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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 11th September and 14th October 2024, as an accurate reflection of the meeting.
RESOLVED to: 1. Note the progress made since the previous update was reported to Members. 2. Consider the actions contained within the appended Annual Work Plan and the subsequent feedback received on this from Welsh Government. (Please note, that Welsh Government feedback had not been received at the time of writing).
RESOLVED to: 1. Scrutinise and comment on the information contained within this report. 2. Consider if any further information is required.
RESOLVED to: • Consider responding as consultees upon the proposals detailed below in paragraph 4. • Consider as a committee, to provide further comments, observations or recommendations in respect of these proposals prior to Cabinet consideration. • Request the Service Director for Democratic Services & Communications to provide Cabinet with the feedback of the Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee.
Apologies of absence were received from County Borough Councillor C Preedy, Co-opted Members Mr S Jones, and Mr M Thomas, and from the Head of Achievement RCT – primary sector, Mr T Britton.
In accordance with the code of conduct, the following declarations were made: Ø County Borough Councillor M Maohoub – Personal Interest item 5 – ‘I am a Governor of Aberdare Community School which is mentioned in the report’. Ø County Borough Councillor S Emmanuel – Personal Interest item 4 – ‘The school my son attends is named several times in the report’. Ø County Borough Councillor J Brencher – Personal Interest item 5 – ‘I am a Governor of Ysgol Bro Taf and there are some generic references to Post 16’. Ø County Borough Councillor C Lisles – Personal Interest item 5 – ‘I am a Governor of Ysgol Afon Wen’. Ø County Borough Councillor S Evans – Personal Interest item 3 & 4 - ‘I am a Governor of Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda, and the schools that my sons attend, my employer and Alma mater are all named in the reports’.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 11th September and 14th October 2024, as an accurate reflection of the meeting.
It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 11th September and 14th October 2024, as an accurate reflection of the meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to: 1. Note the progress made since the previous update was reported to Members. 2. Consider the actions contained within the appended Annual Work Plan and the subsequent feedback received on this from Welsh Government. (Please note, that Welsh Government feedback had not been received at the time of writing).
The Director of Education and Inclusion Services explained that the purpose of the report was to provide an update on the Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) 2022–2032 following its second year of implementation. Members were reminded that the WESP was a key priority and was the strategy that underpinned the Council’s approach to achieving the ambitious target set to increase the percentage of year one learners in Welsh medium education by 10% over a 10 year period. Members were then taken through the report, following which the Welsh Immersion Teacher provided Members with a PowerPoint presentation. The Chair then opened up the floor for Members questions and comments. A Member noting the falling birth rate on page 44, Table A, asked what the plans were to mitigate the potential impact on achieving the target. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services explained it was a concern, recognising the falling birth rate, and provided a comprehensive response to Members, acknowledging that there was some very hard work ahead to try and improve things further, although significant investment had taken place in the sector, in terms of Welsh Medium, with capacity increasing across the County Borough, so this was ongoing work. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services acknowledged she was open to any ideas if Members felt there was more that could be done on any particular aspect. A Member raised concern how the WESP was going to ensure that all children in RCT had equal access to Welsh Medium early years provision and asked if the Council’s focus on funding flying start facilities was having a negative impact on smaller Welsh language settings as evidenced by the imminent closure of Meithrin Cilfynydd a Phont Sion Norton. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation acknowledged that flying start was not part of the education directorate, and she would have to come back with answers to the specific question. She asked the member for some context, noting that to date there were 19 settings of flying start approved providers in Welsh Medium, with 9 additional Welsh medium settings brought on board over the last 2 years. It was acknowledged there were pockets of need in certain areas, so it was about expanding these provisions e.g., the Pontypridd area, and Llanilid, in addition to speaking with Mudiad Meithrin about trying to improve provision in the top of the Rhondda area. