Education & Inclusion Scrutiny Committee in respect of the aforementioned report, forms part of the reported feedback to Cabinet, at its meeting to be held on the 22nd October 2025. 3. To consider areas identified, for future scrutiny and inclusion with the Committees future work programme.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to: 1. Note the progress made since the previous update was reported to Members. 2. Consider the actions and updates contained within the appended Annual Review Report for 2024/25, noting that Welsh Government feedback is expected by the end of the calendar year.
The Temporary Head of School Organisation & WESP presented the report to Members, which provided anupdate onthe Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) following its third year of implementation, noting that the WESPbecame aformal andadopted strategic document in September 2022. Members were reminded that Welsh Government (WG) feedback on the report was expected by the end of the calendar year. A Member sought clarification around the timing of the report, and whether it was possible to see it before it went to WG, whilst acknowledging the timings would probably not make this possible. The Member, referencing the WESP report presented at the Dec 2024 meeting, sought clarification around Caerphilly CBC attending a steering group meeting. The Temporary Head of School Organisation & WESP acknowledged the difficulty with the timeline, explaining the work undertaken with partners happened right up until the point of submission. In view of this, it was not possible to share with the committee prior to submission to Welsh Government. The WESP Officer provided further clarity around the interaction with Caerphilly BCBC, acknowledging there were opportunities to work collaboratively with them following their contribution in a WESP steering group meeting during 24/25. A Member, referring to page 219 of the report, was concerned about the numbers remaining in a Welsh medium sixth form setting and felt more attention was needed in the coming year on how to increase the numbers. A Member, referring to page 224 of the report, added that they would like to see the percentages of the pupils going to college rather than sixth form, the data for those pupils staying in the sixth form classes compared to those going to college and the data between those who are going to sixth form compared to those who are going to Coleg y Cymoedd. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services provided a comprehensive response acknowledging it was something they were acutely aware of, in terms of transition rates, as this was the one phase that stood out as being out of kilter with the other more favourable transition rates. It was a strong focus of discussion with leaders at secondary level, who were creative in trying to find solutions to tackle the challenge, and something high on the agenda in steering group and subgroup meetings, but acknowledged it needed a strong focus moving forward. In terms of retention rates, the Head of Transformation Admissions & Governance explained that post 16 transition rates were higher in the Welsh medium sector, with the English medium sector normally around the high 30% and the Welsh medium sector touching 50% in some schools, however she would bring verified data back to Committee at a future date. A Member raised the concern around the lack of level playing field between schools and further education colleges and felt something needed to be done to correct this, possibly at a WG level. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT acknowledged that a little bit more is needed to be done around post-16 transition and provided a comprehensive overview of the current work of the 14 to 19 Officer. The Member, referring to the PLASC returns for Welsh medium schools, noted many were under-subscribed and asked if the council was doing enough to advertise the benefits of a bilingual education to parents. Additionally, Members referenced the video campaign and sought clarification on the numbers that had used them, numbers of people who had reacted to them, and what was the outcome of this campaign. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services provided clarity around the surplus places in Welsh medium schools, acknowledging that the data probably seemed artificially high because of the need to ensure there was enough capacity to grow numbers in the future, whilst explaining that surplus numbers were not dealt with in the same way as the English medium sector. In respect of the video campaign, it was difficult to find a direct correlation between one strategy and the data as there are multiple strategies currently being deployed to encourage growth. The Member’s point in terms of gathering data on the number of video views was acknowledged and would be explored further with the media team. In terms of marketing, there is good practice in the system, and where this exists, this is shared with other headteachers who are experiencing some challenges. The WESP Officer provided further context in relation to the social media campaign in Welsh medium schools advising that this was the target for herself and the Welsh Language Immersion Lead, for this year and agreed and it was about maximising the marketing methods. In terms of surplus spaces, in Welsh medium schools, the Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation provided further information in relation to quality early years settings and the growth, acknowledging these were filling the surplus capacity coming through. Members suggested that the video campaign could be run in doctors’ surgeries, when there was a clinic on for babies or hospital outpatient waiting rooms, libraries or community centres. A Member also asked if enough support was given to Ti a Fi (baby and toddler) groups. The WESP officer explained they did work closely with Mudiad Meithrin, who attended the WESP subgroups, and they were looking at utilising funding, to look at possibly part-funding the role of