The Scrutiny Performance Panel – Education will meet remotely via Microsoft Teams to discuss Partneriaeth's business plan, effective teaching practices, and the panel's work programme for the upcoming year. The meeting will include a presentation from Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School on highly effective teaching, and an update on Partneriaeth's activities. Councillors will also have the opportunity to consider and provide feedback on the information presented.

Partneriaeth Business Plan Update

Ian Altman, Partneriaeth Lead Officer, is scheduled to provide an update on the performance and business planning of Partneriaeth. The Partneriaeth Annual Report Swansea Scrutiny 2024-2025 v1.0 sets out an overview of Partneriaeth's performance during the financial year 2024-2025, as well as strategic planning for the financial year 2025-2026.

Partneriaeth is a commissioned service that aims to develop the education workforce in Swansea schools. Swansea Council has a collaboration agreement with Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire councils to pool resources for school improvement.

The report pack says that in 2024-25, Partneriaeth's support was provided under two main priorities:

• Support for schools and educational settings to design and deliver their own high-quality provision in commissioned subjects/Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs).
• Providing career pathways for leaders, practitioners and support staff.

The Appendix A Annual Report 2024-2025 includes a financial overview, an overview of engagement with schools and a perception survey. It also evaluates professional learning and tailored support for schools. The Appendix B Partneriaeth Business Plan 2025-2026 was developed during the summer term and also has two main priorities:

• Support all schools and educational settings to improve the quality of teaching and middle leadership.
• Provide career pathways for leaders, practitioners and support staff at all levels of the system.

Highly Effective Teaching - Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School

Emma Pole, Headteacher of Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School, and Lesley Owen, Deputy Headteacher, are scheduled to give a presentation on highly effective teaching. The Covering Report Bishop Vaughan Good Practice notes that a recent Estyn inspection described the school's teaching as highly effective, helping to raise pupils' aspirations and fostering a strong sense of community.

The report pack says that key aspects of effective teaching at Bishop Vaughan include:

• High expectations
• Engaging and structured lessons
• An inclusive and positive environment
• Strong Catholic values
• A focus on pupil well-being
• Meeting diverse needs

Work Plan 2025/2026

The Scrutiny Performance Panel – Education is expected to discuss its work programme for 2025/2026. According to the Latest WORK Programme 2025 26 as at 14 Jul 25, upcoming topics for discussion include:

• The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan
• Careers advice in schools
• Literacy and reading support
• Annual education performance
• The Inclusion Strategy
• Additional Learning Needs (ALN) reform
• New and improved schools
• The Swansea Skills Partnership
• Numeracy and mathematics support
• Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) education

The panel also intends to receive relevant Estyn reports and other information related to education scrutiny.