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Members considered the council's school balances and medium-term financial plans, and the draft Bright Futures education strategy for 2026 to 2030. They noted both reports and asked for comparative funding and benchmarking information. They also agreed to arrange a workshop and a site visit to the new 3-16 school.
The Scrutiny: Aspirational Merthyr Tydfil committee met to agree its Forward Work Programme for 2026/27, the plan of topics it will look at over the coming year. Members agreed the programme, subject to adding two items they asked for and to ongoing review. They were also told that a Member workshop on the new Education Strategy would be held straight after the meeting.
The committee considered the Council's annual report on its Welsh Language Standards and a progress report on the Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP). Members agreed to put the Welsh Language report on the next Forward Work Programme, the list of topics the committee plans to scrutinise, and asked for more data on Welsh learning, post-16 jobs and additional learning needs.
The Scrutiny Committee considered reports on school attendance and additional learning needs (ALN) and noted its forward work programme. Members said positive progress had been made on attendance.
The scrutiny committee, a council group that checks the Cabinet's work, considered the draft revenue budget (day-to-day spending) for 2026/27. The committee agreed to receive a report on school budgets once individual schools have set theirs for 2026/27.
The main item was a report on safeguarding in schools, which members considered on 5 January 2026. Members asked for clearer statistics in future reports, and officers agreed to send extra data after the meeting. Members also agreed a workshop on 9 February 2026 on school places and service risks.
The committee considered a report on Merthyr Tydfil's public library service. The report says the service met most national standards in 2024/25 but only partly met the standard on opening hours. Members also agreed changes to the work programme, including adding the library strategy action plan to the April 2026 meeting.
Members scrutinised a report on elective home education (EHE), where parents teach their children at home rather than at school. Officers answered questions on enforcement and safeguarding, and members agreed that the Chair and Cabinet Member would write jointly to Welsh Government and the WLGA asking for more funding. Members also considered the draft forward work programme and resolved to identify items to fill its gaps at a workshop on 22 September 2025.
The committee considered its draft work programme for 2025/26, a report on school budgets and three-year financial plans (MTFPs), and a report on progress towards full accreditation for the museum service. It agreed the work programme. The minutes record no decisions on the other two reports, only questions and comments.