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation acknowledged that workforce planning was a challenge to the LA, and a challenge to the flying start setting leads as well. The Member sought clarification around how RCT compared with neighbouring authorities. Members were advised that Caerphilly Council was doing really well with their early years’ data, and it was planned to invite them to the next WESP steering group meeting to share the work they had undertaken around promoting decision making with parents in the early years, acknowledging that a similar approach could be adopted. It was explained t that a lot of proactive work was already undertaken in this regard due to our links with the health board. . It was acknowledged however that across the 22 LAs there were very different demographics, so it was difficult to compare like for like, but lessons could be learned from other authorities where there is good practice in place. A Member raised concern about the percentage of children transitioning into Welsh medium education, referencing Table 1.5 on page 50, acknowledging the decrease year on year, and asked if it was known why parents were opting not to access Welsh medium education. The Member sought reassurance that parents who were non-Welsh speakers were being used as advocates to encourage other non-Welsh speaking parents. The Director of Education and Inclusions Services explained it was incumbent on them to interrogate the data and other information to gain insight into possible reasons., There was a reliance on primary school colleagues to ensure that transition was robust, and that dialogue happened throughout the year to try and really encourage parents to make that choice to attend the Welsh Medium sector, whilst acknowledging parental choice. Members were advised that there was good representation in all WESP sub-groups, and school leaders were asked specifically about transition, what they could do to improve and address those issues as well. In terms of what support was available, Members were advised that they had tried to use really strong examples of parents/carers who had opted for the Welsh Medium when they were not Welsh speakers themselves and had included those in some of the videos and clips available on the website. The WESP Officer added that it was recognised this was an effective method and something they were looking to build on as more funding became available. The WESP Officer provided further details to Members around the work being done with Rhag and Dysgu Cymraeg Morgannwg to promote Welsh medium education. A Member sought clarification around the growth and the quality of Welsh teaching in English Medium schools, acknowledging the workforce issue and further sought clarification around the opportunities afforded those children to use Welsh outside the classroom and to engage with children from Welsh medium schools to encourage language for both. Members were advised that the 10% growth was specifically in relation to children in Welsh medium education in Year 1, a target set by WG which is context dependent. Members were provided with clarity and further context around the outcomes which were relevant to English in a Welsh medium context. It was acknowledged that the workforce issue was a significant issue in both an English and Welsh Medium context, with Members provided with details. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT added that with the Curriculum for Wales (CfW) there was a statutory responsibility for all schools to provide opportunities for learners to learn Welsh and immerse themselves in the culture, as well as the regulator’s inspection reports forming part of how the quality of that provision was assessed. Members were advised that CSC IPs also went into schools. Members were advised that nearly all schools engaged with Welsh education providers in terms of the qualification offer e.g., Level 2 and 3, as well as vocational college qualifications, and were provided with information around that. Members were then provided with further information around the WESP college targets, workforce issues and a course that CSC offered to upskill English medium teachers where they lacked confidence. A Member recognising that all were being encouraged to get into Welsh, sought clarification around any specific targeted campaign in respect of ethnic minorities. Members were advised that everyone was actively encouraged, so there was not a specific targeted campaign, but it was something that the WG had picked-up as an area for development in their feedback and was going to be part of discussions in the new year. Members were further provided with information around established networks to look at emerging themes e.g. workforce, data, and sharing good practice. A Member asked that future iterations of the report should include more specific SMART targets/KPIs e.g., marketing campaign targets (how many people are we trying to reach; how far are we wanting that campaign to reach, over what period of time), Outcome 4, (specifically in relation to ‘during year 3 of the WESP, this data will be reviewed in further detail) how and when and what are the more specific targets. Members were advised that there was a delivery plan with detailed timescales however it was quite difficult with a ten year plan, to have many SMART targets although there was more detail in the annual plan. There was however scope to be more specific with the KPIs, and that was certainly something that could be incorporated and shared in the future. The Member referring to the risks on page 93, in relation to YEPS, specifically lack of qualified Welsh medium staff available to deliver Youth services and sought further clarification. Members were advised that whilst YEPS did not sit within the Education and Inclusion Services Directorate, it was recognised that there were recruitment challenges, however all job applications and adverts actively promoted recruiting in the Welsh language. In addition, staff across all directorates could access Welsh language learning programmes, and it was for individuals to take-up and also for Managers to actively encourage and pursue as well. The Head of Attendance and Wellbeing Service added that YEPS had used some of their Youth Support Grant to commission Menter Iaith to deliver sessions in the 4 Welsh medium secondary schools and in Coleg y Cymoedd, with the aim of increasing volunteers with a view of the future Youth Sector. The Member recognising the decreasing