The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the Fairwater Community Campus, proposals to extend the age range of pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Coed y Gof, and school improvement services in Cardiff. The committee agreed to send a letter to the relevant cabinet member regarding each of these items, outlining their comments, observations, and concerns. The committee also discussed their work programme for 2025/26.

Fairwater Community Campus

The committee undertook pre-decision scrutiny of the Fairwater Community Campus project, which is part of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. The project involves replacing the Cantonian School building, expanding the school from six forms to eight forms of entry, expanding the specialist resource base for learners with autism spectrum condition, and relocating and enlarging Woodland and Riverbank special schools.

ISG Construction Limited, the original contractor, filed for administration¹ in September 2024, but Councillor Sarah Merrie, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, stated that the council took swift action to minimise disruption by engaging a supply chain partner and commencing a new tender process. Councillor Merrie recognised the work of officers in keeping the project on track, noting that many similar projects around the country had ground to a halt.

Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, provided a presentation that included videos of the site. He noted that the Health and Wellbeing Block had been handed over in August 2025, and Cantonian High School was on track for occupation in January 2026. Riverbank and Woodlands are scheduled to be ready for occupation in September 2026.

During the question and answer session, committee members raised the following points:

• Accessibility - Councillor Ahmed asked about lifts in the building, and was assured that the building is fully Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant.
• Community Access - Councillor Ahmed asked how the local community could benefit from the campus. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that community access was a key part of the vision for the campus.
• Traffic Infrastructure - Councillor Hopkins asked for clarification on traffic infrastructure arrangements, given the challenges of having three schools on one site. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that a scheme had been developed by transport colleagues, and that there had been conversations with residents, staff, and trade union colleagues. He also noted that the opening times for each of the schools had been aligned to try to minimise traffic issues.
• Equality Impact Assessment - Councillor Humphreys asked about the Equality Impact Assessment, specifically why learning disability and neurodiversity were the only disabilities listed as having a differential impact. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that he would need to check the details of the wording, but that overall the project would have a huge positive impact on those groups, as it would bring forward over 352 ALN² places across the campus. Patricia Arlotte, Roman Catholic representative, asked about the impact of Tiguin not being on site. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that a joint management committee had been established, with representatives from Western Learning Federation, to make all of the joint decisions around the campus.

The committee agreed to consider Appendices 1, 4, 5 and 6 in a closed session due to exempt information relating to financial and commercial confidentiality as defined in the Local Government Act 1972.

Ysgol Gymraeg Coed y Gof Age Range Extension

The committee discussed a proposal to extend the age range of pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Coed y Gof by establishing a nursery. Councillor Sarah Merrie, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, stated that the proposal would support the council's ambition to grow Welsh medium education and put the school on a more sustainable footing.

During the question and answer session, committee members raised the following points:

• Traffic and Congestion - Ashika Pennadam, Cardiff Youth Council, asked about traffic and congestion. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that the works proposed were relatively minor, and that some minor amendments were being made to allow for taxis and minibuses to arrive on the site.
• Impact on other Welsh Medium Schools - Councillor Elizabeth Clark asked whether the proposal would take away from other Welsh medium schools. Brett Arthur, School Organisation Programme Planning Manager, responded that the Welsh Education Strategic Plan was in place to grow Welsh medium provision, and that a working group had been established to look at promotion and marketing of Welsh medium provision.
• Fourth Welsh Medium School - Councillor Helen Gunter asked for acknowledgement that a fourth Welsh medium school would need to be in a different part of the city than the other Welsh medium schools. Councillor Sarah Merrie, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, responded that if there was a need for a fourth school, the council would recognise that the schools are not currently geographically spread around the city.
• Surplus Places - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked about the impact of the proposal on the 36% surplus places within the five Welsh medium schools in the city. Brett Arthur, School Organisation Programme Planning Manager, responded that the expansion of nursery provision and specialist provision would help to reduce the surplus places.
• Nursery Provision in Other Schools - Patricia Arlotte, Roman Catholic representative, asked whether there were any plans to create nurseries in other schools in the area who do not currently have the provision. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that the council had to carefully balance off the amount of places that they have in the system in light of the birth rate drop.
• Traffic Issues near the School - Carol Cobert, Church in Wales Representative, raised concerns about the chaotic traffic situation near the school. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that he would liaise with transport colleagues to see if there were any plans to address the traffic issues.
• Wraparound Care - Councillor Emma Reid-Jones asked whether the council was looking at Welsh medium wraparound care to service the school and the nursery. Richard Portis, Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme, responded that there was a Kilch Mithrin facility located on the school site that provides a wraparound facility to the school.

