Appointment of school governors
Decided: The meeting approved the appointment of school governors (people who help oversee a school), as set out in the agenda pack.
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Welsh councils this month made decisions on school closures and openings, special school space, and school repairs, while budgets and additional learning needs (ALN) funding remained pressure points. Carmarthenshire, Powys, Merthyr Tydfil and Swansea took some of the main decisions.[7][8][4][2][5]
Written in November 2026 from council records since 20 September 2026, open consultations and official sources. Written automatically, then checked: every point names its sources and every figure appears in them. Follow the links to check anything before relying on it.
Councils run community schools, fund every state school, provide school transport and support pupils with additional learning needs. They plan school places, including Welsh-medium places under a ten-year plan.
The Cabinet decides on school changes, such as opening, closing or merging schools, after a formal consultation. Head teachers and governing bodies run each school day to day.
Proposals to change a school must be consulted on, and anyone can respond. Parents can also become school governors.
| Council | Items | With a decision |
|---|---|---|
| Powys | 102 | 75 |
| Carmarthenshire | 93 | 74 |
| Pembrokeshire | 67 | 60 |
| Swansea | 64 | 41 |
| Flintshire | 63 | 48 |
| Cardiff | 53 | 50 |
| Caerphilly | 53 | 0 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 52 | 46 |
| Monmouthshire | 48 | 12 |
| Ceredigion | 44 | 38 |
| Gwynedd | 43 | 38 |
| Newport | 43 | 22 |
| Vale of Glamorgan | 42 | 28 |
| Conwy | 40 | 36 |
| Neath Port Talbot | 39 | 28 |
| Wrexham | 36 | 32 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 29 | 24 |
| Blaenau Gwent | 27 | 25 |
| Denbighshire | 22 | 17 |
| Bridgend | 18 | 0 |
| Torfaen | 10 | 7 |
Decided: The meeting approved the appointment of school governors (people who help oversee a school), as set out in the agenda pack.
Decided: Cabinet agreed to circulate the revised model pay policy for 2025/2026 to governing bodies for adoption. It delegated authority to the Director for Education to agree future revisions and recommend them to governing bodies.
Decided: Cabinet approved submitting the Outline Business Case for the Milford Haven schools redevelopment to Welsh Government. It delegated authority to the Director of Education to make minor refinements that do not change the preferred option or cost. It also approved the updated budget and its provision in the capital programme.
Decided: Cabinet noted and endorsed the minutes of the Strategic Programme Board's meetings on 4 March and 29 April 2026.
Decided: Cabinet approved the award of the contract to Wynne Construction, through the North Wales Construction Partnership, to design and then build the project. The award covers stage one, pre-construction work, and Cabinet confirmed it had read and taken account of the well-being impact assessment.
RESOLVED to recommend that Council approve the following amendments from the beginning of the new administrative term in 2027: • Merging the 50+ Member Champion role within the Age Friendly Member Champion role; • Merging the Biodiversity Champion with that of the Sustainability to include Conservation and Climate Change; • Merging the Equalities and Diversity Member Champion roles; • Amending the title of the Member Champion for Domestic Violence to Member Champion for Domestic Abuse; • Removing the reference to Member Champion for Member Development; • Removing the reference to Member Champion for Public Health; • Removing the reference to Member Champion for Health and Safety; • Amending the title of the Member Champion for Learning Disabilities to Member Champion for Additional Learning Needs; • Create a new ‘Rural’ Member Champion role; • Retaining the following Member Champion roles: o Member Champion for Anti-slavery and ethical employment; o Armed Forces Member Champion; o Member Champion for Carers; o Member Champion for Children and Young People; o Combating Poverty Member Champion; o Digital Champion; o Member Champion for Mental Health; o Menopause Member Champion; and o Peace Ambassador.
Decided: The Leader confirmed the Cabinet, with Cllr Sarah Merry as Deputy Leader and for Education. Other portfolios include Finance, Modernisation and Performance (Cllr Leonora Thomson) and Social Services (job share by Cllrs Ash Lister and Norma Mackie).
