Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
School governing bodies have a vital and demanding role to play in the success of our schools. They set the strategic direction for the school, and hold the head teacher to account for the school’s educational and financial performance.


I value the contribution governors make to raising school standards. However, I acknowledge that to be successful they need the necessary skills.


Estyn’s most recent inspection report indicates that many more governors now provide more challenge to school leaders than in the past. However, Estyn also found that governors in around 15% of primary schools and a minority of secondary schools still do not challenge leaders enough. The Task and Finish Group on school governance, established by former Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, considered the fitness for purpose of the school governance framework. It concluded that governing bodies needed to be more skilled in their governance role, and to be able to recruit more widely so that the very best individuals participate in governing schools.


The Group recommended a shift from the current stakeholder model to a “Stakeholder Plus” approach to school governance which would retain the valuable contribution made by the variety of stakeholders in the current school governance model, but the ‘Plus’ aspect would allow governing bodies the flexibility and freedom to recruit additional governors on the basis of skills needed.


In its report “Step Change – A new approach for schools in Wales” the CBI commented that “the focus for composition of governing bodies must be skills \- ensuring the right people with the right skills are in place is the key to effectiveness”. The Report concluded “More freedom should be given to governing bodies to determine their composition based on skills, rather than representative roles such as parent governor, LA governor or staff governor”.


The existing school governance model has been in place since 1996 with few changes. It requires schools to constitute their governing bodies based on numbers of pupils in a school. There is no option to deviate from structures and no consideration need be given to appointing governors for the skills or expertise they can offer. The focus is more on the constituent groups that governors represent rather than the skills they possess.


In the autumn I propose to consult on revisions to the school governance legislative framework to make it more flexible. Under the proposals governors will be appointed for the skills they offer and governing bodies will be able to constitute themselves in a way that meets their specific needs. The stakeholder model will be retained, but with a stronger focus on skilled governing bodies with the flexibility to make their own decisions about their constitution and membership. Governing bodies will be expected to carry out a skills audit of members to identify any gaps in the skills they need to carry out their responsibilities effectively.


I also propose to amend the constitution and membership of governing bodies. Under the proposed arrangements there will be a minimum of 7 governors for all except voluntary and foundation schools. Governing bodies will consist of parent, staff (i.e. teacher and staff combined), local authority, community, foundation, partnership and pupil governors, as well as the head teacher. There will be a new category of ‘Co\-opted governors’ recruited specifically for their skills.


While minimum numbers for voluntary and foundation school governing bodies will be larger as they will retain the requirement for foundation or partnership governors, the intention is there will be no upper limit on the overall size of any type of governing body.


I believe that parents are critical partners in the running of a school. Their continued involvement on governing bodies is crucial to ensuring effective school governance. I propose to keep parent governors who are elected by their peers, rather than being appointed to the governing body. However, I want to go further and extend the category of parent governor so that there will also be appointed parent governors alongside their elected colleagues on all governing bodies.


As the latter will be appointed by the governing body, I believe it is right that \- along with all other appointed governors, appointed parent governors are suitably skilled. Governing bodies will have the flexibility to decide exactly what skills are needed to ensure effective governance for their individual schools when making these appointments.


I also propose to allow parents of former pupils to be appointed as parent governors, as I believe this group may provide a rich source of skilled governors. Crucially, I propose to end the current system whereby governing bodies have restrictions on the number of parent governors they may have.


Governing bodies will have flexibility to have as many parent governors as they wish. The only requirements will be that elected parent governors do not outnumber appointed parent governors, and that all governing bodies must have at least 1 elected and 1 appointed parent governor.


The proposed new framework will give governing bodies the flexibility to increase or decrease their numbers more easily providing they meet the minimum requirements. I also propose to enable governing bodies to appoint ‘associate members’ or non governors to committees, whenever specific expertise or experience is needed. For example, governing bodies may wish to appoint an auditor or accountant as an associate member of their finance committee.


The requirement for an independent person – which currently only applies where a staff disciplinary and dismissal committee is dealing with a matter involving harm to a pupil \- will be extended to all staff disciplinary and dismissal committees, as well as head and deputy head teacher selection committees. This will assist governors in taking the often complex and sensitive decisions dealt with by these committees.


These proposals seek to strengthen the role that school governors play in the delivery of improved outcomes for pupils. The proposals would apply to governing bodies of all maintained schools, including federated schools. The proposals will be subject to a 12 week consultation in the autumn.







Translation:


 
Mae gan gyrff llywodraethu ysgolion rôl hollbwysig a heriol i’w chwarae wrth sicrhau llwyddiant ein hysgolion. Y cyrff llywodraethu sy’n pennu cyfeiriad strategol yr ysgol a nhw sy’n dwyn y pennaeth i gyfrif am berfformiad addysgol ac ariannol yr ysgol.  
  