the Ti a Fi officer, with the aim of then increasing the provision offered in RCT, recognising it was one of the key stages to get buy-in from parents. The Officer acknowledged that the doctors’ surgeries suggestion was an excellent idea, and noted it was something that had been raised as part of a possible marketing strategy and was something that could potentially be progressed in future. A Member acknowledged that when a student gets to 16, they would make their own choices with the biggest influence being social media which she felt needed to be led safely, by students themselves. The Member sought reassurance on the relationship with Coleg y Cymoedd, and whether there were opportunities for partnership working in terms of social media. The Director of Education Inclusion advised there was a strong relationship with Coleg y Cymoedd, who are often really receptive when looking at strategic developments but acknowledged that the Welsh medium offer in college was challenging due to recruitment issues in this sector. The college also offered great educational experiences for young people, as schools were best placed to try and influence learners’ decisions about preferred pathways, she wasn’t sure what more could be done to influence decision making at post 16. A Member referring to page 203, of the report, in respect of the PLASC data, noted that the current figure had only moved from 19.61% to 21.58% over two years, and asked whether labelling most outcomes in the self-assessment, as green, risked complacency and whether the 10% target was too steep. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services, provided a comprehensive response, explaining that the target range set by WG was 8% to 12%, so the Council had aimed for 10%, which was a hugely ambitious target, but felt the Council was on its way with the foundations being laid. She felt they were not being complacent, acknowledging at subcommittees or strategic group meetings, they were challenging with themselves, asking what more could be done, whilst recognising it was a partnership approach. The Director acknowledged that between all the outcomes, it was positive overall, but outcome 7 was a real challenge, not only for RCT, but nationally in Wales. A Member put on record their thanks for the work done with regards to the Project at Penderyn Community Centre and Cylch Meithrin Penderyn, particularly with the support the Clych gives to Welsh medium and ALN students in the Cynon Valley. A Member felt there were sometimes missed opportunities to provide Welsh language work experiences, to encourage pupils to stay on and do their A-levels through the medium of Welsh, therefore recognising jobs they could go into to use their Welsh. The Member suggested it would be useful if the Inspire Schools Project could include more Welsh speakers. The Member sought clarification about meeting the challenges of staff numbers in Welsh speaking schools, acknowledging the shortage in staff. A Member added what could be done to motivate staff and senior leaders to take part in developmental opportunities, to upskill themselves, acknowledging that many points in the report indicated many teachers within RCT hadn’t taken this opportunity e.g. national programme for senior leaders, Welsh sabbatical scheme and courses offered by Cardiff Metropolitan University. The Member added whether it was felt if intervention from the WG was needed, to motivate prospective leaders to participate. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services provided a comprehensive response and acknowledged it was a massive challenge across Wales and felt that perhaps more debate and discussion about that aspect was needed in the steering groups. She acknowledged that whilst the WG had a workforce plan, if young people were not pursuing teacher training in universities, targets aren't being fulfilled. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT provided clarity around the senior leadership courses, noting there were two Welsh medium candidates who were currently accessing the NPQH. The Officer explained she would gather any further information in terms of the sabbatical plan and Cardiff Metropolitan University courses. The Director of Education and Inclusion felt that the Welsh medium work experience was a good point and would include a focus in future action plans. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT provided context around the work of the 14 to 19 Officer, in terms of work experience which was predominantly targeted at year 10 pupils, particularly in the Welsh medium schools. They were developing a bank of organisations where bilingual and Welsh medium was offered, in terms of work experience although acknowledged it was probably not enough at this point. She acknowledged the Gatsby benchmark in terms of career development. Careers Wales was currently working with one Welsh medium school to develop the quality mark for careers. In terms of the Inspire Schools Project, it was acknowledged it worked well in Cwm Rhondda, and this needed to roll out into the other three Welsh medium schools. A Member, referencing the Caerphilly Steering Group, wondered if there were any learning/initiatives from other local authorities, which could be brought in. The Member asked if the Leisure for Life app had been considered, in respect of the videos. The Member asked if any further development had taken place since last summer on autism resources in the medium of Welsh. The Member sought clarification in the report, around a school not engaging with the Siarter Iaith initiative. The Member sought clarification, in relation to page 242, with regards to the needs and requirements of children of overseas university students, noting the report suggested issues with the availability within English medium schools, with their only options being Welsh medium. The Member concluded by noting the report did not mention the national Eisteddfod and the implications and the development from that, that might have assisted with the WESP and sought