RESOLVED · To accept the contents of the report · That an update on a report published by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) and Estyn - a Joint Inspection (November 2025) be submitted to the Committee meeting in July 2026 Note: Use the word 'implemented' rather than 'delete' in the report to highlight a more positive position
RESOLVED · To accept the report and support the actions that have already been agreed with the relevant services - a specific request to revisit Fleet - Fuel Consumption arrangements. · To call in School Transportation, Breakfast Clubs and Fire Arrangements before the Service Improvement Working Group to examine the concerns in greater detail. · To nominate Rhys Parry (Chair), Dewi Lewis (Vice-chair) and Councillors Richard Glyn, Menna Baines and Ioan Thomas, as members of the Working Group · That a report on Category Management – Environmental is to be submitted to the Committee
Decided: The committee agreed to note the programme. It also agreed that a progress report on Llettytwppa Farm and an update on Option 2 of the Post 16 Education Review should come to the November meeting.
Decided: The committee agreed to note the update and to continue its support for the partnership work and preventative services in schools.
Decided: The committee agreed that it had considered the report and recommended that Cabinet approve the policy.
Decided: Councillor Giles Morgan was elected Chair of Carmarthenshire County Council for 2026/27, unanimously. He made his declaration of acceptance of office and was invested with the Chain of Office.
Decided: The Council unanimously appointed chairs and vice-chairs for its five scrutiny committees and its other committees for 2026/27. Giles Morgan will chair the Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee, and Tyssul Evans will chair the Planning Committee.
Decided: Cabinet approved closing the Cradoc campus from 31 August 2026. Pupils at Cradoc will move to the school's campuses in Brecon.
Decided: Council approved 22 appointments to governing bodies, 18 of them reappointments and 4 of them new appointments.
Decided: Council appointed Councillor Dimitri Batrouni as Leader, on a nomination by Councillor Clarke, seconded by Councillor Lacey. The Leader then named his Cabinet: Deb Davies (Deputy Leader, Education and Early Years); Laura Lacey (Social Services); James Clarke (Regeneration and Business Growth); Saeed Adan (Housing and Planning); Emma Stowell-Corten (Communications and Culture); Yvonne Forsey (Climate Change, Waste and Recycling); Rhian Howells (Assets and Infrastructure); and Jason Hughes and Mark Spencer (Communities and Sport).
Decided: The item was deferred to the next meeting of the Committee.
Decided: The Committee noted the attendance and exclusion data for Flintshire schools and the action officers are taking to support better engagement. A further recommendation from Councillor Alasdair Ibbotson, seconded by Councillor Fran Lister, asking for an assessment of how reliable attendance figures are, was lost in a vote.
Decided: The Committee noted the report and the progress made in the past year to engage schools and learners on climate action.
Decided: The Committee noted the 2025 learner outcomes in Flintshire, as set out in the report. Officers will circulate information on the ratio of devices to pupils, and will review and explain a 77% completion rate for A Level pupils.
Decided: The Committee deferred this item to the call-in meeting, a meeting that reviews a council decision before it takes effect.
Decided: The Cabinet agreed to commission the Chief Executive, with the Council Leader, to proceed with the further investigations and reviews listed in part 4 of the report, and to appoint independent investigators where needed. It authorised the Chief Executive to divert staff to support the investigators and to approve allocations from the 2026-27 One-Off Bids fund to pay for them. It also authorised the Chief Executive to keep communicating with other bodies about their own investigations.
Decided: The Cabinet accepted the final financial position for 2025/26 and approved one-off financial help for the departments that overspent, so that the overspend carried forward by each is limited to £100k. It also approved a bid of up to £800k for emergency accommodation in 2026/27, moved £6.6 million to the Council's general balances, and moved £1.5 million to the Building Safeguarding Fund.
Decided: Cabinet approved in principle inviting the Eisteddfod yr Urdd to Ceredigion in May 2029, a contribution of £200,000 to the Urdd, and a budget of up to £300,000 for the Council's presence on the Maes and to cover Council fees.
Decided: Cabinet approved the revised Ceredigion Council Schools' Welsh Language Policy.
Decided: The Committee agreed its Forward Work Programme for 2026/27 and agreed that it be published on the Council's website. It will consider future Task & Finish reviews, which are short inquiries by small groups of Members, once the current review into the impact of difficult budget decisions on schools is complete. It acknowledged the status of existing Task & Finish recommendations and asked for an update in November 2026 on implementation and a tracking system. It asked for site visits to Llantwit Major School, Youth Services and Flying Start, and for other school visits to be co-ordinated by the Vice-Chair and Democratic Services. The Chair asked for a report on Llantwit Major School, which has been placed under special measures.
RESOLVED to appoint Sally Llewellyn as Head of School Improvement and Learning.