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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Resolved that: Members will identify items to fill the gaps in their Workshop scheduled for 22nd September 2025.
Apologies for absence were received from Jeff Beard.
No declarations of interest were made.
Minutes of the meeting held on 30th June 2025 were approved as accurate.
The Chair informed the committee that there are two outstanding actions: • Schools Budget Report - ALN information to be circulated. • Risk workshop – information to be shared with the committee before the Workshop.
Cllr Gareth Lewis led the committee through the report. In response to questions from committee members, officers confirmed: • The reason there has been no engagement with the child in 6.2% of cases is because parents are not obligated to, if they provide evidence by another means. • The enforcement action is set out clearly in legislation through School Attendance Orders. There have been around 11 School Attendance Orders issued to date. • The appropriateness of the education and ensuring standards are being met by the parents are measured by educational professionals. • We have had occasion to act with regard to Safeguarding and in those cases, we accelerate involvement in excess of guidance requirements. • We work very closely with Secondary schools to pick up any early warnings that a parent is going to de-register a child from school so that we can be involved as soon as possible. • There is no formal tracking of exam outcomes for EHE pupils, as there is no requirement for pupils to follow the curriculum. • The process for supporting EHE pupils with Additional Learning Needs is the same and pupils continue to receive support via reviews and multi-agency collaboration. • In relation to numbers of pupils on the EHE Register there are pinch points in September and then again in May. • The Headteacher is the main contact, and they share information with the Chair of Governors. Members commented that this is a very challenging area to support, especially if parents do not want to engage with the local authority. It was agreed that the Chair and Cabinet Member would write jointly to Welsh Government/WLGA to advocate for increased funding for local authorities due to the significant increase in pupils who are now on the EHE Register.
Decision as recorded
Resolved that: Members will identify items to fill the gaps in their Workshop scheduled for 22nd September 2025.
The Chair referred to the latest version of the Forward Work Programme 2025/2026 (FWP) and advised that there are still gaps in the FWP for November, January, March, and April to allow emerging issues. Resolved that: Members will identify items to fill the gaps in their Workshop scheduled for 22nd September 2025.
No referrals have been received.
The Chair reminded the committee that the Workshop on the 22 September 2025 will be face-to face in Committee Room 3 and that the MAT (More able & Talented) Task and Finish Group would be considered in the Workshop.
The Chair advised that there was no other business deemed urgent.
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