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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 the Committee scrutinised the information provided and concluded that no formal recommendations to improve the lifelong learning provision currently in place were required at this time.
RESOLVED That the Committee reviewed the procedures currently in place regarding scrutiny of third party education providers.
RESOLVED That the Committee considered the information provided and requested that outdoor learning opportunities continue to be extended where possible.
RESOLVED That the Committee scrutinised the information provided, and whilst concluded that they did not wish to make any formal recommendations to improve the current approach to raising school attendance at this time, did agree for the matter to be added to the forward work programme, to be monitored again later in 2023.
RESOLVED (a) The Committee acknowledged the significant safety and accessibility concerns raised regarding the secondary school building and vowed to support, where appropriate, plans for remedial works to be undertaken, in line with the Authority’s capital programme. (b) For the Director to support, where possible, recruitment to the school as a whole, but specifically in relation to sixth form provision. (c) To further explore whether the North of the County would benefit from an Additional Learning Needs centre.
RESOLVED That the Committee accepted the proposed forward work programme for 2023-24, with the removal of ‘Manorbier Primary School Updates’ until such time that a formal update was able to be provided.
The following declarations of interest were made in relation to educational matters: · Councillor Huw Murphy declared a personal interest in Agenda Item No. 11 – Schools Scrutiny Panel Report (Ysgol Bro Preseli), by virtue of being a Governor at Ysgol Bro Preseli. · Councillor Alistair Cameron declared a personal interest in Agenda Item No. 7 – Adult and Community Learning and Youth Service Provision, by virtue of being enrolled onto a Community ‘Learn Welsh’ course. · Councillor Maureen Bowen declared a personal interest in Agenda Item No. 9 – Curriculum Update inc. Learning within the Outdoor Provision Audit, by virtue of her Partner being employed as a teacher at Ysgol Harri Tudur.
Councillor Mike Stoddart requested that a point he made during the meeting be included within Minutes 35 - Manorbier School Update, as follows; · Councillor Mike Stoddart queried whether the Authority had explored the possibility of the contractors insurance covering the cost of the repairs to the school, to which the Cabinet Member advised that legal negotiations were ongoing but he was not able to expand any further at this stage. Moved by Councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall; Seconded by Councillor Marc Tierney The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2023 be approved as a correct record, in both English and Welsh, subject to the above amendment.
In welcoming everyone to the meeting, the Chair informed the Committee that a public submission had been received, and due to it being in relation to Agenda Item No. 11 - Schools Scrutiny Panel Report (Ysgol Bro Preseli), Agenda Item No. 5 - Public Submissions/Correspondence would be taken later in the agenda following Agenda Item No. 10.
Following the Committees request to receive regular progress updates in relation to Manorbier Primary School, the following verbal operational update was provided: The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Education and Welsh Language advised that on 13 March 2023 he provided Cabinet with a formal update on the actions taken following the fire that took place at Manorbier Church in Wales VC school in October 2022. Following the update provided to Cabinet, they approved a direct award tender for the reinstatement of the school and noted the intention for the school to continue to operate from Jameson Community Hall during the period of the reinstatement, which was likely to include most, if not all, of the 2023-24 academic year. The Director for Education provided details of the building maintenance progress made since the March Cabinet meeting which included; · A notice of default being sent to the contractor along with a notice to terminate. · Removal of the main contractors plants and temporary works. · Installation of panel fencing around the site. · A cost and evaluation analysis which was currently being considered by officers. · Insured and uninsured losses final report completed and a meeting diarised with the Council's insurers for the 20 April 2023. · ‘Making safe works’ including structural scaffolding design and associated pre-construction and information and risk register. · A meeting diarised for week beginning 17 April 2023 for the professional construction team and a site meeting with a demolition company. The Committee noted the updates provided and raised the following questions: · Councillor Alistair Cameron requested further information as to why a notice had been sent to the roofing contractors to terminate their contract with the Authority, to which the Director advised that it was due to them being the contractors employed at the time of the fire. · In response to a question from Councillor Mike Stoddart