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Education, Youth & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 23rd May, 2024 2.00 pm

May 23, 2024 View on council website Watch video of meeting
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Summary

The meeting began with the appointment of Councillor Theresa Carvery as the chair of the committee for the municipal year. Councillor Caroline Priest was appointed as the vice-chair. The meeting covered several key topics, including school attendance and exclusions, changes to school improvement delivery models in Wales, and the revised frameworks for Estyn inspections.

School Attendance and Exclusions

The committee reviewed the attendance and exclusion data for Flintshire schools for the academic year 2022-2023. Attendance levels have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, but there has been some improvement. Flintshire's primary school attendance is the fifth highest in Wales, and secondary attendance is the third highest. The committee noted the challenges posed by changing parental attitudes towards school attendance and the financial climate affecting schools' ability to provide support services. The use of fixed penalty notices for non-attendance has been reintroduced, and there is ongoing work to support children with mental health challenges and neurodiversity.

Changes to School Improvement Delivery Models in Wales

The committee discussed the changes to school improvement delivery models following a review by the Welsh Government. The funding previously provided to regional educational consortia will now be directed to local authorities and schools. Flintshire has decided to passport the majority of this funding back to the regional consortia, GwE, to ensure continuity of support for schools. The committee acknowledged the significant change management required to develop new models of school improvement and the importance of maintaining stability during this transition period.

Estyn Revised Frameworks for Inspections

The committee received an update on the revised frameworks for Estyn inspections of schools and local government education services. From September 2024, schools will receive a 10-day notice for core inspections, and the number of inspection areas will be reduced from five to three. An interim visit will be introduced to check on progress between core inspections. For local government education services, the notification period will be reduced to eight weeks, and there will be a dedicated inspection of youth services. The committee noted the importance of these changes in ensuring effective oversight and support for schools.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on the importance of trauma-informed practice in schools and the development of a belonging strategy to support student engagement and well-being. The committee expressed interest in receiving further information on these initiatives in future meetings.

Attendees

Lisa Allen
Lynn Bartlett
Wendy White
Profile image for CllrJason Shallcross
CllrJason Shallcross  Leader of the Independent Group •  Independent •  Saltney Ferry
Profile image for CllrDave Hughes
CllrDave Hughes  Leader of the Council / Leader of the Labour Group •  Labour •  Llanfynydd
Profile image for CllrHelen Brown
CllrHelen Brown  Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities •  Independent •  Hawarden: Aston
Profile image for CllrRyan McKeown
CllrRyan McKeown  Labour •  Broughton South
Profile image for CllrMarion Bateman
CllrMarion Bateman  Chair of Community & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee •  True Independents •  Northop
Profile image for CllrCarolyn Preece
CllrCarolyn Preece  Flintshire People's Voice •  Buckley: Bistre West
Profile image for CllrMared Eastwood
CllrMared Eastwood  Cabinet Member for Education, Welsh Language, Culture and Leisure •  Eagle •  Argoed and New Brighton
Profile image for CllrAndrew Parkhurst
CllrAndrew Parkhurst  Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group •  Liberal Democrats •  Cilcain
Profile image for CllrChristine Jones
CllrChristine Jones  Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Social Services and Wellbeing •  Labour •  Queensferry and Sealand
Profile image for CllrGina Maddison
CllrGina Maddison  Vice-Chair of Education, Youth and Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee •  Labour •  Llanasa and Trelawnyd
Profile image for CllrDave Mackie
CllrDave Mackie  True Independents •  Hawarden: Ewloe
Profile image for CllrDebbie Owen
CllrDebbie Owen  Vice-Chair of the Council •  Independent •  Connah's Quay Central
Profile image for CllrAlasdair Ibbotson
CllrAlasdair Ibbotson  Flintshire People's Voice •  Penyffordd
Profile image for CllrSam Swash
CllrSam Swash  Leader of the Flintshire People's Voice Group / Chair of Social and Health Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee •  Flintshire People's Voice •  Hawarden: Mancot
Profile image for CllrIan Roberts
CllrIan Roberts  Labour •  Flint: Castle
Profile image for CllrBill Crease
CllrBill Crease  Deputy Leader of the Independent Group / Chair of Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee •  Independent •  Connah's Quay South
Profile image for CllrGladys Healey
CllrGladys Healey  Vice-Chair of Planning Committee •  Labour •  Hope
Profile image for CllrPaul Cunningham
CllrPaul Cunningham  Labour •  Flint: Coleshill and Trelawny
Profile image for CllrTeresa Carberry
CllrTeresa Carberry  Chair of Education, Youth and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee •  Labour •  Mold: Broncoed
Profile image for CllrDavid Coggins Cogan
CllrDavid Coggins Cogan  Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group •  Liberal Democrats •  Gwernaffield and Gwernymynydd
Profile image for CllrArnold Woolley Dip.IM, MCMI
CllrArnold Woolley Dip.IM, MCMI  Leader of the Eagle Group •  Eagle •  Buckley: Bistre East
Profile image for CllrFran Lister
CllrFran Lister  Labour •  Brynford and Halkyn
Profile image for CllrRichard Lloyd
CllrRichard Lloyd  Chair of Planning Committee •  Labour •  Saltney Ferry
Profile image for CllrChrissy Gee
CllrChrissy Gee  Independent •  Broughton South

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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