numbers in sixth-form classes in Welsh medium schools acknowledged that whilst there were a number of developments with regards to curriculum and new qualifications available, she was concerned these would not necessarily be available to young people if there were not enough studying them in sixth-form classes. The Member also raised concerns in regard to the number of surplus places in Welsh medium schools. The Member also referred to Table 4.6, on page 78, in relation to Coleg y Cymoedd data, noted that there was not a single learner having completed their course entirely through the medium of Welsh (C1), with 24 pupils (B1) and only 20 pupils (B2). The Member raised concern that if Coleg Y Cymoedd was an example of somewhere where Post-16 learners went to continue their Welsh medium education, this was not totally happening. Members were advised that in terms of Post-16 data, it was recognised from the Welsh and the English medium that numbers were fairly low, and that was clearly something all were working towards, whilst recognising that young people had a choice. Post-16 education in a school context was not for everyone, although it was a loss to the system if they then opted to go for a more vocational offer and go to college and then cannot pursue that study through Welsh medium, with this issue raised by Headteachers in sub-groups as well. It was acknowledged that the WESP specifically focussed on LAs and not on colleges, so there was a dimension that needed to be pursued in terms of targets for college settings, however it was recognised that college members attended sub-groups and played an active part in contributing to the discussion and agendas. The Director of Education and Inclusion advised that she had recently met with the Principal of Coleg y Cymoedd to discuss Welsh medium courses availability, and he was keen to develop partnerships with school leaders as well, so this was something that was a priority for all partners. . The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT added that it was recognised that the careers opportunity and service now provided for learners was so extensive and young people had a wider choice but various other options were being looked at to promote children staying in the Welsh medium sector with a wider curriculum offer e.g., e-sgol, as well as working with the college to see if there could be that collaborative working so that they could stay in school, but access courses through the college as well. The Member, referring to Table 5.2, on page 86, in relation to Welsh Medium Secondary Schools – Siarter Iaith, sought clarification around why schools were not undertaking the gold level, and why the numbers were so low. Members were advised that in terms of the Siarter Iaith take-up, CSC promoted those actively with schools, so questions could be asked to try and establish what the barrier was, and if more promotion was needed, as well as the query around the gold level. The Head of Attendance and Wellbeing Service added that in terms of the Siarter Iaith, discussions in the Outcome 5 sub-group had been around ensuring that schools were engaged in the programme and suggested those meetings could look to break down which schools were working towards those awards, so actively engaged in that area, and a discussion picked up with the consortia. The Member felt, going forward, that it was very important to monitor the impact of change to the home to school transport policy, to see if that had an impact on learners and Welsh medium learners. Members were advised that in relation to home to school transport, this would be kept under review with Welsh language impact assessments an integral part of that consultation when it occurred. The Member sought reassurance in relation to additional needs education particularly for children in the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach or in the Cynon Valley area, acknowledging there was more provision in the lower areas of RCT. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services acknowledged, in relation to ALN provision, that there was a statutory responsibility to keep all of the provision under review, with some consultations happening at the moment. There were no proposals on the table to open any further provisions in the next year or so with capacity currently in all three of the schools’ sites. The Member sought clarification around establishing a Welsh language emersion unit, as opposed to a peripatetic model, in order to make sure that those opportunities were there for those pupils in a more intense way. Members heard from the Director of Education and Inclusion Services and the Welsh Immersion Teacher, who explained that geographically this would be a challenge in RCT at the moment and the data was showing that what was being done, with the peripatetic model, was effective, particularly in the primary sector children, although the model for the secondary sector was being looked at, along with how other authorities were offering support to pupils in the secondary sector. Following discussion Members made the following recommendations:- · That the feedback from WG, received since publication, be circulated to Committee Members. · That future iterations of the report, be provided to the committee for consideration, at an appropriate time, prior to being sent to WG and to include more specific SMART targets/KPIs. · That the Summary of WESP Outcomes (Appendix 2) page 127 and RAG ratings, are provided at the start of future reports. It was RESOLVED to: 1. Note the progress made since the previous update was reported to Members. 2. Consider the actions contained within the appended Annual Work Plan and the subsequent feedback received on this from Welsh Government. (Please note, that Welsh Government feedback had not been received at the time of writing).
