Agenda item

To present the report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People.

The report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People setting out the findings from the public consultation on the “Modernising Learning Communities and Developing the Welsh Language Strategy” was presented for the Committee’s consideration and comment. The consultation report and summary of responses from all sources was provided at Appendix 1.

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Finance presented the report saying that it reflected the responses to the public consultation process. The views of the Scrutiny Committee are sought including any recommendations and/or amendments it may wish to make in relation to the Strategy in light of the responses and ahead of their being considered by the Executive.

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People reported that the public consultation process took place between 31 March and 18 May, 2023. A total of 298 responses were received via the online survey and in the form of letters and e-mails most of which (55%) were in agreement with the reasons for change, the vision and leading principles (58%) and the drivers for change and strategic objectives (53%) contained in the draft strategy.  He referred to the consultation arrangements as set out in the consultation report and confirmed that the process had been comprehensive and robust and had involved engaging with a wide range of stakeholders. Whilst a summary of respondents is provided within the report in Appendix 1, a more detailed analysis is provided in appendices 2 to 8 including the consultation with children and young people which was conducted through meetings with children of both primary and secondary school age in which 150 took part from 28 schools. In terms of the substance of the responses, this can be grouped into 4 main themes around the number and sufficiency of schools and school buildings, the Welsh Language, clarity and detail and the Net Zero Agenda. There is a clear connection between these themes and the strategic aims of the Council Plan. A number of valid points were raised under each theme and these will be further considered when developing specific proposals in future. In response to the feedback received the report recommends that the three amendments outlined be made to the draft strategy relating to the implementation timetable, sources of information and governance model. These changes do not affect the strategy’s vision. An Equalities Impact Assessment was also conducted and is included in the documentation under Appendix 9.

The Committee considered the documentation and raised a number of issues regarding the strategy and consultation including the robustness of the consultation process as conducted, specifically whether the process had sufficiently captured the views of children and young people and whether it could be improved for the future, the ways in which the consultation had influenced the draft strategy, how the strategy will help deliver education provision and a learning environment of the highest standard for Anglesey’s children and young people, the risks and challenges in realising the strategy’s vision,  links with the Council Plan and the arrangements for monitoring its implementation. Also discussed was the appropriateness of the vision in terms of its approach to small schools with questions being asked about where the definition of a small school as one with fewer than 91 pupils had come from, and the justification for it. A minority of Members saw the strategy as a restatement of the previous plan and as “setting the scene” for potential school closures – especially those in rural communities with the Net Zero agenda although a serious issue in itself, being added to the strategy to provide answers for the process going forward. Those Members thought that greater consideration should be given to alternative approaches and referred to the response of the Welsh Language Society to the consultation in which it supports the plan put forward by Anglesey’s Education Commissioner in 2013 as a “superior strategy to modernise learning communities, co-ordinate education provision and ensure financial savings” which involved savings being made in administrative arrangements rather than in education provision within communities.

In response to the matters raised above, the Director of Education, Skills and Young People advised as follows –

·                That while the consultation process ran for seven weeks, prior notice of its going live was given to stakeholders – headteachers, school governors, town and community councils, Estyn, GwE, Welsh Government, Menter Môn, unions and local and regional Members of Parliament. Headteachers were also asked to share the information with parents. The consultation was accessible on the Council’s website and messages were disseminated through social media throughout the consultation period. Briefing sessions were held for primary and secondary headteachers as well as elected members, and five full consultation meetings were held with pupils from the primary sector, one full consultation meeting with pupils from the secondary sector and one meeting with pupils from Canolfan Addysg Y Bont, and an additional session was arranged for those who were unable to attend their allocated sessions. Further information about the arrangements and feedback from schools is provided in Appendix 5 of the report which also sets out the questions put to pupils at each of the sessions. A total of 150 pupils from 23 primary schools, 4 secondary schools and Canolfan Addysg y Bont participated, and compared with the consultation on the 2018 Isle of Anglesey Education Strategy, the process was more focused on consulting with children and young people and drew a greater response from them. As regards making improvements for future consultations the consultation period could be extended, more briefing sessions could be held and a specific session held for post-16 pupils. However, Officers are satisfied the consultation did capture the range of pupils from age 5 through to sixth form and post-16 provision.

