Agenda item

To carry out pre-decision scrutiny of the report prior to its consideration by Cabinet.

Report  - to follow.

Members were advised that this item would allow them to undertake a pre-decision scrutiny on the Cardiff Education: Collaboration and Federation Strategy which was being considered by Cabinet on 29 February 2024.

The Chair welcomed Cllr Councillor Sarah Merry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education, Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, Richard Portas, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, Brett Andrewartha, School Organisation Programme Planning Manager, Michele Duddridge-Friedl, Operational Manager, School Organisation Programme Strategy, Kate Rowlands, Central South Education Consortium and Sarah Coombes, Executive Head Teacher, Llanishen Fach Primary School and Pentyrch Primary School Collaboration.

Cllr Merry was invited to make a statement, in which she provided an overview of the Cardiff Education: Collaboration and Federation Strategy.  She referred to the fact that both collaboration and federation were already in operation across the city and outlined the benefits of the strategy which brought together schools and built on education practice.   She stressed that collaboration and federation was one tool amongst many and it did not mean that all schools would be forced into a federation structure but rather schools themselves could come forward with suggestions of collaboration and federation and it would be an option to be considered when a head teacher retired.

Mel Godfrey provided Members with a presentation referring to the Overarching Strategy Cardiff 2030 Vision – Renewed vision for education and learning in the city and approved by Cabinet in October 2019.  She explained that the Cardiff Education: Collaboration and Federation Strategy (Appendix 1) had been developed to build upon the recent achievements across Cardiff’s schools, to consider the changing demands for the future and to outline the vision to deliver the themes and goals of Cardiff 2030. Members were advised that in recognising the role of strong leadership and governance in advancing educational outcomes for children and families, Cardiff would look to, through this strategy, enhance collaborative processes for the benefit of its learners and the education workforce in the city. The 10-year strategy provided a framework  to encourage collaborative working and included a toolkit that practitioners should consider in localities across the city. She outlined that consultation would happen in the framework of the overarching strategy. 

Sarah Coombes spoke on her personal experiences of collaboration and federation through the Llanishen Fach and Pentyrch Learning Collaboration/ Llanishen Fach Primary School had supported Pentyrch Primary School since 2017 and had resulted in positive outcomes for both schools.

Members were invited to ask questions and make comments; the discussion is summarised as follows:

Sarah Coombes was asked to outline some of the difficulties/challenges from her experience of collaboration and federation. She explained that her school was 6 miles from Pentrych and that it was never meant to be a long term collaboration but it had become one.  Members heard how collaboration built on the collective strengths of both schools resulting in a relationship and a partnership. She explained that the challenges were when it became more formalised and longer term.  Some of the difficulties arose when it became more of a formal collaboration with the HR and the contractual obligations but Cardiff Council was experienced in this area now. Llanishen Fach Primary and Pentyrch Primary had been a collaboration for seven years with two separate governing bodies on a joint committee but the uniqueness of the schools still remained.  Members were informed that the schools were not federated but collaborated and it had not been necessary to ringfence jobs.  She stressed that collaboration as a starting point was crucial.

Members sought clarification on whether this was an ‘opt-in’ model. Officers responded that the changes proposed in the collaboration and federation model had already happened across the city and had also been set out in legislation.  The importance of a framework was discussed in order that when a head teacher retired there was a strategic context.  Officers referred to the toolkit which would enable those discussions to take place at the right time and right place with leaders of the school system.

Members enquired as to the drivers behind the development of the strategy and whether it was the struggle to recruit, budgetary pressures or the belief that Federation was the ideal model and should be spread across the local authority. Officers responded that it was for all of the reasons stated.

The Strategy would enable collaboration from informal through to formal federation. Members were advised it was about organic collaboration to deal with the pressures on individual schools. Members heard how it was not something that was radically different from what was going on but was building the expectation that this was something that could bring wider benefits and inviting schools to present their own proposals too.

Members asked about job security and referred to the fact that there had been concerns amongst head teachers, deputies and officer managers about how secure their jobs would be; and if schools who put themselves forward for collaboration and federation would their roles be ringfenced to the members of staff in the schools joining together. Officers responded that the strategy was not looking to make mass redundancies or mass retirements from those heads that felt they were looking to retire. Members were advised that it was one about having the right discussions to ensure the right resources were available.  Members were informed it was not a programme of cuts but would enable the Authority to plan and prepare in the context of the funding resources it had moving forwards. In terms of the roles being ring fenced, this would be determined by the agreement that was in place when moving to a federated collaboration.  It was not a mandate by the Local Authority but would be chosen by the federation if they chose to move to a federated model and the specifics of that federation.