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to: 1. Scrutinise and comment on the information contained within this report. 2. Consider if any further information is required.
The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer provided Members with a summary of the report which gave an overview of Careers and work related experiences in RCT schools, pausing, on behalf of the Assistant Headteacher, Porth Community School, to provide a summary of work carried out with examples and pausing to hear from the Senior EET Advisor who took Members through a PowerPoint presentation which highlighted the Green Light Project Case Study 2023-2024, at Ysgol Bro Taf. The Chair thanked Officers and the Assistant Headteacher for their contribution and opened up the floor for Members questions and comments. A Member sought clarity around mock interviews for learners. The Member also sought clarification the Seren programme and around engagement with universities. The Member acknowledged that there was no longer a work experience database, and asked why this was, and sought clarification around what opportunities there were for learners, both within RCT, and outside. The Member sought reassurance that schools were fully engaging with enterprise activities e.g., Dragons Den. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer advised that whilst most schools use mock interviews, others use a variety of different ways e.g. employer speed dating, to ensure that every year group, at least 91%, have had 3 experiences with employers and employees, in the workplace, to meet the Gatsby benchmark. Members were advised in respect of engagement with universities, that there were a range of different universities that schools engaged with, with speakers attending schools to speak with learners, although she acknowledged schools recognised that this was one of many pathways and they pay equal heed to apprenticeships, workplace learning, and vocational learning, as well as universities. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer advised she had met recently with the reaching wider team based at the University of South Wales (USW) who are currently working with two targeted schools in RCT doing intensive work with them around the university experience and would be working with a third school in the new year. Members were advised, that whilst it was not for all pupils, there were growing numbers of pupils engaging in Seren activities with schools encouraged to put all pupils onto the Gofod Seren space in year 8 and year 9, with no pupil ruled out. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer advised that 190 pupils from year 10, had attended a Seren Academy welcome event, at the University of South Wales which was significantly more than the previous years. It terms of sourcing placements, whilst it was recognised it was a challenge, schools were encouraged to send out initial work experience letters to parents and carers in year 9, to give as long as possible to the process, and schools were extremely good at supporting pupils along with the Employment Education and Training (EET) team, looking at all resources across the local authority to ensure pupils get the best placement possible, so it wasn’t just left to parents. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer provided clarification around the removal of the database whilst acknowledging the EET team managed a list of employers within the local authority. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer explained that all schools used a Dragons Den style, within elements of the Welsh Baccalaureate to support enterprise, highlighting Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School’s dragons den scenario with the Museum of Wales, acknowledging there were lots of really good examples she could share in future reports. A Member recognising the great work being undertaken, and outstanding example of practice, with the Green Light project, acknowledged that the work was absolutely crucial, supporting young people not to become NEET. The Member raised concern about low participation rates in Wales, in terms of progression to higher education, acknowledging there was work to be done, but noted it was heartening to see in the destination data on page 145 of the report, that 619 pupils continued into full time higher education. The Member requested the current acceptance data, acknowledging offers were very different from when students confirmed their places. The Member, noting the offer data on page 273 of the report, and comment below, around the analysis, asked what was being put in place in terms of Seren to support admissions tests. The Member acknowledged that while the appendix data was really valuable, she would like to see it embedded into the main body of the report next time, in order to give context, for the committee to be able to digest it. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer, explained in relation to the retrospective offer, that the data was not currently available, but she could certainly look at sharing this. Members were informed, with regard to the admissions test, that the report referred to was written by the Officer in charge of Seren last year with the 14-19 Future Pathways Officer, taking this over quite recently. She explained that they had also seconded a member of staff, from Y Pant Comprehensive who was extremely well versed in everything to do with Seren and knows exactly what pupils needed when it came to the interviews, so significantly more admissions work and interviews had been done, using the Seren grant, with around 14 different sessions for students either online or face to face, so that is something that was picked up and acted upon. