Issue - meetings

To consider a report by Councillor Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families (copy enclosed) regarding changes required and the proposed way forward to undertake school improvement statutory functions following the closure of GwE.

RESOLVED that –

(a)      this Council approves the termination of the agreement to work in partnership with other North Wales local authorities in the context of the regional School Effectiveness and Improvement Service (GwE) on the 31 May 2025 and subsequently dissolve the requirement for the GwE Joint Committee;

(b)      this Council confirms its contractual commitment in relation to ending the arrangement, and

(c)      that Cabinet confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.

Councillor Diane King presented the report detailing the changes required and proposed way forward to undertake school improvement statutory functions following the closure of the Regional School Improvement Service (GwE).

GwE was established by agreement between the six local authorities in North Wales in February 2013.  In January 2024 the then Minister for Education and the Welsh Language referred to a review of Education partners and school improvement with a move away from the wider regional model to establishing partnerships at a more local level, and GwE would cease to exist as a regional consortium on 31 May 2025.  Consequently, Cabinet was asked to formally terminate that agreement and dissolve the GwE Joint Committee.  The Lead Member provided assurances that improving standards in schools would continue and the Head of Education was working with colleagues across North Wales and HR and Legal Departments to ensure continuity of support for schools.  Raising standards in schools continued to be a key priority.

The Head of Education also attended for this item.  During debate concern was expressed regarding the cost uncertainty of the change and questions raised regarding the move away from regional working in this case when it was expanding in other areas, the rationale behind the appointment of the lead authority, scrutiny of the work of GwE, implications for schools and development of the service going forward.  Officers responded to those and further questions as follows –

·       detailed the complexity of the situation and ambiguity over staffing costs given the ongoing process of TUPE arrangements across the six local authorities and ending of contractual arrangements, with additional Welsh Government funding made available in the current financial year to help with those costs

·       a Transitional Board had been set up to oversee the arrangements for transferring GwE services back to local authorities and structures developed to provide support to schools at individual local authority level

·       the transitional costs were one off in nature and funding would be in the form of grants or use of reserves (the £2m transition budget for the whole of Wales would be unlikely to cover the cost); the ongoing costs of the service post the dissolution of GwE had been included in the Medium Term Financial Strategy and there would be recurring savings as the new service would cost less

·       the rationale behind the historical decision to appoint Gwynedd Council as lead authority for GwE was unknown and the new service arrangements would be led by each individual local authority with some collaboration with other authorities

·       the legalities of the establishment of the Corporate Joint Committee in 2021 was set out and their responsibilities in terms of regional working in specific areas

·       the move away from the wider regional model for the school improvement service followed a middle tier review undertaken nationally across Wales and consultation with Headteachers and schools; the outcome was a desire to move away from a regional approach to a local focus.  However, there was still an expectation for collaboration with other local authorities on certain projects and plans but there would be a distinct local focus rather than a regional focus

·       Denbighshire’s schools generally praised and appreciated GwE’s work, and that good work and practice would be taken forward to the new service and other members also confirmed positive interactions with the service; GwE had attended Performance Scrutiny Committee on matters such as home education, standards, and attendance with no negative recommendations on that work

·       Councillor Gareth Sandilands, Vice Chair of Performance Scrutiny Committee highlighted GwE’s attendance at meetings when considering education matters to provide an independent viewpoint and expertise which had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5