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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
The Chair Welcomed everyone to the meeting and reminded members that the workshop will follow immediately from the scrutiny committee meeting.
There were none.
The minutes of the meeting on 09.01.26 were approved as accurate.
No Cabinet Forward Work Programme items have been selected.
Members considered items from the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme.
Sam Jones, Lead Manager in the Child and Family Support Team, introduced the report and advised Members that there had been a slight decrease in attendance at the end of February. This followed five years of improvement and was attributed to a particularly severe winter season, with significant pupil and staff illness and some hospitalisations an issue reflected across Wales. Officers noted positively that three primary schools have now returned to pre‑pandemic attendance levels. The Chair remarked that attendance is closely monitored by both the authority and Members and assumed the decline was consistent with the national picture, which Welsh Government would consider. Officers confirmed that local Health Boards are reporting similar patterns. The Chair also commented, from a parental perspective, on the challenge of balancing school attendance with preventing the spread of illness and thanked officers for their continued work. Members asked about the significantly lower attendance at Ysgol Hendrefelin. Officers explained that the school supports pupils with highly complex needs, some of whom attend part‑time placements, which affects attendance data. The small pupil numbers also means that absence by a single pupil has a notable impact on overall percentages. Officers emphasised that maintaining pupils’ safety and supporting their presence in school remains the priority. The Chair thanked officers for their hard work. Following scrutiny members noted the report.
Sam Jones, Lead Manager in the Child and Family Support Team, introduced the report and highlighted that the number of pupils receiving fixed‑term exclusions had reduced up to the end of February. However, overall exclusion levels remain high. Officers noted that while exclusions for boys have fallen, exclusions for girls have continued to rise, with girls now representing 40% of fixed‑term exclusions. Persistent disruptive behaviour remains the most common reason, followed by verbal or threatening behaviour towards an adult. Members asked why it was specifically girls rather than boys being excluded? officers explained that there is no single identifiable reason for the increase amongst girls. Historically, girls accounted for far fewer exclusions than boys, but that balance has shifted. Officers are undertaking work to understand the underlying causes and are supporting pupils at risk of exclusion. They also reported a general increase in poor behaviour across Wales, echoing national trends discussed at last year's Welsh Government behaviour summit. Chris Millis Head of Education development noted that some girls may mask additional learning needs until puberty, after which needs become more apparent, leading to behaviours that affect their ability to access the curriculum. Work continues with ALN and inclusion teams to address this. Members were advised that Girls behavioural issues haven’t overtaken boys, they have simply increased as boys have decreased. Members asked about the influence of mobile phones and social media apps in an increase in bullying. Officers stated that social media can contribute to persistent disruptive behaviour, as conflicts often continue from home into school, but it is not the sole cause. The Chair sought assurance that exclusion continues to be used only as a last resort, balanced with the need to protect the education of other pupils. Chris Millis felt that every child should have the opportunity to learn and if that means that they are removed from class for a period of time not necessarily a fixed exclusion to go home because they are safer in schools than maybe at home then internal support, pastoral interventions, family engagement, youth services and inclusion teams, is prioritised before exclusion. However, it was acknowledged the need to protect the learning environment for the wider cohort and the increasing challenges posed by deteriorating behaviour. Officers noted the importance of investing in de‑escalation training and maintaining high‑quality teaching to support high quality learning environments. Following scrutiny, Members noted the report.
Mike Daley, Education Support Officer, introduced the report outlining the work undertaken in Neath Port Talbot using Welsh Government funding for the Community Focused Schools approach. The report captured the innovative ways this approach is being implemented locally to support families and communities. Members asked how schools are supported with staffing for this work as it is challenging for schools. Chris Millis, Head of Education Development, explained that support is a combination of school‑employed staff (e.g., Family Engagement Officers) and local authority officers. The key point is that frontline staff, regardless of employer, work directly with parents, while local authority teams provide additional support outside school hours through family programmes, youth services and inclusion work. He acknowledged tight school budgets and highlighted the Council’s push to strengthen family engagement. He also clarified the distinction between general “community focused” work small and the title of the Welsh Government approach of Community Focused. Geraint Jones, Educational Support Officer (Equity), added that Welsh Government provides significant funding with flexibility in delivery models either via school budgets or grant‑funded roles. Given the complexity of community challenges, a major focus has been on creating learning community managers who link with family engagement officers and coordinate wider community partners. This aims to reduce pressure on schools and strengthen local support networks. Neath Port Talbot has been recognised nationally for its innovative practice in this area. Officers gave an example from Eastern Primary School, who have been supported by the Council and received grant funding. The Primary school has been used as a hub. The hub is based around people and community and using and identifying community assets such as people. They highlighted an event attended by 32 community partners from the area demonstrating extensive partnership working and positive impact on both school life and the wider community safety. Officers noted that Neath Port Talbot is considered one of the leading authorities in Wales being innovative with the use of this money and seeing a high level of impact as a result as identified by National evaluations. Members thanked officers for the explanation and noted the pressures also faced by the third sector, acknowledging the importance of cross‑working. They asked whether the Council works across departments for example, with Local Area Coordinators to support this work. Officers confirmed that work is being developed and is the vision. Communities have both significant challenges and significant assets; careful coordination and alignment is essential to avoid duplication or gaps created. Prior to having family engagement officers learning community managers head teachers had to coordinate this complex landscape alone, which was incredibly challenging. The vision in NPT is identifying people and align support, ease pressure on schools, and streamline signposting for families. Officers noted that this is a large and ongoing piece of work, but progress is already being seen. The Chair welcomed the report and highlighted the many positive developments but expressed concern that the work is supported by grant funding. The Chair asked how long the funding is expected to continue and where the Council currently stands in terms of financial certainty. Officers advised that only Welsh Government can confirm long‑term funding intentions. They noted that this grant sits alongside other schemes such as the Pupil Development Grant (PDG), is unlikely to change given ongoing challenges around poverty in Wales, officers felt the need for such support is unlikely to diminish soon, though future funding will ultimately depend on national political decisions. In the meantime, officers are maximising the value of the grant. Members asked about the monetary value of the grant. Officers confirmed it is £300,000 but emphasised that this work also ties in with the Schools Pupil Development Grant, which is in excess of £1 million. When combined with other funding streams such as Local government education grant (which officers monitor), schools in Neath Port Talbot receive over £9 million in total including Foundation phase, and professional learning. Officers explained that try to use these grants in a blended way so that work is not overly reliant on any single funding source to protect against cuts, however, if the grants were significantly reduced or withdrawn, much of the work would inevitably stop. The Chair acknowledged this challenge, noting the difficulty of building successful models that benefit communities when they are dependent on grant funding that may not be permanent. The Chair thanked officers for their work and reiterated that the report demonstrates highly positive progress. Following scrutiny members noted the report.
No performance monitoring items were selected.
There were no urgent items. But members took the opportunity to thank officers for their work on the RLDP, including amendments affecting the Rhos Ward. Members also expressed appreciation to the Education Directorate for their cooperation, noting the excitement within Rhos Primary School regarding the potential opportunity for a new primary school to serve the area. Members recorded their thanks for all the work undertaken.
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