School Improvement Services in Cardiff Update

The committee received an update on the School Improvement Services in Cardiff from Councillor Sarah Merrie, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, and Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education.

Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, explained that the school improvement that was delivered by the Central South Organisation had been returned to the local authority, and that the professional learning and curriculum support service would still be delivered on a regional basis. She noted that the new regional arrangements are much more streamlined, with a 20% reduction in funding and a reduction in staff members to 26 people.

Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, provided a presentation on Dusky Cardiff, a co-constructed school improvement system and approach that Cardiff schools and the local authority have worked to develop. She explained that the key features of Dusky Cardiff are collaborative learning partnerships (CLIPs), which are groups of schools that have put themselves together. She noted that 100% of schools in Cardiff have formed collaborative learning partnerships.

During the question and answer session, committee members raised the following points:

• Involvement of Governing Bodies and Estyn - Carol Cobert, Church in Wales Representative, asked about the involvement of governing bodies and Estyn. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that governors have been part of the development from the start, and that a governor's conference would be held on 24 September. She also noted that Estyn and Welsh Government have been involved in the development of the school improvement system.
• National Education Improvement Team - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked about the remit of the National Education Improvement Team. Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, responded that she did not know the specifics, but that the ambition was for there to be an improvement team that sits nationally that picks up the strategic priorities for school improvement, and then a school improvement team that sits at the local authority level.
• Funding Arrangements - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked for clarity on the funding arrangements. Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, responded that she would share the birth ID brochure, which shows all the different CLIPs and their priorities, and introduces the new team.
• Hybrid Model - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked about the hybrid model of the Cardiff School Improvement and Development Team. Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, responded that there were two headteachers from the primary school sector joining the team on a two-year secondment.
• Strategic Leadership Board - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked whether the strategic leadership board includes representation from primary, special, and secondary schools. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that it does.
• Monitoring Framework - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked for sight of the monitoring framework. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that the committee would be provided with the framework.
• Pupil Progress and Attainment Data - Councillor Robert Hopkins asked about pupil progress and attainment data. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that the council was working with schools to consider how that could look in the future, but that they were waiting for Welsh Government to give them some steer on that.
• Diversity - Councillor Helen Gunter asked how the council was going to have some participation at a strategic level with someone of diverse ethnicity, given the lack of diversity amongst headteachers. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that the council was working to give opportunities for all members of staff to work together across the city, and that they were mindful of the need to develop the workforce in terms of diversity.
• Children Not in School - Councillor Irene Humphreys asked how the council was including children that are not in school. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that the council was developing a strategy for homeschooled children, and that the PRU³ and EOTAS⁴ team were very much involved in the collaboration.
• Out of County Placements - Bridgid Corr, Parent Governor Representative, asked whether children in out of county placements would be represented in the same way that EHE children are. Melanie Godfrey, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning, responded that the focus of the school improvement at the moment is on grant maintained provision, but that the inclusion strategy, which is coming to the committee next month, will have some information on that.
• Backfilling of Headteachers - Councillor Saleh Ahmed asked about the backfilling of headteachers who step into the lead roles. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that this year was about figuring that out, and that the council would hear very strongly from headteachers about the capacity of their time and their work.
• Agreed Priorities of Each CLIP - Ashika Pennadam, Cardiff Youth Council, asked whether the council was able to disclose what some of the agreed priorities of each CLIP are. Helen Williams, Assistant Director of Education, responded that the priorities were set out in a document that would be shared with the committee.

CYPSC Work Programme 2025/26

Alison Jones, Scrutiny Officer, outlined the report on the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee work programme for 2025/26. She explained that the committee had contacted senior members and cabinet members, as well as senior officers, and that the child friendly city team had undertaken some work with young people to determine their top five priorities.

Carol Cobert, Church in Wales Representative, raised the issue of children who leave school and are not in training, education, or work (NEET). Alison Jones, Scrutiny Officer, responded that the NEET issue would be covered when the committee considers the Otis inquiry.