Issue - meetings

The Gwynedd Schools Strategy 2026 - 2036 (Appendix 1) was approved, and authority was delegated to the Cabinet Member for Education, in consultation with the Head of Education, to make insignificant and editorial changes to the Strategy prior to its formal publication, provided that those changes do not materially affect the content, strategic direction, priorities or financial implications of the Strategy.

The report was presented by Cllr Dewi Jones.

DECISION

The Gwynedd Schools Strategy 2026 - 2036 (Appendix 1) was approved, and authority was delegated to the Cabinet Member for Education, in consultation with the Head of Education, to make insignificant and editorial changes to the Strategy prior to its formal publication, provided that those changes do not materially affect the content, strategic direction, priorities or financial implications of the Strategy.

DISCUSSION

It was explained that the previous Strategy had ended and that it was crucial that another strategy was put in place for the next decade.

It was highlighted that lengthy discussions had been held in relation to the Strategy, and that the views of the sector, the education workforce and the County Children and Young People's Forum had also been sought. 

The importance of this Strategy was emphasised to highlight the Council's vision and ambition for the next decade. The document outlined the challenges facing the County, and the importance of the Authority and the public being aware and alert to those challenges was noted.

The Chair of the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee was welcomed to the meeting to present the Committee's recommendations. The Strategy was identified as being a key document to inform the direction of education in the County and it was explained that the Committee believed that some elements of the Strategy needed to be reinforced before moving forward. It was reported that the well-being and safeguarding of children and young people needed to be more clearly incorporated into the document, and that there was a call to ensure that the child's voice was central to planning. Amendments had been made to the document in light of these recommendations, which were welcomed. In reference to inequality, it was noted that there was a lack of clear measures to assess the impact of strategic decisions on the most vulnerable learners. It was also explained that the Committee had discussed the persistent difficulties with recruiting and retaining the workforce, adding that more emphasis was needed on workforce planning to ensure long-term sustainability.

The further recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee, as noted in the report, were then explained.

It was confirmed that all recommendations made by the Scrutiny Committee had been addressed in the report.

Observations arising from the discussion:

·       When referring to the change in the area's demographics, it was asked whether this Strategy provided a solution to the challenge of recruiting and planning the workforce. In response, it was noted that this Strategy did not cover all aspects of the area and that several other strategies and procedures covered those aspects. References were made to other challenges such as language medium, the need for teachers to teach several subjects, and a number of young people in the County moving away. There was acknowledgement that these challenges were not unique to Gwynedd, and that they received ongoing attention in the Strategy.

·       There was disappointment and disbelief that a total of only 19 responses had been received to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7