Agenda item

To submit a report by the Director of Education, Skills and Young People.

The report of the Director of Education, Skills and Young People incorporating the Modernising Learning Communities and Developing the Welsh Language Strategy was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The report also set out the outcome of the consultation on the strategy undertaken between 31 March and 18 May 2023.

The report was introduced by Councillor Dafydd Roberts, Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language who highlighted ensuring an effective education provision for today and future generations as one of the strategic objectives of the Corporate Plan. A key workstream related to achieving this objective is the adoption and delivery of a new strategy for modernising learning communities and developing the Welsh Language.

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People presented the report and provided a summary of the responses to the consultation which totalled approximately 300 in number. The issues raised by stakeholders and interested parties and other respondents are outlined in the Consultation Report. Over 150 children and young people from 28 schools were consulted and a number of briefing sessions were held for Headteachers, school governors and elected members. In response to feedback received during the consultation process, Officers have considered the points raised and have made the changes noted in the report to the draft strategy. These relate to amending the implementation timetable with regard to Post 16 provision, the addition of a new section at the end of the strategy to recognise the sources of information used to populate the data within the strategy and updating the governance model and section to reflect governance changes. The data used in the strategy has also been updated to reflect the more current data which emerged during the consultation process.

The Director of Education, Skills and Young People thanked all those who had taken part in the consultation and responded to it.

Councillor Douglas Fowlie, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee provided an overview of the issues discussed by the Committee when it was presented with the Modernising Learning Communities and Developing the Welsh Language Strategy at its meeting on 20 June, 2023.Those in summary included the robustness of the consultation process and comparison with previous consultations in terms of stakeholder engagement, how the output of the consultation has influenced the strategy, how the strategy helps the Council realise the strategic objectives of the Council Plan, the way in which the strategy seeks to address the aim of providing education and educational buildings of the highest standards for Anglesey learners, the challenges and risks in trying to realise the strategy and the means by which the implementation of the strategy would be monitored. A point was also raised about the extent to which the sufficiency of play areas across the Island was a factor. Having considered all the information presented the Corporate Scrutiny Committee had resolved to recommend the Strategy and the amendments proposed as a result of the feedback from the consultation to the Executive.

In considering the report, members of the Executive welcomed the feedback from children and young people and noted the maturity of those responses. The importance of obtaining the views of the Island’s schoolchildren on the draft strategy could not be overstated as the strategy is all about their future in terms of delivering an education provision that will enable the Island’s children and young people achieve their full potential whatever their background and circumstances. The strategy’s significance in relation to developing the Welsh language was also noted particularly in light of the target set by Welsh Government of achieving a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and the importance of practising Welsh conversationally and on a day-to-day basis was emphasised as one of the best ways of developing Welsh skills and confidence in the language. The reference in the strategy to post-16 provision was acknowledged and the recognition that the learner entitlement and experience for post 16 learners needs to be strengthened was also welcomed.

In response to a question about the next steps, the Director of Education, Skills, and Young People advised that a steering and implementation group will be established; the strategy will provide the strategic direction and will form the basis for discussions on the ongoing modernisation of the school stock and educational provision.

It was resolved to approve and adopt the Modernising Learning Communities and Developing the Welsh Language Strategy.