To submit a report by the Scrutiny Officer.

Submitted – a progress report by the Scrutiny Officer on the Schools Progress Review Panel.

The Chair said that the report refers to the last 4 meetings of the Schools Progress Review Panel and covers the period November 2020 to March 2021.  He noted that monitoring of individual school standards is well established and continues to develop.  Following discussion in October 2019 regarding the programme for monitoring standards in individual schools, there was strong evidence of action on the decision in terms of further developing scrutiny.  However, the work has currently been affected by the result of the pandemic and the Panel intends to revisit these visits when conditions permit.  The Panel will therefore need to adapt the way it works and scrutinise the performance of individual schools, and there is scope for the Panel to undertake this work virtually in the future. 

The Chair referred that the Panel has considered the following matters:-

·           The Council’s Response to Covid-19 (Part 3) : Support for Vulnerable Children and Holyhead Project;

·           Welfare Provision;

·           GwE Progress Report 2020/21 : Supporting Schools during the Covid-19 pandemic;

·           The Welsh language;

·           Special Schools;

·           Next Steps;

·           Estyn: support of local authorities and regional consortia for schools and PRUs to respond to Covid-19;

·           The Journeys of two Secondary Schools on the Island;

·           Update on the developments of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion Partnership;

·           Digital support for schools and general developments regarding the Welsh language.

The Committee considered the report and made the following main points:-

·           Questions were raised as how the Panel can develop so that the voice of the child/pupils can be heard.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People responded that the Education Service is encouraging pupils to express their view as part of the school activities and education.  He noted that School Council afford pupils the opportunity to raise issue of concerns and enables for ideas/vision the children may have to improve the work focus of the schools;

·           Questions were raised whether the actions taken by the Panel is robust enough and whether the rate of the work undertaken is appropriate and if matters need to be escalated to the Scrutiny Committee.  The Chair responded that the Education Officers attend the Panel together with representatives from GwE.  He further expressed that the association with GwE is advantageous to the Panel so as to enable issues are addressed and share information.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People said that discussions within the Panel are able to discuss issues that may in the future be a problem with educational spectrum; representation of the Panel is able to challenge the Officers from the Education Service and GwE.  He noted that an invitation has also been afforded to Estyn to attend any meetings of the Panel. 

·           Questions were raised whether the Panel has evidence that it is adding value to Education service.  The Director of Education, Skills and Young People responded that significant preparatory work is undertaken for the Panel and minutes and reports are available.  He noted that the Education Service has benefited from the work of the Panel with Heads of primary and secondary schools being invited before the Panel together with members of the Panel visiting the school.   The support of GwE and Estyn has also been effective to the work of the Panel.   The Chief Executive said that the strengths of the Schools Progress Review Panel is that it has been able to evolve around the challenges within the education service.  She noted that the Panel is been recognised by Estyn and GwE and nationally as good practice.  The Chief Executive raised that the Panel needs to consider if it was announced that no external examinations will be held in the next 5 years for the generation of pupils that are in schools at present; the Panel will need to discuss as to how it will challenge the schools in their performance in this respect.  The Chair responded that a letter was sent to the Minister for Education, Mrs Kirsty Williams MS on behalf of the Scrutiny Committee to ascertain clarity in respect of GCSE’s and A level examination for pupils in the future.  The Chair read out the response by Mrs Kirsty Williams MS to the meeting.

The Portfolio Holder for Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth said that the School Progress Review Panel has delivered robust challenges to the performance of schools on the Island and it is evident that the standards of schools on the Island has made significant improvement and progressed over the last few years. 

It was RESOLVED :-

·           To note the progress to date the work of the School Progress Review Panel in delivering its work programme which includes robust challenge of individual schools’ performance;

·           To note the areas of work addressed through the new arrangements introduced in shadowing the Learning Service and GwE.

·           That the Scrutiny Committee approve the robustness of the Panel’s monitoring to date.

ACTION : As noted above.