Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member – Councillor Cemlyn Williams

To consider a report on the above.

To accept the report and to note the observations received, while also hoping to have an update on this later on in the year.

Officers of the Education Department and GwE were welcomed to the meeting.

Submitted – the report of the Cabinet Member for Education detailing the Accelerated Learning Programme Grant received by schools to assist pupils as a result of Covid.

The Senior Manager for Schools detailed the background and conditions of the grant, noting that the total funding allocated to Gwynedd schools was approximately £2,220,440. 

The GwE Core Leader - Primary, referred to the Regional Grant Planning Dashboard created by GwE to support schools to plan effectively for the spending of the grants, whilst also providing an overview of the primary school schemes.  Then, the GwE Core Leader - Secondary, gave an overview of the secondary school schemes.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and make observations.

It was suggested that once the schools have had the opportunity to fully utilise the grant, it would be beneficial to receive a summary of the views of headteachers, teachers and pupils who have benefited from the additional support, so that the impact of the grant can be quantified.  It was also suggested that it would be useful to have a summary of the good practice highlighted by GwE Core Leaders.

In response, it was explained that the headteachers were expected to submit information to the Education Department and GwE in the autumn term about the impact of the grants, and that this could be brought before the scrutinisers at that time.  It was also noted that the Welsh Government was keen to obtain examples of the good practice referred to, so that it could be shared nationally.

In conclusion, the Cabinet Member for Education emphasised the importance of ensuring consistency of provision across the county.  He expressed his appreciation of the work carried out, but agreed that neither GwE nor the Department was in a position to provide a full update at this time.  He further noted that he was aware of the activities that had been conducted, and that sharing good practice was a very important element of this.

RESOLVED to accept the report and to note the observations received, while also hoping to have an update on this later on in the year.