clarification. A Member sought clarification, in respect of the timetable, in terms of the visit to Wrexham, and the sharing of good practice. The Member, in relation to page 242, noted there was a focus to ensure children of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, had access to opportunities in Welsh, but felt the Council should be targeting more widely and should be pushing into wider areas and a wider audience. In relation to collaboration with other local authorities, the WESP Officer, provided a comprehensive response, including the benefits of the Ti & Fi Officer, sharing of the cylch meithrin transition plan, which focused mainly on outcome one, with discussion also taking place around outcome seven, developing the workforce, acknowledging this issue was across the board, and a national strategic approach was needed. She also touched on the work being done with Welsh medium schools to focus on promoting teaching as a profession in the local universities. The Officer took an action in relation to the Leisure for Life app. The Officer provided clarification in respect of the school yet to engage with the Siarter Iaith initiative, noting it was a key focus, whilst recognising the authority was generally doing well. In relation to overseas students, and the ethnic minority section of the report, the Officer providing clarity with regards to the specific example relating to the English medium option, and noted, with regards to this section, this was the first time the WG had asked the Council to report specifically on work being done and it was recognised there was a lot more work to identify where communities were, and engaging with them. In relation to the National Eisteddfod, the Officer agreed that the timeline caused a little confusion but explained the responsibility for legacy activity sat within the Welsh language service, although they had supported in distributing information and promoting the range of activities they've been holding, but not so much in an education capacity. In addition, this was not something WG asked to report on. The Officer advised that that the Welsh Language Immersion Lead had needed to rearrange the visit to Wrexham, but had visited the Cardiff Immersion Unit multiple times and had been working very closely with them, whilst recognising the geographic constraints in RCT. Where there was demand, they were supported by Cardiff, but recognised it was a pressure point that needed addressing. In relation to autism resources in the medium of Welsh, the Head of Learner Support Service provided details of the work carried out by the full-time teacher who works through the medium with Welsh schools, acknowledging the steady increase in requests. With regards to the autism resources, there were no specific autism resources, but there was a good relationship with Autism Wales, and they were providing a lot of training across all schools. A Member felt that felt that it was important, when talking about transition from primary to secondary, with school transport changes that the difference may come at the end of year five and didn’t want to lose figures about how things are being affected by only looking at year six. A Member questioned, in relation to Outcome 7, whether the Committee should write to the WG. A Member suggested that it might be worth writing to the Children, Young People and Education Committee in the Senedd, rather than the WG, and request any scrutiny on the workforce plan to date. The Chair was supportive of a letter via Cabinet, if there was approval, but would come back to this at the end of the meeting. A Member referring to the changes within the Central South Consortium, asked how that might affect support for the Welsh Language going forward. In respect of the point about the national concern in terms of the workforce, the Director of Education and Inclusion Services provide a comprehensive response, and reassured Members this was discussed at an all-Wales level with Directors of Education and routinely discussed with WG in these meetings. It was noted this was a high priority from a WG perspective and there was a Welsh Government Workforce Plan already in existence, and this was something that was evaluated closely by WG, from a political perspective as well. The Director provided further information in respect of CSC, acknowledging there was still a regional professional learning and curriculum support offer, although acknowledged it was reduced, with much more emphasis on school-to-school support across the education system. A Member, referring to page 22, in relation to Outcome 1, asked for more clarity where it said the ‘Local Authority would continue to work closely with Cymraeg i Blant. The Member, referring to page 223, in relation to changes in home to school transport, felt there had been an impact in terms of some parents not choosing Welsh Education, and whilst acknowledging the negative impact in Bridgend CBC (as indicated on page 259), sought reassurance from officers that they would continue to monitor these changes and impact. The Member referring to page 225, Outcome 5, Youth work and the YEPS service, asked for clarity on recruitment and the upskilling of youth workers who can speak Welsh. The Member asked what the Council was doing specifically to support people in respect of professional development through the medium of Welsh. The Member sought clarification on attendance in the forums and sub-groups. The Member, referring to page 238, the delivery of a new English medium school, with new Welsh medium nursery in Glyncoch, asked for clarity on the rationale. The Member, referring to page 263, was pleased to see the large increase in learners that were studying at level B2 in Coleg y Cymoedd, but was disappointed no-one was taking on level C1 once again, and asked why this was happening. The Member, referring to page 266, noted that no RCT Secondary Schools had attended the E-sgol conference in July 2025 and asked why it was felt this was. The Member noted that only two pupils were taking A-level