Can Powys afford extra support for schools?

Concerns have been raised about whether the education service in Powys has sufficient funds to employ the staff required to go out and help improve schools in the county.

The issue was raised by councillors who are aware the department is supposed to make £400,000 worth of cuts and savings this year.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee, councillors and lay members received a report on school standards and improvement.

The report included the education service’s integrated business plan (IBP) which is a response on how the council will try and change things to improve education in the county over the next five years.

It is also part of the council’s respond to a scathing Estyn inspection report into the education department published in March.

One of the mechanisms that the department will use to help improve the standard of education in schools is to send advisers in to “challenge” them.

Committee chairman Cllr Gwynfor Thomas (Conservative) said: “On challenge advisers, it’s important to understand do we have enough resource and capacity within our advisor’s to support and physically get round all the schools.

“Will you be confident come September that you do have enough resources, as it’s an important consideration for us.”

If the answer is no, Cllr Thomas said that the committee would need to consider bringing “political pressure” to bare on the Liberal Democrat/Labour cabinet to ensure they have enough resources to “deal with it.”

Head of school improvement and learning Anwen Orrells said: “We are looking at this and the demand from September and how many secondment opportunities for potential vacancies is something we’re working on at the moment.”

Cllr Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) said: “If my memory serves me right there is a £400,000 saving proposal for the central staffing budget for the service identified in the Medium Term Financial Strategy (budget).

“I wonder how does this impact on that £400,000 and whether that saving target will be achieved in this year.”

Director of education Dr Richard Jones said: “We are on track to meet that saving.”

He explained that the internal structure in the department has “changes” but the savings target “remains.”

Dr Jones said: “The key for us is to have the right structure which can deliver for us on the actions of the IBP.

“There will be alterations within the service there will also be some new roles added into which we will be advertising externally and internally.”

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service