Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any declaration of interest from a Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

Councillor Carwyn Jones declared a personal and prejudicial interest with regard to item 2 on the agenda as Chair of the Governing Body of Ysgol Llandegfan and also on the grounds of his wife’s and mother’s employment in Ysgol Llandegfan and his cousin’s employment in Ysgol Beaumaris. Councillor Carwyn Jones said that he had been granted dispensation by the Standards Committee on 18 July, 2017 to represent the local viewpoint throughout the process but not to vote on the matter.

Councillor Alun Roberts (not a member of the Executive) declared a personal but not prejudicial interest with regard to item 2 on the agenda as a member of the Governing Body of Ysgol Beaumaris.

To submit a report by the Chief Executive and the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Communities and Service Improvement).

The report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Community and Service Improvement) incorporating the report on the outcome of the statutory consultation on the modernisation of the primary education provision in the Seiriol area (Ysgol Llandegfan, Ysgol Llangoed and Ysgol Beaumaris) was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The statutory consultation process was conducted in the period from 22 May, to 2 July, 2018.

The Portfolio Member for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth reported that Welsh Government’s Twenty-First Century Schools Programme which involves long-term capital investment in schools and colleges was introduced in 2013. The programme provides an opportunity to create high quality, sustainable schools for children now and for generations to come. Funding under the programme will not be available for ever. The Portfolio Member said that the issues affecting the three schools under consideration at this meeting form part of a bigger picture encompassing the Island as a whole and the Education Service within it.

Th Education budget makes up 40% of the Council’s overall budget; the Education Service faces having to implement savings of up to £5.2m over the course of the next 3 years. Added to this are schools’ maintenance backlog costs of £16m. Historically, the Authority has sought to protect the Education Service in implementing budget cuts – this is no longer possible. The financial challenges facing this and other local authorities is the result ultimately of austerity imposed by the Westminster Government which results in less funding to Welsh Government which in turn affects councils in Wales whose budgets are reducing year on year.

The Portfolio Member said that closing a school is not a decision that anyone wants to take; however the education community on Anglesey including a number of head teachers and school governors have repeatedly said that doing nothing is not an option. The Authority’s School Modernisation Programme is about evaluating the future of schools and the effects on stakeholders including children, parents, school staff and governors. It is a contentious matter and a challenging task for the Authority; it is also an issue that causes concern for parents and this is acknowledged. However, what is being considered is the future of the Island’s schools for the next 50 years; a schools’ service that is wilting under the pressure of financial cuts; a maintenance backlog, the demands of the curriculum as well as a number of other issues. The Council must give serious consideration to making the schools system more effective so as to create an environment wherein both pupils and teachers can succeed, and also to making it more efficient so that resources are used effectively and all schools get a fair share of the budget. In implementing the modernisation programme the Authority is also seeking to improve educational outcomes for children; to improve leadership standards and the quality of teaching and learning and also to ensure there are sector leading schools in each area. The drivers of change are the same as they have been and are set out in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.