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer took onboard the Members point about integrating the work of the appendix into the main body of the report, which could be done for future reports. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT, explained in relation to NEET data, that this was concentrated on, quite heartily, within RCT, acknowledging that it was unverified data, but provided Members with a comprehensive explanation of where they were currently. A Member acknowledged quite rightly, that there was significant focus on higher education but really valued the vocational pathway, from his own experience, and asked if equal balance was put on guiding young people down that pathway as well. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer, confirmed that they did, explaining that in order to meet the Gatsby benchmarks schools needed to show that they were giving pupils the opportunity to learn from all different pathways, to make sure they have the right choice for them, and provided Members with context. The EET Manager added that two career fairs were delivered twice a year, by the LA, with attendance by around 60 employers who promote their apprenticeships and graduate opportunities, including to schools, so those opportunities were very much shared. A Member sought clarification around Gofod, acknowledging the report indicated frustrations by some schools, around sign-up. The Member also noted that there was a WG post-16 review, around careers and work related education, currently going on and sought assurance that the authority would be feeding into that consultation document. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer, acknowledged, in relation to Gofod, that it was a complicated process to logon, and there had been some more detailed guidance shared with schools, didn’t have any major concerns since taking over, and the process had become smoother since the report was written. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer, confirmed, in relation to the WG post-16 review, that they were submitting comprehensive feedback on that, in conjunction with schools and career leaders, to ensure that everybody’s voice was heard. It was RESOLVED to: 1. Scrutinise and comment on the information contained within this report. 2. Consider if any further information is required.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to: • Consider responding as consultees upon the proposals detailed below in paragraph 4. • Consider as a committee, to provide further comments, observations or recommendations in respect of these proposals prior to Cabinet consideration. • Request the Service Director for Democratic Services & Communications to provide Cabinet with the feedback of the Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee.
The Chair briefly reminded Members that they were acting as consultees in the process, and not decision makers, with the final decision going to Cabinet at the conclusion of the consultation. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation then took Members through the report, following which the Chair opened up the floor for Members questions and comments. A Member noted that the report highlighted significant funding shortfalls at both Mountain Ash CS and Aberdare CS for Post 16 education and sought clarification on how the proposal would result in a more financially sustainable Post 16 provision. The Member sought clarification how the Council would ensure accessibility for students with disabilities or other special educational needs. The Member stated, in regard to the curriculum, that while the proposal sought to expand access to a broader curriculum, there was a concern on the impact of a larger centralised sixth form on how this would impact smaller, more niche courses that maybe available at Mountain Ash CS, but not at Aberdare CS e.g., Engineering, and asked if this consolidation would limit some learners subject choices. The Member sought clarification around what support structure e.g., counselling, academic support, etc., would be in place for the current year 12 and 13 students during the transition period, especially for those who might experience difficulty adapting to the challenges. The Head of Service Transformation and Data Systems provided a comprehensive response, in regard to post-16 funding, acknowledging that it was separately ring fenced funding from WG, based on the programme of study completed over the previous academic year. She advised that if the proposal proceeded, Aberdare CS would benefit from economies of scale, explaining the rationale e.g., additional funding from the additional children coming from Mountain Ash CS. Members were advised, in terms of DDA Access, Aberdare CS was one of the brand-new 21st Century schools, and was fully accessible, and St John’s School, was partially accessible. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT explained in terms of learners undertaking subjects such as engineering, they would complete their courses during the consultation period. If the proposal was agreed, and there were learners that wished to then opt for engineering in the future, they would work with Aberdare CS or St John’s School to ensure that they could fully accommodate what the young people wanted. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation advised, year 12 and 13 students currently work in the consortia arrangements, with the majority of those attending St John’s and Aberdare CS already, to study. Members were advised that if the proposal went ahead, children would be supported with the transition to make sure they were comfortable going to their new provision. