Planning for Education Scrutiny

The Schools Performance Scrutiny Panel will at their meeting on 16 April discuss how the last year has gone and then start to plan the work programme for the coming year. The Panels brief is to provide ongoing challenge to schools performance to ensure that pupils in Swansea are receiving high quality education; and the authority is meeting its objectives in relation to improving school standards and pupil attainment.

The Panel contacted Swansea Councillors, Headteachers and school Governors across Swansea asking them to feed into the work programme including asking for input on:

1. What they think the Council’s Schools Performance Scrutiny Panel should look at over the coming year?
2. What issues they believe are most important in education at the moment?
3. Whether there areas of education that councillors could look at that they believe would help make a difference and add value?

 Some of the issues suggested include, for example:

• Progress of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum
• Monitoring of the affects of budget cuts in education
• Free School meals pupil performance and narrowing the gap
• Looked after children and educational performance
• Improving the teaching environment and 21st Century schools

The Panel will meet on the 16 April to look at all the suggestions made, discuss and agree those to be included in their work programme.

If you would like any further information on the Schools Performance Panel or Scrutiny more generally you can visit our website at www.swansea.gov.uk/scrutiny or email scrutiny@swansea.gov.uk