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Leaving a regional school improvement service hands Caerphilly County Borough Council a “generational opportunity” to take more control of educational performance, cabinet members have heard.
The council has confirmed it will withdraw from the Education Achievement Service (EAS) and bring school support and professional development back “in-house”.
Caerphilly will follow the majority of Wales’ local authorities in moving away from their own regional collaborations – but the council expects Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen to remain in the EAS.
Why is Caerphilly in Gwent?
Caerphilly County Borough was formed on April 1, 1996, by the merger of the Rhymney Valley district of Mid Glamorgan with the Islwyn borough of Gwent.
Administratively, for local services such as the police and health, the borough now falls under a wider region referred to as Gwent. This comprises the council areas of Caerphilly, Newport, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire.
A Welsh Government-commissioned review found “clear” support among school leaders and councils nationwide for more direct control over their schools, a Caerphilly Council cabinet report notes.
Keri Cole, Caerphilly’s director of education, called the withdrawal a “big decision” but one that is “right for children in our authority”.
The council will “build on the expertise we know we have”, and manage education “holistically” within the county borough.
Nicola Davies and Martin Hulland, the headteachers of Nant Y Parc Primary and Risca Comprehensive schools, respectively, also spoke in support of the move at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday April 30.
“I think it’s going to be more supportive for schools,” Ms Davies said of the new approach.
Cllr Carol Andrews, the cabinet member for education, asked about changes to professional learning opportunities for education staff.
Ms Cole said Caerphilly will continue to access professional learning through the EAS during the two-year withdrawal period.
After that, the council will “strip back” the service to focus on the “clear priorities” put forward by headteachers – namely managing behaviour, additional learning needs support, and literacy and numeracy.
Council chief executive Richard Edmunds called the withdrawal from the EAS a “fantastic opportunity for school improvement” and said there was a “really genuine excitement about what lies ahead”.
“It’s the best thing we can do for our learners and our staff,” he added.
Deputy leader Cllr Jamie Pritchard, chairing the meeting, added the withdrawal “seems very positive”.
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