Welsh and felt that despite the investment and interventions to make sure that this didn't happen, it continued to happen and the numbers of pupils taking A-level Welsh were decreasing. The Member felt there was a lack of detail regarding professional learning and sharing good practice and felt it was important to work with other local authorities to share good practice to ensure we target a wider audience. The Member sought clarification on how the Council would promote opportunities available to learners with ALN, to access Welsh medium education in RCT. The Member asked for the data on how many interviews were guaranteed over the course of this WESP report, in relation to the guaranteed interview scheme. The Member, in respect of Outcome 2, noted Ysgol Cwm Rhondda hadn’t been noted in this outcome, although two other schools had, and wanted to know why. The Member noted that the 21st century schools team had presented to the governing body Cwm Rhondda recently and wanted to make sure that that was noted in the report. The WESP Officer provided clarity in relation to Cymraeg i Blant, acknowledging it was an area of risk mainly due to the decrease in the number of settings that offer that provision in RCT. In the first instance the aim was to meet with Mudiad Meithrin to discuss the options, as well as looking at ways to possibly support Cymraeg i Blant to increase the provision, through a financial incentive. In relation to Home to School Transport the Director of Education and Inclusion Services provided a comprehensive response including clarity in relation to the transition rates (taking on board the point made about year 5, year 6, transition), further information around those schools where pupils hadn’t transitioned, noting that for 9 out of 13, this was parental choice. She provided further information on the remaining 4, so explained, based on that data, there was no evidence to suggest there had been an adverse impact. It was acknowledged that the data in the report was the PLASC data collated in January, but once the verified PLASC data was received in January, there would be more comparable data to be reported in the next annual report. The Director provided further clarity in relation to the changes to the Home to School Transport Policy affecting Ysgol Llanhari, acknowledging this was a policy decision by Bridgend CBC, and out of their control. The Head of Attendance and Wellbeing explained in relation to Youth work and YEPS, there had been a conversation around Menter Iaith and the URDD, which was linked to the point in terms of indicative funding and the issues with short term contracts. So, it was about approaching WG to look at longer term funding opportunities and to try to prevent the youth support grant being issued to partners and having the difficulty of that recruitment for short term positions. The Head of Learner Support Service provided clarity in respect of professional development through the medium of Welsh and specialist recruitment. In relation to the attendance in the forums and sub-groups, the WESP officer provided further context and advised that there were generally good levels of attendance and partnership working across the board. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services provided clarity in relation to the rationale behind Glyncoch with the Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation providing further details about the strong nursery intake, which she acknowledged they were thrilled with. At this stage, the Chair, being mindful of time, agreed that she would follow up with Officers regarding her remaining questions, via email. A Member asked if there was currently demand for Welsh medium nursery within the Pontypridd area, and if so, how was that being addressed. The Member also asked about the demand across RCT, in terms of collecting statistics or knowing what the trends were. The Member asked for further clarification in relation to the nature of the funding, suggesting that the current funding model could preclude smaller groups from existing. With regard to Pontypridd, the Senior 21st Century Schools Project Manager provided clarity around the Clych Meithrin in YGG Evan James, and the work with Mudiad Meithrin, acknowledging the challenge in the area, whilst exploring further options to be able to provide a Flying Start programme. The Officer acknowledged that in respect of the Flying Start it was a challenge to find suitable Level 5 qualified childcare staff, however WG recognised this, and colleagues were able to approve settings to deliver the Flying Start programme if their leader was working towards that Level 5 qualification. The Officer provided a comprehensive response in respect of Flying Start funding, venue requirements and the work being done through the early years’ childcare capital programme and information regarding the small capital grant programme. The Chair concluded by thanking Officers and Members for the questions and officers for the detailed answers. The Chair noted that the committee had discussed writing to Welsh government, particularly in relation to Outcome 7, but felt it would be prudent to wait for the WG response to the WESP submission first. The Chair put on record that the Committee would be formally requesting an information report back to committee once the WG response had been received. It was RESOLVED to: 1. Note the progress made since the previous update was reported to Members. 2. Consider the actions and updates contained within the appended Annual Review Report for 2024/25, noting that Welsh Government feedback is expected by the end of the calendar year.
The Chair thanked Members and Officers (including those present earlier for the Play Sufficiency item), for attending and advised Members that the next meeting of the Committee would take place on Monday 10th November.
None.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
Caiff datganiadau eu darllen o'r cofnodion unwaith y byddan nhw wedi'u cyhoeddi.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.