regarding any progress made with the contractors insurance, the Director reiterated that the next meeting would be taking place on 20 April 2023. The Cabinet Member confirmed that to ensure progress was made, Cabinet had agreed to proceed with the reinstatement work to the school, with the insurance excess being covered by an Authority fund in place for insurance premium excesses whilst the legal negotiations were ongoing in the background and confirmed that it was still hoped that the Authority would be subject to minimal, if any, financial liability regarding the matter once settlements had been agreed. · Councillor Mike Stoddart queried if the contractor was being held responsible for whole cost of the required repairs or just the £200k excess linked to the Authority’s insurance agreement and whether they had the required insurance in place. The Cabinet Member confirmed that the claim made to the contractors would be for the whole cost of the damage and associated costs and advised that the contractors insurance policy would have been checked during the initial tender process. · Councillor Mike Stoddart stated that he was of the view that the Committee had the right to inspect correspondence between the Council and insurers, and requested a timeframe as to when that could be conducted. The Director advised that he did not have a timeframe at present but would report back when possible. In summing up the Committee noted the operational update in relation to Manorbier Primary School.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Committee scrutinised the information provided and concluded that no formal recommendations to improve the lifelong learning provision currently in place were required at this time.
The Committee considered a report by the Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education on the provisions in place for lifelong learning. The Chair welcomed the Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education to the meeting, who outlined the key points of the report and welcomed questions from Members. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Councillor Viv Stoddart queried why centres within Milford Haven had not been mentioned as locations for hosting classes, as she was aware that locations within the town assisted with such provision, to which the Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education advised that there was a range of satellite locations which were used in addition to those outlined within the Committee report, a number of those within the Milford Haven area, and advised that locations were chosen based on demand for the provision. · In response to concerns raised by Councillor Marc Tierney in relation to reducing numbers enrolling onto ‘Welsh for Adults’ courses, the Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education agreed that it was concerning and provided details of how people were allocated to classes. He added that promotion of the provision had been undertaken and would continue as additional funding had been received from Welsh Government. · Councillor Marc Tierney requested further information regarding the Springboard programme, to which the Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education advised that it was mainly grant funded and engaged with nine schools at any one time, with the school selection being targeted towards those with an increased number of disadvantaged learners. · Following a question from Councillor Marc Tierney regarding the level of support in place for Ukrainian English second language learners within schools, the Head of Engagement, Performance & Communities advised that there was currently over 100 school age learners from Ukraine who were enrolled into Pembrokeshire schools and were supported by two centrally employed members of staff, both of whom were Ukrainian nationals with a background in education, who worked with the learners to accelerate their acquisition of English. It was added that schools with Ukrainian learners had received one off payments of funding to assist with providing additional support, with support also being provided to all Ukrainian families via their assigned lead worker. · The Chair queried if the Authority were anticipating any further increase of Ukrainian families arriving to the County, to which the Head of Engagement, Performance & Communities advised that arrival rates were currently low, but future predictions were unclear. · The Chair sought clarification as to whether adult community learning provision budgets would be affected due to the current pressures, to which the Director advised that minimal affect would be seen due to them being mainly funded via grants and the Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education added that any budget pressures would be linked to the running of buildings. Moved by Councillor Pat Davies; Seconded by Councillor Marc Tierney The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Committee scrutinised the information provided and concluded that no formal recommendations to improve the lifelong learning provision currently in place were required at this time.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Committee reviewed the procedures currently in place regarding scrutiny of third party education providers.