Members ask what support would be put in place for schools who may not wish to follow this model.  Officers advised that it was about making the right decision at the right time and that sometimes it might not be the right time for a particular school because a school was going through a significant investment or a proposal to expand.  The Authority was aware of the workload and pressure on schools and the need to factor that in. Officers advised that the model was about strengthening the school system and not about weakening or undermining it.

Members noted the location of certain schools and asked whether distance would be a barrier to a federation.  Sarah Coombes responded that it was easier collaborating with somebody closer to you but with technology such as Teams it was not an issue as had been proven by the virtual meetings taking place during Covid.

Members asked how federation was approached when it involved schools operating in different socio-economic contexts and with different starting points in terms of school improvement. Officers responded that the model was an example and was not a mandate for all schools. It was noted that some head teachers had come forward with models to support their own thinking.

Members asked if there were plans to federate schools that were Welsh medium and English medium together or was the strategy to look at English to  English and Welsh to Welsh only.  Officers responded that there was no reason why certain resources could not be shared amongst schools, for example business managers which had been the case at Llanishen Fach.  There was also an opportunity in terms of bilingual provision in Groes Wen. Members were advised that the proposition was that it would be school led.  There would be early adopters and there would be discussions with the early adopters and if they could or could not work in terms of context of how they operated.

Members asked about the impact of federation in addressing the need to address challenges such as improving attendance, poor condition of the estate, increased access to the estate for communities and recruitment and retention of teachers.  Sarah Coombes responded that the capacity was incredible with two schools and not just the smaller school benefitted but both schools.  She referred to the excellent inspection report which was  due to the ability to step away from bureaucracy and put the emphasis on the learners and the new curriculum.  Standards and outcomes in both schools were equal.  In terms of absenteeism strategies were shared and attendance was rising to pre-pandemic levels.   In terms of estate management before the collaboration teachers used to open and lock up – having that estates commitment meant lettings were increased by 100%.  It also generated income for the schools as communities were able to use them as well.

Members asked the extent to which the strategy has been discussed with the Roman Catholic and Church- in-Wales Diocesan Authorities. Officers responded that there had been consultation and engagement with the Diocesan directors in the development and lead up to the strategy and all schools had been communicated with in the same manner.  Members were advised that there would be some schools where collaboration was not working as well and the toolkit would enable those discussions to take place in those schools.

Members raised concerns that although head teachers had been consulted the Chairs of Governors had not. The point was raised that the Chairs of Governors were key to communicating with other governors.    Members suggested that the process might have been more effective if a scrutiny committee had been convened and representatives from head teachers and chairs of governors were in attendance.  Earlier scrutiny intervention would have assisted the whole policy development in collaboration with the service area. The committee was extremely disappointed at the timing of this pre-decision scrutiny. They felt that bringing the strategy on the same day as the budget strategy (when discussing huge financial constraints in this area), was very regrettable.

Members felt the discussion needed to be properly carried out and that by going straight to the head teachers it had alarmed them.   Officers advised that the strategic framework was in place to have an enriched consultation with appropriate discussions at the right time and that teachers should not be alarmed.  Members were reassured that the right consultations would ensue. There was a framework and that allowed the Authority to do so moving forwards.  

Officers advised that drop- in sessions would be taking place over the forthcoming weeks for consultations with head teachers and governors to ask questions. Members were advised that consultation, conversations and accessibility for school leaders of school systems would take place and that success was down to their agreement. In addition, the consultation would go out to parents at an early stage.

Members asked if there was a communication strategy in place for introducing the model and the importance of schools having a strong voice in decision making. Officers responded that there would be a communication strategy which would be school led.  The Authority was asking for early adopters and that when the proposals were introduced the communication would be tailored around the context of the proposals going forwards. The Authority could consider collaborations through to formal federations.  It would be school led and tailored to the context of the schools, leaders of schools and chairs of governing bodies.

Members asked what the communication strategy was currently. Officers responded that it consisted of a series of engagement sessions taking place with a very small number of head teachers who would be able to ask the right questions and a date was being set to speak to Chairs of Governors.  Members were advised it was not just a communication strategy but also about having the right discussions that were informative and reflected the needs of the school leaders in that context.  

The committee was exercised by the fact that misunderstandings and misconceptions about what the strategy was intended to achieve may already be evident in the response of key stakeholders. The committee considered that this could have been avoided had greater thought been given to the communication process with the committee itself as well as with head teachers, chairs of governors and elected members. How the strategy was communicated to the school community and beyond was felt to be critical to its success. It was agreed that school leaders, their governing bodies, parents and carers and other stakeholders would need a strong sense of ownership of the strategy and how it affected them.

RESOLVED: That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations captured during the way forward.