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services acknowledged there was really strong collaborations across the 3 schools currently, that if the proposal went ahead, would continue across the two schools. If there was low demand for a particular course, they would plan in partnership in order to get that right. Members were advised that 75% of the children were already dual registered, losing a lot of time during transportation back and forth, and acknowledged the sense of not having a true identity or association with one school, was a particular issue, and an important consideration. From a wellbeing perspective, all schools had school based counsellors in situ as well so if there were issues around mental health or wellbeing, etc., they could access that support in the usual way. A Member acknowledged the critical point around the impact of young people being shuttled back and forth. The Member recognised, from the data that on balance there had been a dramatic drop in pupil numbers, so young people were already voting with their feet. The Member observed that the other choice was Coleg Y Cymoedd and sought clarification of capacity and whether young people had opportunities to visit, so they had a genuine choice. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation acknowledged the wider choice for pupils, and felt it was a real benefit to the proposal, recognising pupil choice. Members were advised that the Director of Education and Inclusion Services regularly met with the college, working collaboratively in partnership with the college, noting they were a statutory consultee. The Director of Education and Inclusion Services felt it wasn’t just about the vocational option, with some children finding it appealing to be in the college setting, and the college provided a lot of academic subjects at A level and the outcomes were positive. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT provided clarification around transition events, acknowledging that Coleg Y Cymoedd were included. A Member acknowledged the figures for Mountain Ash CS and Aberdare CS had been provided in the report but felt a useful comparator would be to see how many young people were undertaking A-Levels at St John’s School and requested this be included in the final report to Cabinet. The Member also requested that destination figures be provided in the final report to Cabinet, for context, as she had concerns about sustainability moving forward, and wanted reassurance that by making the changes, sixth form education within the area was going to be sustainable across two schools working in conjunction, rather than the three. A Member sought reassurance that appropriate consultees were included in the consultation including, RhAG (Rhieni ar gyfer Addysg Gymraeg / Parents for Welsh Education), recognising the opportunity for Welsh Language Immersion, should the proposal go ahead. The Member sought reassurance that on the Aberdare CS school site there would be enough additional parking for staff who may transfer and that there was adequate space for home to school transport to be dropping off the young people. The Member acknowledged that Aberdare CS was a new 21st century school and sought reassurance that there was enough canteen space to accommodate additional students, and that queuing would not be an issue. The Member sought reassurance that there would be enough teaching space and sixth form breakout space for young people to spend time with their peers e.g., a common room/working spaces. The Member sought clarification that if the proposal went ahead, how would staffing be managed for those year 13’s currently studying A-Levels in Mountain Ash CS. The Member sought clarification, as mentioned on page 29 in relation to the funding allocation per people, noting this was going to change. In terms of sustainability across the school, the Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation acknowledged it was difficult to give a guarantee at the moment, as it wasn’t known how many students were going to take A-Levels or take that sixth form study option up. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation continued that in relation to additional parking, Aberdare CS was actually designed for 1600 pupils so there was more than adequate spaces for additional buses, for additional staff and for parental drop off as well, acknowledging the community car park and specific place to park for sixth form students. With regards to canteen space, Members were advised there was currently not quite 1300 pupils enrolled in the school, so there was capacity acknowledging that the coffee shop gave older students a more grown up dining experience as well. The Head of Service Transformation and Data Systems explained, in relation to the figures quoted, this was the total funding allocated for the whole school, so if pupil numbers were reduced, it would change slightly whilst reminding Members that the funding per pupils was 70% pupil driven and 30% site specific, which is why this influenced the amount allocated per pupil. In terms of how staffing would be managed, Members were informed that when sixth forms had been closed previously, the directorate, had worked closely with the schools with regards to staffing and the funding required, with additional support provided to the school to get over this period of time. A Member raised concern about what steps were being taken to address the existing maintenance backlog of £1.4 million and what impact this would have on the future of Mountain Ash CS, acknowledging that whilst the report stated that Mountain Ash CS would continue to provide secondary education for pupils, were there any plans to develop the school to enhance its appeal, and overall education offer, recognising that some parents may consider starting their children in Aberdare CS or St Johns instead, if there was no sixth form, with home to school transport provided for faith schools. