Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall. View directions
Contact: Elizabeth Patterson 01597 826980 Email: elizabeth.patterson@powys.gov.uk
No. | Item | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Election of Chair for the meeting To elect a Chair for the meeting. Minutes: RESOLVED that County Councillor P Roberts be elected as Chair for the meeting. |
|||||||
Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors Sandra Davies, Les George, Edwin Roderick and Parent Governor Representative Nigel Bufton.
In attendance County Councillors Myfanwy Alexander (Portfolio Holder for Education) and Aled Davies (Portfolio Holder for Finance)
Ian Budd (Director of Education), Joanna Cassey (Interim Head of Learning), Marianne Evans (Senior Manager Schools Transformation), Betsan Ifan (Schools Transformation Programme Manager), Jim Swabey (Heart of Wales Property Services), Nick (Heart of Wales Property Services)
|
|||||||
Declarations of interest To receive declarations of interest from Members. Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
|||||||
Declarations of Party Whips To receive disclosures of prohibited party whips which a Member has been given in relation to the meeting in accordance with Section 78(3) of the Local Government Measure 2011.
(NB: Members are reminded that under Section 78 Members having been given a prohibited party whip cannot vote on a matter before the Committee.) Minutes: There were no disclosures of prohibited party whips which a Member has been given in relation to the meeting in accordance with Section 78 (3) of the Local Government Measure 2011. |
|||||||
Scene setting To receive a briefing from the Director of Education. Minutes: This item was deferred. |
|||||||
21st Century School Programme - Welshpool Primary Project and Ysgol Calon Cymru PDF 119 KB This item was considered at Cabinet on the 19th June 2018 and as a result of questions from a Local Member has been referred to scrutiny for consideration. A copy of the Cabinet Report and questions from the Local Member are attached. Additional documents:
Minutes: This item had been referred to scrutiny at a Cabinet meeting on the 19th June 2018 where the following decision was taken:
Documents considered: · Cabinet Report 19th June 2018 · Scrutiny Briefing · Report to Learning, Skills and Economy Scrutiny Committee
Discussion:
Background
· Schools Transformation in Welshpool started in 2014 looking to transform three infant schools and one junior school (all of poor quality) to two primary schools (one Welsh medium, one English medium) · Welshpool is an area with significant demographic issues · The new schools opened in September 2017 using existing buildings (English medium on three sites and Welsh medium on one site) · Approval is in place under Band A of 21st Century School funding to build a new English Medium School at Salop Road and a new Welsh Medium School on the Ysgol Maesydre site · In spring 2017 Dawnus was appointed as contractor to the two buildings · In March 2018 CADW confirmed that Ysgol Maesydre was to be Listed · The service looked at alternative locations for the Welsh Medium School but no town centre sites in public or private ownership were available · Consideration was given to co-locating the Welsh Medium and English Medium schools on the same site but this was rejected as the site was too constricted · Therefore the service worked with contractor to incorporate the Listed Building into the Welsh Medium School · This has resulted in increased costs and the consequent report to Cabinet which proposes to split the project with the English Medium School continuing under Band A of 21st Century Schools, the Welsh Medium School moving to Band B. It is intended to spend the money now available within Band A to improve the Llandrindod Wells campus of Ysgol Calon Cymru a merged school opening in September 2018.
Reasons for increased costs at Welshpool 21st Century Schools project
· These were given as: o Re-design costs and costs associated with remodelling a listed building; o Economies of scale no longer achievable due to schools now being built sequentially rather than concurrently o Further investigation in to the Welshpool CiW Primary School site identified that the topsoil needs to be removed and re-filled due to a historical use of the land.
Listing · Not identified as at risk from Listing until the letter from CADW was received in December 2017 · Confirmation of Listing was received from CADW in March 2018 · The Schools Service were unsuccessful in opposing the listing of Ysgol Maesydre although were successful in achieving the exclusion of the more recent additions to the property ... view the full minutes text for item 15. |
|||||||
Education Improvement Plan PDF 318 KB To consider the Education Improvement Plan and receive the Estyn Improvement Conference outcome. Additional documents: Minutes: This item was deferred. |
|||||||
Post 16 Review To receive a verbal progress report on the Post 16 Review. Minutes: This item was deferred. |
|||||||
Work Programme Future meetings dates are:
· 19th July 2018 – 9.30am briefing for 10.00am start · 22nd August 2018 – 9.30am briefing for 10.00am start Minutes: The next meetings will be held on:
· 19th July 2018 · 22nd August 2018 |