Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any Declarations and advise Members accordingly.

Councillor Andrew Parkhurst declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 Council fund budget as his wife worked at a local primary school.

Councillor Mel Buckley declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 Council fund budget as her sister worked at a primary school in Flintshire.

Councillor Andrew Parkhurst declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 Council fund budget as his wife worked at a local primary school.

Councillor Mel Buckley declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 Council fund budget as her sister worked at a primary school in Flintshire.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on the 30 November, 2023.

That the minutes of the meetings held on 30 November 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

30 November 2023

The minutes of the meeting held on the 30 November 2023 were presented for approval.

            In response to a question from Councillor Dave Mackie on the Saltney Broughton Area Review the Chief Officer (Education & Youth) confirmed that a report would be presented to Cabinet and the Scrutiny Committee shortly. It was explained that this linked in with the future capital programme work.

            The minutes of the meeting were approved, as moved and seconded by Councillors Carolyn Preece and Gladys Healey.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meetings held on 30 November 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

(a)      That the Forward Work Programme be noted;

(b)      That the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings, as the need arises; and

(c)       That the progress made in completing the outstanding actions be noted.

In presenting the report, the Overview & Scrutiny Facilitator outlined the items listed on the Forward Work Programme which was attached at Appendix 1.  There were no proposed changes to the Forward Work Programme.

It was explained that following the last meeting there had been a number of changes to the Action Tracking report around the issues involving recruitment and retention, the amendment to the Additional Learning Needs items and Tackling the Impact of Inequality on Education Outcomes. The item on Demography was included as part of the Annual School Balances Report and the purpose shown on the Forward Work Programme had been amended to reflect this.  A report had also been included on the Forward Work Programme on the Inspection Framework for Schools which would incorporate the Ask Ceri initiative.

            The Chief Officer confirmed that the Forward Work Programme would be updated when the report from the Saltney Broughton Area Consultation was placed in the Cabinet cycle.

            In response to a question from Councillor Gladys Healey on Theatr Clwyd the Chief Officer agreed to include an annual update item to the Forward Work Programme on the involvement of young people in the activities and to receive an update on the Flintshire Music Service.

The recommendations, as outlined within the report, were moved by Councillor  Carolyn Preece and seconded by Councillor Ted Palmer.

RESOLVED:

(a)      That the Forward Work Programme be noted;

(b)      That the Facilitator, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, be authorised to vary the Forward Work Programme between meetings, as the need arises; and

(c)       That the progress made in completing the outstanding actions be noted.

(a) That the Education and Youth Portfolio’s options to reduce budgets be noted; and

(b) That the proposals for the delegated schools’ budget be noted.

            Introducing the report, the Corporate Finance Manager explained that this would be presented for consideration to all Overview & Scrutiny Committees.  Regular updates on the Council’s challenging budget position for 2024/25 had been provided to Members since last summer with the Welsh Government (WG) settlement announced on the 20^th of December.  He reflected on the Council’s disappointing uplift of 2.2% compared with the Welsh average of 3.1% and to the summary of the key headlines which were reported to Cabinet on the 16 January which included the remaining gap of £12.946m. As a result, all portfolios had been asked to revisit and look at potential ways of reducing budgets or removing costs pressures to contribute towards meeting that gap.  The report provided details of the additional proposals for the Education & Youth portfolio and the current proposals for Delegated Schools Budgets.

            The Chief Officer (Education & Youth) commented on the two elements which had to be considered, the Education & Youth portfolio budget and the Delegated Schools Budgets, with point 1.05 in the report providing information on the proposed budget reductions.  She thanked her Senior Managers for the work that they had undertaken scrutinising every line of their budgets saying that it was not an easy task to identify efficiencies whilst protecting the integrity of the service and enabling the portfolio to fulfil its statutory responsibilities. She referred to the RAG ratings for these services and highlighted the Youth Service which was showing as Amber.

            The Chair invited questions and comments from the Committee on the budget proposals for the Education & Youth Portfolio.

Education & Youth Portfolio Budget Reductions

            Councillor Andrew Parkhurst said that he believed that because of the financial difficulties the WG budget has presented the Council with each Portfolio had been asked to identify 7.5% of savings in order that Members could then decide which of those potential savings could be accepted or rejected and that Members would have a choice and make an informed decision.  He said that there was a potential saving of £303,000 identified within the Education & Youth Portfolio excluding schools, but this did not equate to a 7.5% saving and he asked officers to clarify this.  He also referred to the 8-month outturn for this financial year where there had been £367,000 of savings and asked how this had been identified as this was more than the savings proposed for the 2024/25 budget.