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation gave a comprehensive response in regards to the Mountain Ash CS as a site as a whole acknowledging that over £3 million had been invested over the last few years and the buildings would continue to be maintained and modernised, and it was one of the better conditioned schools, apart from the small clasp area, with some external areas looking to be improved through some grant funding, so felt the school would be left in a much better condition generally. Members highlighted their concern and sought clarification and reassurance around home to transport, including the potential increased costs which are unknown at consultation stage. The Service Director for 21st Century Schools and Transformation advised with regards to transport, that each pupil would be assessed, but the majority of children would have free transport. In respect of the lower part of Glenboi, an availability of safe route assessment would be done on an individual basis for each child. Members were advised that they didn’t have destination figures and could possibly come back with that information. With regard to transport costs it was difficult again but as soon as the destination of pupils was known, the figure for transport costs could be worked out. A Member raised concerns about sixth form viability and the declining rates in RCT sixth forms in general, recognising that although there was a declining birth rate it was not commensurate, whilst acknowledging that young people had a choice. The Member noted the report mentioned the possibility of staff transferring over to Aberdare CS, from Mountain Ash CS, should that opportunity be available, but felt it was important for the committee to note, that many teachers would choose a school on the basis it has a sixth form, as many teachers want to ensure that they retain their expertise in trying to teach level 3 learners, and that it was an important part of their continued professional development. The Member, in relation to Curriculum for Wales (CfW), sought clarification around the offer approved by Qualifications Wales at level 3, and asked if Officers were confident that schools were able to offer this and if there was confidence that Aberdare CS would be able to continue to offer that range should the pupils from Mountain Ash CS transfer there. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools in RCT explained, with regards to the Members last point around the curriculum offer, she could confirm yes, as they had to. The 14-19 Future Pathways Officer added that they were looking at the offer in all sixth forms, and it was important to hear pupils’ voices, such as why they wanted to go to Coleg y Cymoedd rather than stay at their sixth form, whilst recognising lots of schools were now offering new and innovative subjects e.g., uniformed services and criminology. In terms of transition all schools had a budget for transition to be able to make sure that the pupils were physically shown the opportunities both in Coleg y Cymoedd and in the other sixth forms to make sure that transition offer is exciting for pupils. Members were advised in relation to the declining sixth form, that Officers had spoken to a large number of post-16 providers, as well as deputy headteachers, who are usually in charge of curriculum, and they are looking to be more innovative in terms of what they offer, recognising it starts with pupil voice, that initial offer and the minimum requirements, and then they focus on what the young people are asking for. The Head of Achievement and Wellbeing for secondary and through schools explained that the sixth form leads’ network, from the regional consortia, had requested a local meeting for sixth forms to share practices in terms of transition and the curriculum offer, to share those experiences across all post-16 provisions, within RCT. Members were further advised of other barriers that schools were reporting including that some learners wanted to do a level 2 course when they come to year 12, particularly vocational practical courses, because they won’t have done that in school, and that is why some learners are going to the colleges, in order to access those practical subject areas, which schools can’t offer unfortunately. It was RESOLVED to: • Consider responding as consultees upon the proposals detailed below in paragraph 4. • Consider as a committee, to provide further comments, observations or recommendations in respect of these proposals prior to Cabinet consideration. • Request the Service Director for Democratic Services & Communications to provide Cabinet with the feedback of the Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee.
The Chair thanked everyone for their participation this evening, acknowledging it had been another long meeting, but very much worthwhile and insightful with lots of detail and had once again been impressed with Officers knowledge and their willingness to share their experiences. The Chair noted that the next meeting would take place on the 29th January 2025, and wished everyone a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
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