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The committee considered progress on a culture plan for Ceredigion and the Year 4 childcare sufficiency assessment, and noted the Quarter 4 financial outturn, feedback from a workstream meeting and its forward work programme. Members noted the reports and the update, and agreed to request further reports on several topics in the work programme.
It agreed to recommend that Cabinet approve a revised Schools Service Health and Safety Policy, as the existing policy had not been updated since 2014. It also noted reports on the Youth Council, the Llettytwppa Farm open day and the committee's forward work programme.
An overview and scrutiny committee checks the work and decisions of the council.
The Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, a council committee that checks services and decisions, met on 12 March 2026 to consider schools, additional learning needs (ALN), religious education, the Youth Council and council finances. It noted the reports and asked for a further report in 12 months on the Yondr phone pouches used in some schools.
The Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the draft 2026/27 council budget, presented by the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Finance. Scrutiny means councillors who sit outside Cabinet checking proposals before decisions are made. The minute records that the committee had considered the report and proposed no additional recommendations to Cabinet, which will consider the budget on 10 February 2026.
The committee received provisional GCSE and A Level results for 2025 and accepted the report as information. It also recommended four documents on school attendance, home education, missing children and penalty notices to Cabinet for approval, and noted reports on catering, finances and school transport.
The committee considered a childcare progress report, a presentation from Mudiad Meithrin, a report on relational practice in schools, and the in-year budget. It agreed to note the childcare and relational practice reports for information. It also agreed that two Education service budgets would come to each future meeting, starting with catering and the Museum.
The committee discussed the council's in-year finances, critical incident arrangements in schools, pupil numbers, the Arts, Culture and Welsh Language Department, and Youth Council minutes. It noted the financial position and the Youth Council minutes, and agreed that it was assured that effective arrangements are in place for critical incidents in schools. It also asked for pupil birth figures from other parts of Wales, asked the Language Committee to consider bilingual social media posts, and asked a police officer to attend a future meeting.
The committee considered two items. It agreed to recommend that Cabinet approve a revised model complaints policy for schools and a new policy on unacceptable actions. It also noted the responses to informal consultations on four rural schools, which brings those consultations to a close.
The Committee heard officers and councillors explain the process followed for proposals to close provision at four rural primary schools in Ceredigion. The evidence covered pupil numbers, transport costs, the Welsh language impact assessment and complaints. The Committee then voted to send a letter to Welsh Government, which had declined to attend, expressing disappointment at its response.
The committee considered the draft 2025/26 budget as it affects the services it oversees.
On 21 November 2024 the Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered reports on additional learning needs and on the Behaviour and Wellbeing Forum. Members agreed to note both reports and the Ceredigion Youth Council minutes, and agreed a training session, visits, and an invitation to Dyfed Powys Police for a future meeting.
The committee heard about Estyn's new inspection arrangements for 2024 to 2030 and the provisional GCSE and A Level results. It also considered a feasibility study on post-16 education and agreed in principle to start adopting Option 2 for September 2026, subject to conditions. The committee also agreed to note its forward work programme.
The Committee considered Estyn's inspection of the Council's education service, eight recent school inspection reports, a childcare progress report, in-year budget monitoring and a consultation on proposals affecting four schools. Members noted these reports and agreed to receive a further report on school attendance and to amend the Committee's forward work programme.
Ceredigion County Council's Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered updates on education partnerships, skills projects and a new schools agreement. The committee agreed to recommend the Partnership Agreement 2024-27 between the council and schools to Cabinet for approval, and noted the other reports.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The committee considered the draft 2024/25 Budget for the services it oversees, including schools and lifelong learning. The budget shortfall is £14.6m, and the committee agreed it had considered the recommendations and that future savings for 2025/26 onwards would go on its scrutiny forward programme.
The committee received updated provisional GCSE and A Level results for 2023 and compared Ceredigion with Wales, and it noted an update on qualification reform for 14 to 16 year olds. It also noted reports on Lampeter childcare, a workstream visit to Cwrtnewydd, and the Youth Council minutes. Members agreed to note each item for information, and no new decisions were recorded beyond noting them.
The committee noted the 2023 GCSE and A Level results, which the council says cannot be compared with earlier years. It agreed to recommend that Cabinet carry out a feasibility study of options for the future of post-16 education, and agreed that the Chair would send a letter of concern to Welsh Government about a likely cut to the council budget.
The committee discussed proposed changes to GCSEs, childcare provision in the county and the e-sgol online learning project. It agreed to send a letter to Qualifications Wales and the Welsh Government about the combined science GCSE, and to ask the Cabinet to explore options for a vacant nursery in Cellan. It also noted the e-sgol report and the forward work programme.
The Learning Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 8 June 2023 to consider the Mid Wales Education Partners, Estyn inspections, transition guidance and the Ceredigion Youth Council. Members noted the Mid Wales Education Partners report and the Estyn inspections. They recommended that Cabinet adopt the transition guidance for Ceredigion schools and settings.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
Summary when the minutes are published, usually a few weeks after the meeting.