·                That in terms of influencing the strategy, in response to the feedback received from the consultation process, Officers are recommending that changes be made to the Implementation Timetable for Stage 3 2025 onwards, that the sources of information used to populate the data within the strategy be included in a new section to be added to the strategy, and that the governance model be updated to reflect governance changes specifically in relation to strengthening accountability and monitoring arrangements. A number of valid points were raised during the consultation and informative and interesting comments and ideas were put forward by school pupils, and whilst these have not directly influenced the updated strategy document, they will be considered further in formulating any specific proposals.  Although the number and volume of responses can always be improved it is considered that for the purpose of the consultation, the response and the views captured were sufficient and appropriate.

·                That the strategy as a whole is about ensuring education provision and a learning environment of the highest quality with several of the drivers for change – ensuring the best outcomes for learners, developing strong leadership on all levels,  ensuring high quality and fit for purpose buildings and learning environments, improving access to ensure wellbeing, care and health within schools, ensuring that schools have the resources and capacity to drive the Curriculum for Wales forward successfully, ensuring that schools are sustainable and can operate effectively within the available budget - all geared towards delivering an education provision of the highest standard within buildings that are fit for purpose.

·                That achieving Net Zero is a key Council commitment and is one of the strategic objectives in the Council Plan for the next five-year period. As part of this commitment, the Council will be reviewing its assets and as much of the Council’s buildings estate is made up of schools some of which are not in the best condition, the drive towards achieving Net Zero and decarbonisation has to be an integral element of the modernising learning communities strategy.

·                That the Authority considers a small school to be one with fewer than 91 pupils in the context of the challenges they face as set out in the report. This is in line with Welsh Government’s definition through the Education (Schools) (Wales) Order 2014 which defines small schools as schools with fewer than 91 pupils. Whilst the Authority notes and respects the views of the Welsh Language Society the purpose of the strategy is to identify at a high level, the challenges facing the Council and the principles for driving change forwards. More detailed information will be presented as part of specific proposals to be brought forward in future.

·                That one of the main challenges to achieving the aims and objectives of the strategy is the need for capital investment. The cost of building new schools has risen and is expensive and although Welsh Government has contributed 50% of the cost of projects under Band A and 65% of the cost of projects under Band B, the Council has had to fund the remaining costs. Attracting external grants to improve the condition of the educational building estate is also a challenge. Additionally, implementing the strategy will likely involve difficult and unpopular decisions when considering the future of school organisation, any such proposals will involve open and transparent consultation and discussions.

·                That the Strategy chimes with several of the strategic objectives of the Corporate Plan including Net Zero, social care and wellbeing in the context of community schools and developing the Welsh language. It envisages the provision of the best education for both this and future generations ensuring effective schools of the right size in the right locations. The Strategy also accords with many of the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations Act in terms of collaboration, communication, sustainability, modernisation, and consultation.

·                That the monitoring, management, and governance arrangements are set out in Appendix 10 of the Strategy with close compliance with the School Organisation Code 2018 a key requirement. Those arrangements will be amended to reflect the recommendation that accountability and monitoring aspects be strengthened. Accountability is set at three levels with the Programme Board, chaired by the Chief Executive providing overall oversight, a Steering Group responsible for setting a direction for the programme and an Executive group responsible for active decisions and day to day problem solving. Regular updates will be provided via the Programme Board.

·                In response to an additional question about the sufficiency and availability of play/recreational areas in schools being considered a factor across the county, the Director of Education, Skills and Young People advised that there are examples of such facilities within community schools being available for wider use outside of school hours. The mindset behind community focused schools is the availability of school buildings and facilities for use by the extended community, and in terms of the strategy the promotion of play can be considered an important aspect of pupils’ well-being and learning as well as promoting pupils’ social interaction.

At the end of the discussion a proposal was made and seconded that the Modernising Learning Communities and Developing the Welsh Language Strategy along with the amendments as set out be recommended to the Executive. A counter proposal was made and seconded that the Strategy be rejected because of the concern for the future of small schools and that consideration be given instead to alternative approaches such as that advocated by former Education Commissioner Gareth Jones as highlighted by the Welsh Language Society’s response. In the ensuing vote, the proposal to recommend the Strategy to the Executive was carried.

Having scrutinised the Modernising Learning Communities and Developing the Welsh Language Strategy and having noted the responses to the public consultation and the further information and advice provided by the Director of Education, Skills, and Young People in response to the issues raised at the meeting, it was resolved to recommend the Strategy together with the amendments proposed to the Executive.