The Committee considered a report by the Director of Education regarding Scrutiny of External Education Providers. The Chair welcomed the 14-19 Adviser to the meeting, who outlined the key points of the report and welcomed questions from Members. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Mr Tom Moses, Parent Governor Representative, expressed that it had become clear to him that learners requiring additional support were often removed from the mainstream school environment and queried what level of scrutiny was being undertaken in relation to the outcomes learners achieved thought support of external provisions. The 14-19 Adviser outlined the regulations which schools have to abide by when commissioning services and advised that scrutiny of such services was conducted at school level and by Authority improvement advisors and Governing Bodies, but not by external sources. The Director added that any alternative provision a learner is enrolled into, for over 15 hours per week, is regulated by Estyn. · Following a question raised by Mr Tom Moses, Parent Governor Representative, the Head of Engagement, Performance & Communities advised that Estyn do monitor alternative provision from a strategic point of view and often scrutinise the data and ask questions of the Local Authority regarding provision commissioned by schools. Mr Moses raised concerns regarding the lack of external scrutiny of alternative provision providers and queried if anything could be done to make the monitoring more water tight. In response, the Director provided assurance that most of the courses commissioned for alternative curriculum pathways were externally validated courses, which learners gain qualifications for on completion, therefore the risk factors are relatively low. · Councillor Pat Davies commented that is was reassuring to learn of the scrutiny undertaken to ensure the highest level of safeguarding was provided to all learners attending alternative provision. The 14-19 Adviser agreed that the monitoring template was robust and was revised when necessary in consultation with the safeguarding team. The Director added that in line with the work undertaken by the Wales Audit Office in 2019 in relation to contract monitoring and procurement processes, it was a matter kept under review by the whole Authority safeguarding group. Moved by Councillor Anji Tinley; Seconded by Councillor Alistair Cameron The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Committee reviewed the procedures currently in place regarding scrutiny of third party education providers.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Committee considered the information provided and requested that outdoor learning opportunities continue to be extended where possible.
The Committee considered a report by the Lead of Early Years, Childcare & Play regarding a curriculum update which included information relating to the Learning within the Outdoor Provision Audit. The Chair welcomed the Lead of Early Years, Childcare & Play to the meeting, who outlined the key points of the report and welcomed questions from Members. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Mr Tom Moses, Parent Governor Representative, highlighted that although the figures provided show an increase of schools being involved in outdoor learning which was reassuring, only a third of primary schools were currently involved and commented that due to the range of benefits it brings with it, as outlined within the report, priority should be made to ensure the opportunities are extended to all schools, for all key stages. Further information was requested regarding the trips undertaken to the National Park by secondary schools, to which the Lead of Early Years, Childcare & Play advised that she did not have that information to hand but could provide it following the meeting. · Councillor Viv Stoddart declared a personal interest by virtue of being an Authority appointed representative at the Darwin Centre before requesting further information regarding the involvement the Authority have with the centre. The Lead of Early Years, Childcare & Play confirmed that the Authority do work with centre, and stated that both primary and secondary school procure services from it. · In response to a question raised by Councillor Marc Tierney querying how all children, despite their financial situation, are able to access outdoor learning opportunities, the Lead of Early Years, Childcare & Play advised that grants were available particularly for early years learners, along with access to any required outdoor wear. The Director provided information regarding school charging policies along with the range of alternative ways funds can be obtained for those who are unable to self-fund, of which all information could be found within individual school prospectuses. The Chief Officer for Youth & Community Education briefly outlined the arrangements in place to support outdoor provision, such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award within secondary schools, and how such opportunities can be taken up by all learners, regardless of their financial positions. · In response to concerns raised by Councillor Maureen Bowen regarding a lack of outdoor space at Ysgol Harri Tudur, the Director advised that the school was built to school building bulletin 99 standards and was deemed to have sufficient outdoor provision, although advised that he was happy to raise the matter with the school to gain a further understanding on the areas available to learners during break times. · Mr Tom Moses, Parent Governor Representative, requested information as to what the Authority were doing to expand the outdoor learning provision, to which the Director agreed that more could always be done, and advised that the current focus was on pulling together work relating to the new curriculum to provide coherence for Pembrokeshire schools, of which outdoor work was being promoted and to continue the ongoing links with a range of providers, in the form of Pembrokeshire Outdoor Learning, who support such opportunities. In summing up the Committee agreed that the benefits learners gain from outdoor learning, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, were imperative and that such opportunities continue to be extended where possible. Moved by Councillor Marc Tierney; Seconded by Councillor Alistair Cameron The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Committee considered the information provided and requested that outdoor learning opportunities continue to be extended where possible.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Committee scrutinised the information provided, and whilst concluded that they did not wish to make any formal recommendations to improve the current approach to raising school attendance at this time, did agree for the matter to be added to the forward work programme, to be monitored again later in 2023.
