Agenda and draft minutes

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Chief Officer Will McLean introduced the report with Cabinet Member Laura Wright and answered the members’ questions:

How can elected members better understand and respond to school deficits when they are regularly questioned by residents?

Day?to?day management of school deficits sits with headteachers and governing bodies, but we recognise that members need clearer information in order to respond confidently to public concerns and to consider county?level policy implications. Enhanced reporting on causes of deficits and the effectiveness of interventions would help members fulfil this role and support more informed scrutiny.

Why is the proportion of pupils identified with Additional Learning Needs higher than the Welsh average, and is this a cause for concern? Is there a risk that pupils are being over?diagnosed with ALN?

The figure relates specifically to pupils with an Individual Development Plan, which is a tightly defined legal category. Other pupils may experience barriers to learning without meeting this threshold. Being around 2% above the Welsh average is not unusual and likely reflects a combination of factors, including strong parental advocacy. We are confident that assessments are accurate and that pupils are neither under  nor over identified, with assurance provided through the work of the Inclusion team.

What is the current position regarding industrial action and financial recovery at King Henry VIII School?

There has already been one day of industrial action, with further days planned. While the council is working to prevent further action, the planned strike days are expected to proceed. Work has been undertaken to provide assurance around compulsory redundancies, and staffing is being adjusted to better match pupil numbers. A recovery period has been agreed that is shorter than that referenced in the Estyn report but still extends over a significant timeframe. The approach aims to support recovery through pupil number growth rather than rapid staffing reductions, with the objective of restoring financial stability without putting pupils’ education at risk, while continuing dialogue with unions and school leadership.

Why do reports to elected members not clearly explain the reasons for individual school overspends or the impact of council intervention, and can this be improved for future scrutiny?

Future reports can include clearer information on trends in individual school deficits or surpluses, whether recovery plans are on track, and the specific risks faced by schools. The main drivers of overspends are well understood and typically relate to staffing costs, supply cover, and decisions around provision for pupils with Additional Learning Needs. We recognise the need to demonstrate more clearly the impact of intervention, while balancing transparency with the need to avoid placing sensitive information about individual schools into the public domain. More detailed reporting is most feasible at year end.

How significant is the overall growth in the schools deficit, and is this an isolated or system?wide issue?

The overall schools deficit has increased rapidly over the year, rising from around £4 million to approximately £7.5-£7.6 million in the latest forecast. This is not confined to a single school  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Ed Pryce delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Will McLean:

What do the current family rankings mean, and are these positions acceptable?

The figures do not describe absolute school performance, but show each school’s position within its comparator family, which groups schools by contextual factors such as disadvantage. For example, a ranking of 6 out of 10 indicates that a school sits broadly in the middle of its family, rather than underperforming. Chepstow and Monmouth sit within some of the least disadvantaged families in Wales, which is important context when interpreting these positions.

What explains recent improvements in some schools, and what learning can be shared?

Analysis of improvement happens through the annual school improvement cycle, led by the local authority and school improvement partners from September onwards. Schools are expected to interrogate their own data and explain the “why” behind changes in performance to governing bodies. Factors such as staffing changes or long?term absence within departments can have a significant impact in a given year.

Why are some schools experiencing ongoing challenges, and what is being done?

When performance is broken down by the most able, middle?attaining and least?able learners, most Monmouthshire schools perform above expectation across these groups, even when contextual factors are taken into account. For example, one school is performing slightly below expectation for some learner groups, and this is that school’s specific improvement challenge. Understanding the causes of such challenges happens through detailed subject?level analysis within schools and through engagement with governors, rather than being fully captured in the high?level report.

What learning can be taken from stronger?performing schools and applied elsewhere?

Structured sharing of practice takes place through school improvement networks, both within Monmouthshire and across the wider regional partnership. Schools and departments with stronger outcomes share approaches, teaching strategies and practice so that other schools and teachers can learn from them. This work is facilitated by the local authority and its school improvement partners and is part of the ongoing improvement cycle rather than a one?off exercise.

