8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
We think that's a really important question, because all behaviour with children is communication, isn't it? I do recognise that. One of the things I am looking to put in place is more consistent professional learning around children who are neurodiverse…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Okay.
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Obviously, they're under huge pressures of their own. This is about bringing two really challenged systems together.
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
—that I don't think we should get into the space, though, where we blame health for that?
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Can I just say, Hefin—
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
I do.
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
I think there is a chance to resolve those issues. Obviously, we've got the multi-agency group that's been set up, but what I'm keen to do is make sure that health are a key part of any arrangements I put in place now to drive delivery in this area, and I've…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Thanks, Hefin. As you highlighted, this was a really thorny issue, wasn't it, when the legislation was going through. I do recognise that it is still a big challenge for us to address. As I said, I met the DECLOs last week. I was really struck by how…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
I think we have got the processes in place. The WESPs are a good process, from what I've seen initially; you may have a different view, and I'll be looking at the ones that come in in the summer. We have got a mechanism in place to look in that granular…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
There are geographic issues and local authorities should be addressing this through their WESPs, shouldn't they? As Hannah said, I went to the school where they've got this new resource unit opening that we've funded—it's opening after half term. I asked them…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
I think there is some provision available in special schools, but I don't think it would be consistent. Hannah.
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
It is a priority for me. If people want to educate their children through the medium of Welsh, whether they've got additional learning needs or not, they should be able to do it. We don't want children and young people left behind. I do recognise what you're…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
As you say, Heledd, recruitment and retention are a challenge, and I'm very conscious that it's tough at the moment in schools. Schools are working really hard, they've come out of a global pandemic. We have put a variety of things in place to improve…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Okay. We'll write to you. Just to say that's a mix of implementation money for ALN, but it also includes post-16 funding and capital. And today I've announced an additional £20 million for capital provision to make environments suitable and for equipment et…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Well, it's come from the education main expenditure group. I can give you a breakdown of it, Heledd, if it helps—
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Okay, well, if I can start with your last point, which is the broader education picture that we’ve got. Obviously, it is very challenging, Heledd, and you’re well aware of that. Our budget is worth £700 million less than it was at the time of the last…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Thank you, Heledd, and clearly, that’s an incredibly important point, isn’t it, really? And I, as a constituency MS, have met families who no longer send their children to school because they don’t feel that the school is meeting their needs, and that…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Well, I don't think what I've said is contradictory at all. If I can use the whole-school approach to mental health as an example, I brought, obviously, a lot of my learning from that into this job. So, the whole-school approach to mental health is a…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Okay, thank you. Can I just say, Jack, that I did meet with the ALN reform parents and, obviously, what they said was very concerning? But I was also struck by the fact that they said to me, 'We want to be part of the solution', and it is vital that families…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Well, I want to make sure that all children and young people are supported and there are parallels here with mental health, aren't there really? Because one of the terms that the committee that I chaired termed in mental health was the 'missing middle'. They…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Well, as you say, Jack, the term 'universal provision' isn't in the Act, it isn't in the code, and I know that it was something that the judge highlighted with the committee when she came before you. As I said, I don't think we should assume that universal…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Workload is a huge concern across the school system. It's something we're really focused on. Tackling workload for school staff is a priority. We've got a range of work going on in this space. So, we've got our strategic workload co-ordination group, which is…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Okay. Thank you very much, Jack, and thank you also for the work that you've done through the Petitions Committee to amplify the voices of parents who are concerned about this. I do intend to keep listening to parents, and I'm also keen, in whatever…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Well, you'll be aware that we've had the review of 14-16 provision, and Qualifications Wales have developed a set of proposals in that space, and there'll be new qualifications coming online. It is important that we have the new qualifications align with the…
8 Mai 2024 , Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Gweithredu diwygiadau addysg: sesiwn dystiolaeth
Well, I think there is much, much more flexibility within our Curriculum for Wales for teachers to do that, much more than the national curriculum in England. There is a framework; you've got to have a framework there, otherwise we'd potentially have a…
