The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee of Cardiff Council was scheduled to discuss the proposed School Admissions Policy for 2027/28 and the Child-Friendly City Programme's re-accreditation. The committee was also set to review its work programme and consider a new Task & Finish activity focused on young people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs).

School Admissions Policy 2027/28

The committee was scheduled to undertake a pre-decision scrutiny of the proposed School Admissions Policy for the 2027/28 academic year. This policy outlines the arrangements for school admissions, including consultation processes and any proposed changes from the previous year. The report detailed revisions for clarity in sections concerning children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) who have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and the Fair Access Protocol. It also covered updates to the Co-ordinated School Admission Arrangements to align with Welsh Government regulations, and amendments to application dates and oversubscription criteria.

Specific changes were proposed for St Mellons Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled Primary School, including clarification of its catchment area, and updates to information for Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen Primary School. The report also addressed the issue of declining birth rates leading to an increase in surplus school places, proposing reduced Published Admission Numbers at Fairwater Primary School, Ninian Park Primary School, and St Mellons Primary School. Furthermore, proposals to expand specialist Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision by repurposing surplus accommodation within mainstream schools were to be discussed.

The committee was also to consider a variation to the 2026/27 School Admission Arrangements for St Mellons Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled Primary School, intended to correct a genuine error in the previously determined arrangements regarding the catchment area.

Child-Friendly City Programme Re-accreditation

The committee was to receive an update on Cardiff's progress towards re-accreditation as a UNICEF Child Friendly City. This re-accreditation process requires the Council to demonstrate sustained progress, impact, and long-term commitment to children's rights. The committee was to consider reports detailing Cardiff's Story of Change, a Youth Report, a Summary of Evidence, and the refreshed Child Friendly Cardiff Sustainability Plan for 2026–2029. These documents form the evidence base for UNICEF UK's assessment.

The Sustainability Plan outlines continued efforts to embed a child rights-based approach across four priority areas: Children's Rights Education (Workforce Development and Rights Respecting Schools Award), Place (Urban Planning & Design), Participation, and Equal & Included. The plan aims to deepen practice, strengthen consistency, and address complex challenges through partnership working and sustained engagement with children and young people.

CYPSC Work Programme and Task & Finish Activities

The committee was scheduled to agree an updated Work Programme for the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal year. This included reviewing priority topics that had been overshadowed by pre-decision scrutiny items, such as updates from the Virtual Headteacher, the sustainability of school places, recruitment and retention of qualified staff for ALN and Welsh medium education, and vacancy rates in Children's Services.

A proposal for a new Task & Finish activity on Children & Young People not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) was to be considered. This followed the decision to put the ALN Task & Finish Group on hold due to new ALN proposals from Education. The NEETs inquiry would aim to understand the local situation, the Council's and partners' actions to tackle the issue, and potentially identify areas for improvement.

The committee was also to consider the impact of the upcoming pre-election period on its scheduled meetings in April and May, as well as a requested change to the June meeting date.