The Committee considered a report by the Head of Engagement and Communities regarding school attendance data. The Chair welcomed the Head of Engagement and Communities to the meeting, who outlined the key points of the report and welcomed questions from Members. The Committee debated the contents of the report and the key points were highlighted as follows: · In response to a question raised by Councillor Alistair Cameron regarding the security of the funding from Welsh Government to ensure that the family engagement officers employed could be provided adequate time to work on improving attendance, the Head of Engagement and Communities advised that he was fairly confident the funding would be available for at least two years. · Councillor Viv Stoddart queried if schools finishing earlier on asymmetric Fridays had unintentionally affected attendance in a negative way, particularly on those days. The Head of Engagement and Communities concurred that it was an interesting point but advised that although anecdotally it was a concern, no data was currently available to prove or disprove the point and that the matter was one which needed to be considered by individual Governing Bodies. It was noted that such data was hoped to be available in the near future and should be considered in conjunction with the pros and cons the arrangements have for teaching staff. · Councillor Marc Tierney commented that the collection of data regarding school absences would be invaluable and would assist with ensuring that appropriate interventions are put in place to improve attendance levels. The Head of Engagement and Communities advised that following the implementation of a new pupil database system in 2022, specific data would shortly be available to assist with such matters. · It was queried if the threshold of school absence before intervention was adequate, or if the Authority need to alter the level at which intervention took place. The Head of Engagement and Communities advised that intervention in Pembrokeshire takes place at 85% attendance, whereas many other Welsh Local Authorities will not intervene until attendance drops to 80%, and added that eFSM pupils are sometimes subject to earlier intervention. It was stated that although earlier intervention could assist, there was currently not the capacity or budget to do so. · In response to a question from Councillor Marc Tierney regarding the level of powers schools have to improve attendance, the Head of Engagement and Communities highlighted the vital role schools play in dealing with attendance matters and stated that the most valuable approach schools can take is to ensure robust parent and pupil engagement. · In response to concerns raised by Councillor Maureen Bowen, the Head of Engagement and Communities provided assurance that the family engagement officers worked in partnership with social care colleagues and were provided with high levels of safeguarding training. Moved by Councillor Alistair Cameron; Seconded by Councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Committee scrutinised the information provided, and whilst concluded that they did not wish to make any formal recommendations to improve the current approach to raising school attendance at this time, did agree for the matter to be added to the forward work programme, to be monitored again later in 2023.
The meeting adjourned at 12:05pm for a short comfort break and reconvened at 12:20pm.
