The Education, Young People and the Welsh Language Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 4 December 2024 to discuss school delegated budgets, progress on Estyn inspection recommendations, and updates on post-16 provision, adult community learning, and Welsh for Adults provision. The committee accepted a referral from the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee regarding school delegated budgets and resolved to incorporate a development session on support mechanisms for school budget management into their forward work plan. They also unanimously resolved to note the progress update on Estyn inspection recommendations and the update on post-16 provision in Carmarthenshire.

School Delegated Budgets

The committee considered a referral from the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee concerning the broader issue of school delegated budgets. This referral highlighted concerns about schools forecasting significant overspends, leading to a projected net deficit on school reserves exceeding £5 million by March 2025, which was deemed unsustainable. The committee resolved to accept the referral and incorporate a development session into their Forward Work Plan for 2024/25. This session will outline the current situation regarding support mechanisms and monitoring arrangements to assist schools in managing their budgets.

Progress Update on Estyn Inspection Recommendations

The committee received a report detailing the progress made in addressing recommendations from Estyn's July 2023 inspection of education services in Carmarthenshire. The three key recommendations focused on improving pupil attendance, strengthening school improvement processes, and refining self-evaluation and improvement planning.

Regarding attendance, the department is using software tools like Power BI to analyse data more effectively, enabling senior managers and schools to monitor trends and compare performance. Initiatives and campaigns, such as Miss School: Miss Out, are in place to encourage attendance. The committee noted that while primary school attendance had improved slightly, it remained below pre-pandemic levels. Secondary school attendance also saw a small improvement but remained significantly lower than pre-pandemic figures, with an increase in unauthorised absences. The Director of Education, Children and Family Services highlighted that the challenges with school attendance are national, and Welsh Government has announced £8.8 million in funding over two years to support Family Engagement Officers in improving attendance.

For school improvement processes, a comprehensive strategy has been communicated, focusing on pupil progress, engagement, and professional development for staff. The report indicated that self-evaluation processes are becoming more rigorous, leading to fewer schools receiving recommendations from Estyn in this area. School-to-school collaboration and cluster working are also being strengthened.

In terms of refining self-evaluation and improvement planning, measures have been implemented to identify issues early through improved data analysis and a risk-rated system for prioritisation. The Performance and Improvement Monitoring System (PIMS) is used to critically review information against set criteria.

The committee unanimously resolved to note the progress update.

Update on Post-16 Provision in Carmarthenshire

The committee reviewed a report providing an update on post-16 educational provision in Carmarthenshire, focusing on the national context of the Medr commissioning body. The report emphasised the importance of collaboration between schools to enhance subject offerings, develop independent learning skills, and ensure equitable provision for all pupils, including those with additional learning needs.

Schools are actively developing their provision through increased collaboration and learner engagement. The report highlighted examples of current collaborations, such as the Partneriaeth dros Addysg Gymraeg (PAG) group of Welsh-medium secondary schools, which collaborates on shared courses, and the e-sgol initiative. Challenges such as differing school timetables and transportation costs were discussed. The committee was advised that the aim is to provide out of the classroom and real world learning experiences to develop independent thinking and give learners a voice. A pilot project at Dyffryn Amman School has been introduced to integrate real-world learning opportunities into the curriculum.

The committee also discussed the significant increase in transportation costs as a barrier to providing experiences for pupils and explored opportunities with the Dolen Teifi organisation for affordable transport. Concerns were raised about the lack of public transport affecting pupils' ability to attend their chosen educational settings. The committee welcomed efforts to enhance the post-16 offer, particularly noting that many college students would prefer a sixth-form setting within a school if the desired subject offerings were available. The report also addressed the limited post-16 learning provision for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) in mainstream schools, noting that while the current funding model doesn't always support this, schools are endeavouring to accommodate demand.

The committee unanimously resolved to note the update on post-16 provision.

Adult Community Learning

A report was considered detailing Adult Community Learning in Carmarthenshire, highlighting collaborative arrangements between various stakeholders. The service primarily delivers Essential Skills and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) to eligible post-16 learners. The report also provided an overview of the successful Multiply Project, a UK government initiative to improve adult numeracy skills, which exceeded its targets by enrolling over 1040 learners.

Areas for improvement identified included strengthening the strategic partnership and promoting Welsh-medium provision. Future plans involve expanding provision to reach more adults, particularly hard-to-reach groups. The committee expressed gratitude for the Multiply Project's success and was informed that its funding is extended to February 2025, with discussions ongoing regarding potential transition funding. The exit and legacy strategy for the Multiply Project is being implemented, with efforts to transfer learners to Adult Community Learning and develop new structures for Family Learning.

The committee unanimously resolved to note the update on Adult Community Learning.

Update on Welsh for Adults Provision

The committee received an update on the Welsh for Adults provision in Carmarthenshire, which, as of 1 September 2024, is provided through the National Centre for Learning Welsh, based in Aberystwyth. A range of 'Learn Welsh' courses are offered at various levels. Due to the limited information in the report, the committee requested a comprehensive update report in spring 2025 on the transition of this provision, including enrolment trends and course offerings, and asked for a representative from the National Centre for Learning Welsh to attend. The committee resolved to accept the referral from the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee and receive a comprehensive update report in spring 2025.

Scrutiny Actions Update

The committee reviewed a report detailing the progress made on actions and referrals from previous meetings. Updates were provided on issues including the effectiveness of the Free School Meals measure of deprivation, rural innovation grant funding, and the potential introduction of taster sessions or workplace experience for university students. The committee noted the adverse impact on school budgets due to a decline in Free School Meal applications following the rollout of free meals across primary schools.

The committee unanimously resolved to note the report.

Forthcoming Items

The committee was presented with a list of forthcoming items for its next meeting on 21 January 2025. A request was made for information pertaining to the wellbeing of staff within the education department and schools, which the Chair advised could be incorporated into a future development session on Behavioural Support Services.

The committee unanimously resolved to note the list of forthcoming items.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 15 October 2024 were unanimously resolved to be signed as a correct record.