Issue - meetings

To provide an overview of the new arrangements within the Regional School Improvement Service to provide greater support to secondary schools that came into effect from September 2017.

(a)       That the Committee supports the changes to the regional support model for secondary school support;

(b)       That the Committee acknowledges the enhanced support for secondary schools and the changes designed to improve school performance in Flintshire; and

(c)        That the Facilitator writes to the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Education, on behalf of the Committee, outlining its concerns around teacher recruitment.         

The Chief Executiveintroduced a report to provide an overview of the new arrangements within the Regional School Improvement Service to give greater support to secondary schools, which came into effect in September 2017.

            The Interim Senior Manager School Improvement Systems explained that a recent review of school performance by GwE highlighted concerns about secondary school performance across the North Wales region.  The review also concluded that the original operating model of an 80/20 split of resources in favour of primary schools was no longer fit for purpose and that more resources needed to be directed towards secondary schools to secure rapid improvement.  She introduced Mr Alwyn Lloyd Jones – Assistant Director for GwE, Mr Elfyn Vaughan Jones – Regional Secondary Lead for GwE, and Mr Martyn Froggett – Secondary Core Lead for Flintshire, and invited them to report on the rationale for change and provide an overview of how the revised regional model for secondary school support would be implemented. 

                        Councillor Dave Mackie commented on secondary school performance in Flintshire and provided information on the percentage of students achieving level 2 plus from 2013 and 2016 in secondary schools as an example of his concerns.  In responding to the issues raised, officers from GwE acknowledged the need for improvement and said progress was being made.  GwE officers also gave an assurance that Flintshire secondary schools were performing well in comparison to other authorities. 

                        During discussion officers responded to the further comments and concerns raised around the data provided in the report concerning the performance of schools based on free school meals benchmarks and eligibility. 

                        Mr. David Hytch raised the issue of teacher recruitment and commented on the problem of recruitment of teachers in specialist subjects, citing Maths as an example.  Councillor Ian Roberts concurred with the comments made by Mr. Hytch on the issue of the recruitment and retention of teachers in Flintshire schools and suggested that the Committee may wish to send a further letter to the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Education to outline its concerns and this was agreed by the Committee.  It was also agreed that the Facilitator would circulate a copy of the previous letter which had been sent to the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Minister’s response.

                        During discussion the further issues of support for headteachers, the health and wellbeing of school staff, work-life balance, and sustainable leadership programmes, were raised. 

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Committee supports the changes to the regional support model for secondary school support;

(b)       That the Committee acknowledges the enhanced support for secondary schools and the changes designed to improve school performance in Flintshire; and

(c)        That the Facilitator writes to the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Education, on behalf of the Committee, outlining its concerns around teacher recruitment.