To consider the SWAP report.
Minutes:
Documents:
· SWAP Evaluation of the Merger Proposal for Ysgol Calon Cymru
Discussion:
· The Assistant Director, SWAP, outlined the main issues within the report.
o Objectives had been taken from the business case and showed there was a clear mandated framework
o Project Management was in its infancy at the time but was managed within the framework. More robust frameworks are now in place.
o The project had been conducted in line with the five-model business case
o Four areas for change had been identified – quality of education, the need for places and accessibility of those places, resources and financing and Welsh language provision
· Objectives were clearly identified but were neither SMART nor measurable or time bound. It was difficult to assess what success would look like
· There was a strategic fit for the proposal, but a compelling business case had not been provided
· Seven solutions had been identified but the scoring criteria was overly simplistic, and the analysis had not had sufficient detail to enable an informed judgement or challenge to be made
· There was a lack of transparency
· An option was selected and then changed to another option which had previously been rejected as it did not meet the objectives. Limited information was provided and it was not clear how this option would be delivered or how it would improve school standards.
· There had been a lack of financial information regarding the options
· The process continued but there was no updating of financial information provided to reflect changing circumstances including the new Funding Formula
· The School had been expected to deliver the curriculum with reduced funding and a fluctuating budget
· There had been no effective scrutiny of the proposals
· Budget deficits and uncertainty still exist – there remains a disagreement regarding the Funding Formula. Better collaboration and a consistent approach across all schools is needed.
· There was no defined pathway regarding delivery of the proposals
· A limited opinion was given with one priority 1 recommendation
· The Chair summarised that there had been poor planning and a poor business case, with a lack of governance and project control. The report was worrying and should be considered in detail by the Learning and Skills Committee. The Governance and Audit Committee’s role is to assess whether the action plan was sufficiently robust to address the issues raised.
· The Head of Transformation informed the Committee that the senior officers and Cabinet in post at the time of the decision were no longer with the organisation and confirmed that lessons had been learned
· The Chair of the Learning and Skills Committee had been invited to the meeting. In his opinion, many of the issues should have been identified much earlier in the process. The Schools Panel had highlighted the risks and the lack of scrutiny at the time had compounded the issue. There was a clear case for strategic outline cases being considered by scrutiny.
· The current Portfolio Holder for Education agreed with many of the comments made and that the decision made had been poor. Since the Estyn Inspection in 2019 significant improvements have been made as evidenced by the recent PAR review into schools transformation. The Funding Formula for secondary schools has not been as updated as much as the Portfolio Holder would have liked. However, the organisation has improved significantly and the advice of professionals must be heeded when making strategic decisions.
· Funding for schools is driven by pupil numbers and is subject to fluctuation. Schools are offered support by the Finance Team and this improvement is recognised.
· The Head of Transformation reported that a strategy and supporting data had not been in place at the time the decision had been made. This has improved significantly in recent years and all schools’ projects are subject to the 5 case business model. There is much improved scrutiny across the transformation programme. Any project is now subject to an options appraisal, swot analysis alongside extensive consultation. A Transforming Education Board is also in place.
· The Team has improved in knowledge and has received extensive training. External support has also been commissioned to support the preparation of business cases
· The Head of Finance reported that financial analysis is more robust and mature. There is more focus on the expected outcomes. Greater collaboration between teams takes place to provide more constructive challenge
· It was suggested that the Authority should not reject any proposals for future mergers because of this one poor decision. The new Strategy refers to 13 all age schools – if the schools’ estate was based solely upon pupil numbers there would only be a need for 8 high schools and 21 primary schools.
· It was recognised that discussions around schools were emotive but areas that have been subject to transformation have been pleased with the outcomes achieved
· Relationships between teams are stronger and there is greater monitoring of proposals
· At the time of the merger, both Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells High Schools were in Estyn monitoring. Ysgol Calon Cymru has improved significantly since then.
Outcomes:
· The Governance and Audit Committee should monitor progress against actions identified
· The Learning and Skills Committee should be given the opportunity to review the SWAP report
· Scrutiny should take an active part in reviewing proposals to ensure sound decisions can be made
Supporting documents: