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Contact: Sioned Williams 01286 632729
No. | Item |
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APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: Rita Price (Wrexham Diocese),
Jonathan Morgan (Special Schools' Representative), Dr Gwynne Jones (Anglesey
County Council), Steve Vincent (Welsh Government). |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declaration of personal interest. Minutes: No declaration of personal
interest was received by any member present.
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URGENT ITEMS To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration. Minutes: There were no urgent
matters. |
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MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING PDF 165 KB (copy enclosed) Minutes: The minutes of this committee held on 20 July, 2017 were accepted as being a true record |
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FINAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2017 PDF 215 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Host Authority's Head of
Finance presented the report and explained that the Statement had been the
subject of a Deloitte audit, external auditors appointed by the Auditor General
Wales. The Deloitte representative
reported that the Deloitte audit had been completed and that the report,
overall, reflected very well on GwE and the Joint Committee. It was noted that minor changes had been made
to the report, including restructuring a paragraph at the bottom of page 15 and
a typing error in the table on page 31, as raised by Deloitte after the agenda
was sent to the Joint Committee. It was explained that the next
step, subject to the report being accepted by the Joint Committee, would be for
the Chair and the Host Authority's Head of Finance, to sign the Representation
Letter and return to Deloitte. IT WAS RESOLVED: To accept the report as amended. |
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INITIAL REPORT ON REGIONAL PERFORMANCE PDF 309 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Managing Director of GwE
presented the report, and thanked the region's educational staff for their hard
work in achieving the results, with the following points made: §
The results are not final as yet, and could
therefore change. §
Performance in the Foundation Phase has
increased across the region, the largest progress at a national level. However, GwE's performance is lower than
expected within the four consortia (third).
It was noted that further attention is required within the region,
including Conwy and to establish whether there are issues with assessment or
teaching. §
Key Stage 2 performance is very good and GwE has
risen to first position amongst the four consortia. §
Progress at Key Stage 3 has been solid in 2017,
however further support has been identified for Wrexham. §
AT was eager to focus on KS4 results at the
meeting. He emphasised that the GCSE
specifications for English, Welsh, Maths and Science had changed, therefore the
baseline for 2017 is completely new.
Mathematics was identified for improvement. Issues were also noted as regards attracting
Heads of Maths to the region's schools.
Thirty one Heads of Maths have recently been appointed across the
region, which poses a risk for the department's performance unless they obtain
the necessary support. §
It was noted that Key Stage 5 is a national
priority. The data analysis is complex
as the model of delivery varies within authorities across the region. It was noted that the Foundation
Phase is concerning in Gwynedd and requires more attention. It was asked whether the issue of attracting
Heads of Maths is a national problem. It was emphasised that attracting
Heads of Maths to schools is very difficult, however that it proves easier for large
schools as they have retention money.
It was suggested that one solution could be to appoint heads above the
consortium which would allow for the possibility of moving heads around
schools, as necessary - this will require further discussion. It was noted that the Welsh
Government has launched a White Paper consultation on 16+ Education and the
Joint Committee was asked whether there were any members present at the meeting
recently held at St. Asaph concerning the paper. It was noted that the authorities
had not received a White Paper from the Government, and that the region's
authorities had not been consulted. It
was questioned why the Government's consultation had not involved key agencies
in the area, and that the matter was unacceptable. It was confirmed that GwE had
been involved in an initial discussion with the Government on the
consultation. The question was asked regarding
how we will measure our progress this time next year in order to raise
standards and analyse the details. It was explained that GwE will report on live data, i.e. looking at factors such as Heads of Science, course work, and the number of learners who have already been entered for examinations, and analyse this information. GwE will also be working closely with different departments and ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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ESTYN RECOMMENDATIONS PDF 406 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Managing Director of GwE
explained that Estyn would be visiting GwE on 16 October following Estyn's
Regional Inspection, held back in April 2016.
Estyn will be reporting on the progress made against the six recommendations
included in Estyn's report after the inspection in 2016. The meeting of GwE's Joint
Committee will be held on 4 October, 2017 in order for committee members to
express their opinion on the progress made against the six recommendations. IT WAS RESOLVED: To accept the report. |
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GwE STAFF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PDF 242 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: The report was presented by GwE's
Assistant Director, with the following noted: §
GwE's Staff Performance Management Policy has
been revised to better reflect the Regional Business Plan, and the new
accountability and staff structure. §
With the new policy, GwE staff will be subjected
to annual Performance Management every October, to be reviewed on a quarterly
basis to monitor progress. §
The changes will provide more developmental opportunities
for staff, and provide them with more feedback and support to help them achieve
their objectives. It will also enable staff to be more flexible with their
objectives, by enabling them to review and revise their direction, if
necessary, over the course of the year.
IT WAS RESOLVED: To accept the policy. |
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DELIVERING EFFICIENCY SAVINGS TARGET PDF 246 KB Minutes: The report was presented by DLE
and it was noted that there was an efficiency savings target of £131, 967 in
the base budget for 2017/18. He
explained that GwE had a history of under expenditure due to grants being
allocated late in the financial year, and that attributing grant income was an
issue due to administration and execution.
It was accepted that the grants need to be administered better in
future. It was noted that the education
budget has been safeguarded thus far, however what will happen in future if
there will be further cuts. It was noted that it is
impossible to foresee this, and rather to respond to things as they
happen. It was noted that GwE would have
to follow the same course as the local authorities, that is, whatever financial
constraints are put upon the authorities, GwE will have to adapt its
budget. It was emphasised that GwE's
inter-authority agreement sets an agreed funding model. Amended contributions
will have to be agreed by the partners. It was noted that requirements in
service areas, particularly statutory services, affect the budget in other
services. IT WAS RESOLVED: To accept the report. |
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GwE FINANCE REPORT 2017-18 - QUARTER 1 REVIEW PDF 266 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Host Authority's Head of
Finance presented the report noting that an initial review estimated a net
overspend of £10,660 against the budget, and that staff turnover and the period
when the Managing Director was in an interim and part-time position have
resulted in a relatively small one-off underspend. IT WAS RESOLVED: To accept the report. |
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Minutes: The next meeting is due to be
held on 4 October, 2017. It was noted that there has been
one amendment to the meeting dates, and that the February 2018 Joint Committee
will be held on 21 February 2018. |