Caerphilly County Borough Council is aiming to improve achievement in schools, with pupil attendance on the up.
The Pupil Aspiration Board has been set up by Caerphilly County Borough Council to share the best practices in schools and foster a culture of change.
The council announced in their education scrutiny committee last month that they had moved ten places up in the school attendance rankings from 17th to seventh.
The improvement in attendance has led to a shift in focus on improving attainment in schools in the local authority area.
The chief education officer Keri Cole said that it was important to tackle attendance first.
She said: “It all starts with pupils turning up.
“Schools have worked very hard with families to help improve the attendance levels.”
The next step for the council is the creation of the Pupil Aspiration Board, which met for the first time this month.
The board includes primary and secondary headteachers, welfare experts and an Education Achievement Service representative.
A report on free school meal (FSM) students said that the board would create a growth culture which drives the belief that the children can do better than expected and make a significant difference.
The council’s strategic lead for school improvement Paul Warren said that the idea was born out of a national initiative.
He said: “The board will primarily focus on secondary school FSM pupils, as those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds tend not to do as well.
“One example of where best practices could be used to help students is in a Caerphilly secondary school where a reading group was created to help FSM pupils catch up.”
The board contains three secondary headteachers and one primary school headteacher, but over time the board is expected to grow.
The council is hoping that it can eventually involve all schools in the borough in some capacity.