Are there any wider trends or common factors that can be shared?

A key overarching message from the data is that across Monmouthshire, schools generally perform above expectation for the most able learners, and largely above or close to expectation for middle and lower?attaining learners, regardless of the communities they serve. Where variation exists, it is school?specific rather than systemic, and addressed through targeted improvement work rather than broad authority?wide intervention.

Why is the variation greatest in the bottom third?

Variation in outcomes for the lowest?attaining learners is inherently greater because performance at this level is influenced by a wide range of complex and interacting factors. These include curriculum choices, qualification entry patterns, staffing changes within departments, individual pupil circumstances, and how pupils perform in assessments in a given year. Small changes in outcomes for lower?attaining learners can also have a disproportionately large effect on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Sharon Randall-Smith delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered the members’ questions:

Is there any concern that some children recorded as home?educated might not be receiving a suitable education?

There are currently 192 electively home?educated pupils across the authority, and I am confident that these children are receiving a suitable education. Elective home education does not need to replicate school?based provision, provided it enables children to develop appropriate skills and achieve their potential. We have robust monitoring arrangements in place, including a dedicated elective home education officer who maintains regular contact with families, carries out visits where required and provides support. Where concerns arise, which is rare, we have the power to issue a School Attendance Order, although this has not been necessary in the past four years.

What interventions can be put in place to address the gap in attendance between FSM and non-FSM pupils?

The FSM/non?FSM attendance gap, particularly in secondary schools, is a priority area of concern. The gap at secondary level is wider than the Wales average, while the primary gap is smaller than the national picture. Gaps can sometimes widen even when attendance improves overall, particularly if non?FSM attendance rises more quickly. Progress is monitored not just through the size of the gap but also through improvements in FSM attendance levels themselves. Addressing the gap is a consistent focus in individual pupil?level discussions with schools, especially secondaries, with attention given to identifying barriers to attendance and putting appropriate support in place.

Are there any particular concerns that tend to come out of visits to home-schooled pupils, in terms of gaps in education?

No, and because elective home education does not follow a statutory curriculum, it is not assessed against school?based provision. Instead, officers look for evidence that children are developing core skills, particularly literacy, communication, numeracy, inquiry and exploration, including opportunities to develop scientific understanding through planned activities. The authority provides supportive engagement, including shared learning sessions and opportunities for pupils to come together for creative and practical activities. Visits generally confirm that education is suitable and flexible, with pupils making appropriate progress in key skill areas, and that the breadth of experiences available to home?educated learners is often different from, but not inferior to, those in school settings.

Are punitive measures for holiday absences still place and how much discretion is given to headteachers?

The response confirmed that headteachers retain discretion to authorise or refuse term?time holiday absences. The authority’s guidance is that holidays should not normally be authorised, except in exceptional circumstances, and work is ongoing with school clusters to ensure a consistent understanding of what counts as “exceptional” across primary and secondary schools. The authority is not currently issuing fixed penalty notices for unauthorised holidays, reflecting the view that punitive measures do not generally improve attendance. However, this position is kept under review, and there may be limited circumstances in future where such measures are reconsidered. The key distinction remains between authorised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Councillor Bond asked whether the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Act should be included as a future scrutiny item – this was agreed in principle, subject to space on an agenda. – ACTION

The Chair requested that members be invited to the meeting of Governance & Audit committee at which the Panel Performance Assessment of the Council of the Council is tabled. – ACTION

Robert McGowan noted for members that several items have been added to the work programme since the agenda’s publication, including the Chief Executive attending the next meeting to discuss For Purpose On Purpose (FPOP) through the lens of senior?level project management.

Will McLean confirmed that scrutiny of the new Welsh curriculum, as proposed as the last meeting, would be valuable, focusing on how well schools have implemented it and helping Members understand its structures, expectations and the six areas of learning and experience. This overview would then inform wider discussions about the direction of education in Monmouthshire and support future debates around new qualifications as their impact becomes clearer. – ACTION

The minutes were agreed.