Following the Schools Scrutiny Panel visit to Ysgol Bro Preseli in January 2023, the Senior Prefects of the school exercised their right under Section 62 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, to bring to the attention of the Committee their views on any matter under consideration by the Committee. Agenda Item No. 11 - Schools Scrutiny Panel Monitoring Report (Ysgol Bro Preseli), provided an in-depth summary of the panels visit and proposed three recommendations, one of which addressed the ongoing safety and accessibility concerns of the secondary school building. Following receipt of a formal request and accompanying letter by Senior Prefects of the school requesting to attend the Committee meeting to voice their concerns relating to the state of the 1950’s building and its impact on their education in comparison to their peers attending school in purpose built 21st Century buildings, the Chair, without question, granted permission. The public submission documents can be found published as a background document to the report on the Council’s website. The Chair welcomed Senior Prefect, Fflur James, along with the Chair of Governors, Carwyn James, and the Headteacher, Rhonwen Morris, to the meeting to present the submission. Fflur eloquently read out the letter, which had been circulated to Committee Members prior to the meeting and following words of agreement regarding the content of the letter being expressed by the Chair of Governors, the Committee praised the strength shown by the Senior Prefects in articulating the concerns so clearly. In summing up the Committee expressed their sincere thanks to the Senior Prefects who has submitted the letter, in particular Fflur who attended the meeting to present it, and commented that it had been refreshing to have learners attend a scrutiny meeting to express their views and stated that the problems highlighted by the current Senior Prefects would benefit the learners that would follow in their footsteps. The Chair advised that to avoid duplication, all questions in relation to Ysgol Bro Preseli would be considered as part of the next agenda item, of which the attendees from Ysgol Bro Preseli would remain in attendance for, to assist where appropriate.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) The Committee acknowledged the significant safety and accessibility concerns raised regarding the secondary school building and vowed to support, where appropriate, plans for remedial works to be undertaken, in line with the Authority’s capital programme. (b) For the Director to support, where possible, recruitment to the school as a whole, but specifically in relation to sixth form provision. (c) To further explore whether the North of the County would benefit from an Additional Learning Needs centre.
The Committee considered a report by the Schools Scrutiny Panel on the monitoring visit they undertook to Ysgol Bro Preseli. The Chair outlined the report and recommendations and welcomed questions from Members. The three attendees from Ysgol Bro Preseli, Senior Prefect, Fflur James, Chair of Governors, Carwyn James, and Headteacher, Rhonwen Morris, remained in attendance, with permission granted by the Chair, to partake in the discussion, along with the Cabinet Member, Director, Chief Officer for School Resources and the school Challenge Advisor. The Committee considered the contents of the report and information provided as part of the previous agenda item, and the key points werehighlighted as follows: · Councillor David Howlett expressed his shock in response to the information provided as part of the Senior Prefects letter and requested an update regarding the current position of where the school sits in terms of investment as part of the 21st century schools programme. The Cabinet Member advised that changes were being made to the 21st century schools programme by Welsh Government, and it was now being referred to as the ‘sustainable communities for learning programme’ and the previous ‘bands’ had been replaced with a pipeline of projects. The current projects were outlined and it was stated that Welsh Government were now asking the Authority to indicate which projects they would like to add to the pipeline for the next nine years, of which all schools within the County needed to be given fair consideration. The Cabinet Member expressed his commitment to the school and his desire to progress Ysgol bro Preseli as part of the pipeline and advised that the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board, which he Chairs, would in due course need to consider a recommendation to Cabinet regarding the scope of initial feasibility studies being conducted, although added that to manage expectations, large scale projects can take many years to come to fruition. The Chief Officer for School Resources informed the Committee that a third of schools within the County had been identified as being in poor condition, but recognised the difficulties the condition of the building was causing at Ysgol Bro Preseli and concurred with the Cabinet Members commitment to progress matters when possible. · In response to a question raised by Councillor David Howlett, requesting clarification as to whether it was still the case that Welsh medium schools benefited from a higher level of investment percentage wise from Welsh Government, the Chief Officer for School Resources advised that was not the case. · The Chair highlighted that whilst the intention had been for learners who attended Ysgol Caer Elen to progress on to Ysgol Bro Preseli for Welsh medium post-16 education, it had become clear that the poor repair of the building had seen many learners enrol in Pembrokeshire College to receive English medium post-16 education instead, which had been disappointing to see. · In response to a question raised by Mrs Alison Kavanagh, Parent Governor Representative, it was stated that