            The Chief Officer advised that the total efficiencies identified did not equate to 7.5% of the overall budget for the Portfolio but explained that each Portfolio was asked to find up to 7.5% of efficiencies and that this was an aspiring target.  Any further efficiencies above those identified would risk delivery of statutory services and risk the Council not being able to meet its statutory functions.

            In relation to the £367,000 identified in-year efficiencies, the Chief Officer advised that this had come from a moratorium on the reduction or stopping of spend in each Portfolio.  One of the reasons for this efficiency was around  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

(a) That the Committee note the outcomes for key stages 4 and 5 examinations in 2022/23 and recognise the hard work of secondary schools in Flintshire in supporting their examination year groups; and

(b) That the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, write to all Secondary Headteachers to thank them for their work in supporting their examination year groups.

            The Chief Officer (Education & Youth) introduced the report which provided an overview of GCSE and A-Level results for 2022/23.  It had not been possible to compare examination results with previous years because of the varying examinations which had taken place since 2019.  An update on the interim arrangements for key stage 4 and 5 was provided and it was explained that as a result of the pandemic there was a period of centre determined grades with adjustment made to grade boundaries.  In 2019 Welsh Government (WG) decided that performance data would not be shared but had made a decision that some headline indicators of the 2023 summer results could be placed in the public domain and this information was outlined at point 1.01 of the report.  Members were referred to points 1.05 and 1.06 of the report which included detail on the national outcomes for key stage 4 by pupil characteristics for the summer of 2023, and outcomes for key stage 4 in 2022/23 against the Wales average.

Information was then provided on the proposed changes for Post 16 learners and point 1.10 of the report outlined the different measures used when monitoring performance. Members were referred to the Flintshire and National Outcomes at points 1.11, 1.12 and 1.13 in the report but it was highlighted that this data did not include all the appeals processes which had been undertaken. Information on the ALPS Education system was included at  Point 1.14 of the report.

            Councillor Carolyn Preece commended the Education & Youth Portfolio and all schools on their performance following Covid and applauded the effort and work that had been undertaken.  She said that it was difficult to measure with not everyone achieving the same qualifications which could not be measured in the same way. Pupils were performing well in literacy, numeracy and the sciences which enabled them to progress to higher education.

            The Leader agreed with the comments made and thanked the schools, teachers, parents, governors, and everyone involved for what had been achieved. He agreed with the comments made around the damage caused to the education system by the pandemic and felt the youngest children lost the most.  The Chief Officer and himself pressed for younger children to return to school first and the then Minister Kirsty Williams agreed.  He felt the very young children would be affected by this for the remainder of their time in education.  He praised the staff for all their hard work helping children to catch up to where they would have been had the pandemic not happened. 

The Chair recommended a second recommendation as follows, which was seconded by Councillor Carolyn Preece:-

• That the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, write to all Secondary Headteachers to thank them for their work in supporting their examination year groups.

The recommendation, as outlined within the report, was moved by Councillor Gladys Healey and seconded by Councillor Ted Palmer.   

RESOLVED:

(a) That the Committee note the outcomes for key stages 4 and 5 examinations in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

That the Committee confirm that it has received an appropriate level of assurance regarding the work of the Education & Youth Portfolio in supporting schools with sixth form provision to be able to meet the requirement of the new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research.

            In presenting the report the Post 16 and Adult Learning Adviser commented that there were two point she wished to highlight.  The first was that the operational date for the new Commission had changed from the 1April to the 1 August 2024.  This illustrated the unprecedented changes which were taking place within Post 16 provision which affected every sector and all providers up to higher education.   Secondly, she wished to reassure members that the Council was very involved in informing and influencing the statement of priorities in the New Commission and that she was a member of the National Adult Learning Wales Partnership which held monthly briefings with Welsh Government and Officials specifically around the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER).  The portfolio was also represented on the 14 to 19 Regional Group which met nationally specifically looking at financing for Post 16 and the changes which were being introduced under the new proposals.  This information was fed back to the six counties in the North.  Vicky Barlow,  Senior Manager for School Improvement, was a member of the Regional Skills Board where apprenticeships were discussed with CTER having a role.  With regard to schools sixth forms, it was reported that work was ongoing with GwE to enable opportunities for Head Teachers of schools with Sixth Forms to meet with the new Chief Executive of CTER to enable schools to influence the statement of priorities going forward.

            Councillor Carolyn Preece commented said this could be a massive improvement with all areas working as one.  She had looked at the membership of the Commission which include high level professional professors who would be guiding in this area.  She felt this would bring everyone together and provide a flow through the education process and felt that this was a positive move forward. She looked forward to receiving reports on this in the future.

The recommendation, as outlined within the report, was moved by Councillor Carolyn Preece and seconded by Councillor Arnold Woolley.   

