Agenda item

This report provides the Committee with the opportunity to be presented with the strategy, together with the key goals and desired outcomes for Cardiff’s pupils.

(a)        Councilor Sarah Merry (Cabinet Member for Education and Skills) will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement;

(b)        Nick Batchelar (Director of Education and Lifelong Learning) and Suzanne Scarlett (Performance Manager) who will present the report and be available to answer questions Members may have;

            (c)        Questions from Committee Members.

The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Sarah Merry (Cabinet Member for Education and Skills), Nick Batchelar (Director of Education and Lifelong Learning) and Suzanne Scarlett (Performance Manager) to the meeting.

The Chairperson invited the Cabinet Member to make a statement in which she noted that standards are improving, some at a faster rate than Wales as a whole; Cardiff was a growing city with challenges to face; there was a moral duty to ensure that people right across the City are not excluded from the benefits and full life chances that a good education can bring.  She added that it was not just about academic improvements but also the personal wellbeing of the City’s young people; it was important to have a self-improving school system with partnership working.

Members were provided with a presentation entitled ‘Cardiff 2020 – Aiming for Excellence – a renewed vision for education in Cardiff’ which included information on: The strategy so far; Improvements; Impact of improving standards; Challenges; Cardiff 2020 Vision/Mission/Goals; Excellent outcomes for learners; A high quality workforce; 21^st century learning environments; A self-improving school system; Schools and Cardiff in partnership and Next Steps.

The Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members:

• Members considered that there was nothing to object to in the theory but were concerned about how it would be delivered; they provided examples such as no reference to addressing the issue of school places or additional learning needs.  Officers agreed and stated that they had discussed what to include as if they had included all the delivery plans that sit underneath the strategy then it would be huge; they added that there was the Directorate Delivery Plans at level1, school organisation plans etc. sat at level 2 and then there were split level 3 plans that sit below that contain all the details.  Officers also noted that schools that had improvement plans liaise with the Consortiums challenge advisors.

• Members asked what made a ‘great’ school.  The Cabinet Member stated that this was an aspiration but it was what we should expect, as previously there has been an accepted certain level of failure.

• Members noted the growing population in the City and the issue of catchment areas and that neither of these were addressed in the strategy. Members also asked what officers envisaged with regard to Federation Schools.   Officers stated that planning going forward would depend on the needs of the areas that are being developed; they are trying to avoid Federation and try to use collaboration, share leadership/finance building expertise etc., as there was no one size fits all, they need to look at alternative models and bring schools together, noting that there are not enough Head Teachers.

• The Chairperson noted the reference to outstanding teachers/leaders etc. and asked if there was scope within the remuneration system to be able to attract outstanding leaders or whether a ceiling would be reached.  Officers stated that there was some flexibility but not as much as in England where they have 25% plus the top of the scale.  Where Head Teachers take on other schools this is recognised by a graduated pay scale.

• Members asked about numbers of Governors vacancies and were advised that there were currently 150 vacancies, officers were trying to prioritise where schools are struggling with categorization.

• Members asked for further information on schools maintenance.  Officers advised that the pot of money to refurbish schools was small, work was being done for economies of scale, and designs of new schools  - same design on three sites meant that savings could be moved into the maintenance budget.

• Members discussed reducing the numbers of pupils in the classroom; this would mean more teachers would be needed.  It was noted however that there was no evidence that reducing the numbers of pupils in the class by 5 increased educational attainment.

The Chairperson thanked the Cabinet Member and officers for attending the meeting, giving their presentations and statements and for answering Members questions.

AGREED – That the Chairperson writes on the Committee’s behalf to the Cabinet Member to convey their comments and observations.