it was unclear if the Welsh Minister for Education had been made acutely aware of the Ysgol Bro Preseli matter, but assurance was given that the Welsh department and Senior Officers at Welsh Government were aware as it had been discussed on many occasions. · Mrs Alison Kavanagh, Parent Governor Representative, highlighted that pupils attending schools within the South of the County were not having to deal with falling masonry and commented that priorities were sometimes questionable. It was queried whether the Fire Service had conducted inspections of the buildings due to the concerning safety factors highlighted as part of the letter, to which it was confirmed that they attended the site regularly and also use the tower as part of training exercises. The Headteacher advised that the school were awaiting a copy of the report following the most recent inspection the service undertook at the school, although preliminary concerns had been raised regarding the evacuation of staff and pupils from the building in an emergency. It was stated that once the school were in receipt of the report, action points could be addressed. · Mr Tom Moses, Parent Governor Representative acknowledged the commendable outcomes the school achieves, despite its poor building condition, and requested the Challenge Advisors thoughts on the possibility of outcomes being further improved if the school building was upgraded. The Challenge Advisor concurred that the campus and lack of resources were difficult to deal with everyday for staff and learners, and commented that improvements being made to the building would significantly impact the experience pupils have at the school and would likely encourage new learners to attend the school, both pre and post-16. · Councillors Pat Davies and Marc Tierney raised concerns with catchment areas and the negative impact Ysgol Caer Elen could have long term on the school numbers in Crymych, due to its much newer facilities. The Chief Officer for School Resources and Governance provided detailed information regarding current catchment areas and stated that is was felt the current catchment areas were sufficient for the school although some additional changes would be considered by Cabinet in due course. · The importance of ventilation within schools was highlighted by Councillor Marc Tierney and he expressed that learners not being able to open windows in some areas of the school was a maintenance issue which should be addressed as a priority. The Cabinet Member agreed that the health and safety of staff and learners was paramount and emergency maintenance works should be undertaken if required. · Councillor David Howlett made reference to a Members seminar which was postponed earlier in the year regarding school funding, and queried if it was now timely for that to be re-arranged. The Cabinet Member nodded in agreement with the suggestion. It was noted that Co-opted Members of the Committee should also be invited to attend. · The Chair reiterated the lack of provision currently available to learners with additional needs within the North of the County and suggested that the matter be considered as part of wider school plans to ensure all pupils can be provided with education within the local area and that equal opportunities were being offered to all. The Challenge Advisor outlined the satellite arrangements currently in place with Portfield School but concurred that access to Preseli building for learners and staff with disabilities was an issue which needed to be addressed. The Senior Prefect and Chair of Governors took the opportunity to thank the Committee for considering the issues raised and highlighted that they felt passionately that equal opportunities should be provided to all learners within the County. The Challenge Advisor congratulated Fflur on her address to the Committee and highlighted that a main strength of the school was the feeling of community. It was expressed that it had been reassuring to hear that plans were in the pipeline to improve the school building conditions and thanks were expressed to both Councillors and Officers for wanting to improve the school. In summing up, the Committee expressed their congratulations to the learners, teachers, governors and wider community for the remarkable exam results and national awards achieved by the school, despite the poor state of the learning facilities. Moved by Councillor Anji Tinley; Seconded by Councillor Rhys Jordan The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED (a) The Committee acknowledged the significant safety and accessibility concerns raised regarding the secondary school building and vowed to support, where appropriate, plans for remedial works to be undertaken, in line with the Authority’s capital programme. (b) For the Director to support, where possible, recruitment to the school as a whole, but specifically in relation to sixth form provision. (c) To further explore whether the North of the County would benefit from an Additional Learning Needs centre.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Committee accepted the proposed forward work programme for 2023-24, with the removal of ‘Manorbier Primary School Updates’ until such time that a formal update was able to be provided.
The Chair outlined the items scheduled as part of the work programme and requested Members views. Members agreed that the proposed items were timely, with a suggestion being made to remove ‘Manorbier Primary School Updates’ until such time that a formal update was able to be provided. Moved by Councillor Rhys Jordan; Seconded by Councillor Anji Tinley The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Committee accepted the proposed forward work programme for 2023-24, with the removal of ‘Manorbier Primary School Updates’ until such time that a formal update was able to be provided.
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