RESOLVED:

That the Committee confirm that it has received an appropriate level of assurance regarding the work of the Education & Youth Portfolio in supporting schools with sixth form provision to be able to meet the requirement of the new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research.

That the Committee note the recommendations from the Peer Review.

            The report was introduced by the Senior Manager for Youth Justice and Flintshire Sorted and included the findings from the Youth Justice Peer Review which was completed by the Youth Justice Sector Peer Improvement Partnership in October 2023.  This was not an inspection but a requested peer review which was part of the service’s continuous improvement programme. Discussions had been held with the Chief Executive and Chief Officer which had identified key lines for enquiry specifically looking at the strength of leadership and governance of the Youth Justice Service Executive Management Board and the partnerships which were represented on that Board.  

The information the board received was of good quality and identified that the Youth Justice Service was making progress on its priorities and plans.  It was also identified that some external partners should take ownership of some of the strategic issues with some priorities held by the Local Authority.  The Peer Review noted the commitment of the service and its Management Board and Partners to a child first and trauma informed approach which was commended within the report.  Practitioners were commended for the creative way that they engaged with children and young people.  Some areas for improvement related to the delivery group which sat under the Youth Justice Management Board and the over reliance on the Youth Justice Service and Local Authority to drive some of the improvement plans.  Information was provided on the recommendations and areas of consideration made in response to observations of the Peer Review and the progress of the delivery plans which were highlighted at points 2.03 and 2.04 in the report. 

            The Chief Officer (Education & Youth) commented that the report provided a level of assurance, and this had been a useful exercise to sense check where the Service was and strategically assess its own plans for improvement.  She provided background on how the service had moved to a stand-alone service and that having the Chief Executive as Chair of the Youth Justice Management Board highlighted how important this was.

Councillor Gina Maddison offered her congratulations on an excellent report.

The recommendation, as outlined within the report, were moved by Councillor Arnold Woolley and seconded by Councillor Dave Mackie.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee note the recommendations from the Peer Review.

(a) That the Committee support the levels of progress and confidence in the achievement of priorities as detailed within the Council Plan 2023/28 for delivery within 2023/24;

(b) That the Committee support overall performance against the Council Plan 2023/24 performance indicators/measures;

(c) That the Committee is assured by explanations given for those areas of underperformance; and

(d) That the thanks of the Committee be passed to all staff to thank them for their hard work in achieving the key priority targets against the Council Plan 2023/24 performance indicators/measures.

            The Chief Officer (Education & Youth) presented the mid-year performance report saying that regular updates were provided to committee on the progress of council priorities in the Council Plan for 2023/24.  This was an exemption-based report and focused on areas which were not currently achieving their target.  Point 1.05 in the report highlighted that there were no activities or performance indicators showing a Red RAG Status for the portfolio.  There was a lot of work still being undertaken with regard to the delivery of the Council Plan Priorities.

Following a number of questions from Councillor Dave Mackie the Chief Officer (Education & Youth) provided detailed responses to questions in relation to Attendance levels and the Educational Welfare Service, children who were struggling to re-engage with school following the pandemic, the appointment of Engagement Workers and the adoption of the Digital Strategy in schools.

            The overall objective was to raise attendance levels and the Chief Officer was happy to report that attendance levels were improving, and that the authority was currently fourth in Wales.  It was confirmed that the comment described within the report was around what action was required and what steps were being taken to continue to improve attendance levels.  Information was given on the development of better more effective processes within schools ensuring that the Education Welfare Service used that data to target their interventions more effectively in schools. 

            It was explained that the use of the Community Focus Schools Grant made available by Welsh Government (WG) had enabled engagement workers working with schools and families to tackle the core issues which led to young people not attending school or struggling to maintain their place.  This was an action to deliver the overall objective of trying to reduce exclusions. 

            In response to a question from Councillor Ted Palmer regarding school attendance as a result of the Pandemic, the Chief Officer commented that this was a national issue and the National Attendance Task Force had been created by the Minister to address this.  An outline of the partners sitting on this Task Force was given and the Chief Officer attended the first meeting the previous week.  She agreed to circulate two reports prepared by parent charities which were presented to that meeting and highlighted the shift in attitude of pupils and parents around attendance.  It was explained that for children to attend school the curriculum had to be appropriate, exciting and engaging.  It was explained how the new curriculum focused on these aspects.

            Councillor Carolyn Preece commended the Officers for the report which showed that there were no Red statuses and commented that the performance targets for each of the areas currently showing an Amber and Green status were achievable. 

            Councillor Gladys Healey referred to the attendance levels and asked if home schooling levels would be increasing and asked if the Home Schooling Officer could attend a meeting of the Committee to provide an update on progress.

            The Chief Officer confirmed that post pandemic there had been an increase in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

There were no members of the press in attendance.