Agenda item

(a)          Councilor Sarah Merry (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment, Skills) will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement.

(b)          Nick Batchelar, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, Professor Chris Taylor, Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD), Cardiff University, School of Social Sciences and Officers will present the report and answer Members’ questions;

(c)           Questions from Committee members;

(d)          The way forward for this item will be considered at the end of the meeting.

The Chairperson welcomed Sarah Merry (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment & Skills), Nick Batchelar (Director, Education and Lifelong Learning), Michelle Dudridge-Hussain (Operational Manager, Planning and Provision), Brett Andrewartha (SOP Team Manager),  and Professor Chris Taylor, Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Date & Methods (WISERD), Cardiff University to the meeting.

The Chairperson invited the Cabinet Member to make a statement in which she stated that Professor Chris Taylor had been instructed to research  the school admission arrangements and any alternative options. 

Professor Taylor expressed his view that there was no need to make many changes; the arrangements do not exacerbate school integration and that changes should not be made unless those changes will make things better. 

Members were invited to comment, seek clarification or raise questions on the information received.  Those discussions are summarised as follows:

• Members asked whether the introduction of a feeder school subscription would aid with oversubscription and were advised that it was considered in the Equality Impact Assessments carried out, and that because of the very mobile population some were more likely to be disadvantaged than others. 

• Members were advised thane when considering building schools consideration is given to the trends in a certain area, the demographic, current buildings and sites for opportunity. 

• Members were advised, on expressing concern that segregation is more pronounced in Welsh Medium Education, that whilst there is improved promotion of Welsh Medium Education there is still more to be done. Schools are becoming more ethnically diverse. 

• Members sought clarification of the information provided to parents about the consultation process for admission arrangements; as that was one of the matters raised by parents at Independent School Appeals.  Members were advised that parents are not statutory consultees in relation to admission arrangements. 

• Members expressed a great deal of concern in relation to the comment about segregation being higher where there are faith schools. 

• Members were provided with a copy of a letter from Albany Solicitors, who represent Asylum Seekers, Refugees and members of the BME communities.  The letter provided comments and concerns on the arrangements.

AGREED:  That the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations of the Committee when discussing the Way Forward.