Rwyf yn gwerthfawrogi’r cyfraniad mae llywodraethwyr yn ei wneud i godi safonau ysgolion. Fodd bynnag, er mwyn bod yn llwyddiannus, rwy’n cydnabod bod angen y sgiliau angenrheidiol arnynt.  
  
Yn ôl adroddiad diweddaraf Estyn, mae llawer mwy o lywodraethwyr bellach yn cynnig mwy o her i arweinwyr ysgolion nag yn y gorffennol. Er hynny, gwelodd Estyn hefyd nad yw llywodraethwyr mewn oddeutu 15% o ysgolion cynradd a lleiafrif o ysgolion uwchradd yn cynnig digon o her i arweinwyr.  
  
Cylch gwaith gwreiddiol Grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen ar lywodraethu ysgolion a sefydlwyd gan y cyn\-Weinidog Addysg, Leighton Andrews, oedd ystyried pa mor addas at y diben oedd y fframwaith llywodraethu. Daeth i’r casgliad bod angen i gyrff llywodraethu fod yn fwy medrus yn eu rôl o lywodraethu a bod angen iddynt fedru recriwtio’n ehangach er mwyn denu’r unigolion gorau oll i gymryd rhan yn y gwaith o lywodraethu ysgolion.  
  
Argymhellodd y Grŵp newid o’r model presennol o randdeiliaid i batrwm yn seiliedig ar “Randdeiliaid a Mwy” wrth lywodraethu ysgolion a fyddai’n cadw’r cyfraniad gwerthfawr y mae nifer o randdeiliaid eisoes yn ei wneud yn rhan o’r model presennol o lywodraethu ysgolion ond lle byddai’r elfen “a Mwy” yn caniatáu i gyrff llywodraethu yr hyblygrwydd a’r rhyddid i recriwtio  llywodraethwyr ychwanegol ar sail y sgiliau oedd eu hangen.  
  
Yn ei adroddiad “Step Change – A new approach for schools in Wales” dywedodd Cydffederasiwn Diwydiant Prydain (CBI) “the focus for composition of governing bodies must be skills \- ensuring the right people with the right skills are in place is the key to effectiveness”. Dyma gasgliad yr Adroddiad “More freedom should be given to governing bodies to determine their composition based on skills, rather than representative roles such as parent governor, LA governor or staff governor”.  
  
Mae’r model presennol o lywodraethu ysgolion wedi bodoli ers 1996 a phrin iawn fu’r newidiadau a wnaed iddo. Yn ôl y model presennol, rhaid i ysgolion ffurfio eu cyrff llywodraethu ar sail niferoedd y disgyblion mewn ysgol. Nid oes opsiwn i wyro oddi ar y strwythurau ac nid oes raid ystyried y sgiliau a’r arbenigedd y gall unigolion eu cynnig wrth benodi llywodraethwyr. Y mae’r pwyslais pennaf ar y grwpiau strwythurol y mae’r llywodraethwyr yn eu cynrychioli yn hytrach nag ar y sgiliau maent yn meddu arnynt.  
  
Yn yr hydref, rwy’n cynnig ymgynghori ar gyflwyno newidiadau i fframwaith deddfwriaethol llywodraethu ysgolion er mwyn ei wneud yn fwy hyblyg. O dan y cynigion, caiff llywodraethwyr eu penodi ar sail y sgiliau sydd ganddynt i’w cynnig a bydd modd i gyrff llywodraethu eu trefnu eu hunain mewn modd a fydd yn bodloni eu hanghenion penodol. Caiff model y rhanddeiliaid ei gadw, ond bydd mwy o sylw yn cael ei roi ar greu cyrff llywodraethu sy’n meddu ar y sgiliau angenrheidiol gyda’r hyblygrwydd i wneud eu penderfyniadau eu hunain am eu cyfansoddiad a’u haelodaeth. Bydd disgwyl i gyrff llywodraethu wneud archwiliad o’r sgiliau sydd gan eu haelodau er mwyn gweld a oes unrhyw fylchau yn ystod y sgiliau sy’n ofynnol iddynt gyflawni eu cyfrifoldebau’n effeithiol.  
  
Cynigiaf hefyd ddiwygio cyfansoddiad ac aelodaeth cyrff llywodraethu. O dan y trefniadau arfaethedig bydd lleiafswm o saith llywodraethwr ar gyfer pob ysgol ar wahân i ysgolion gwirfoddol ac ysgolion sefydledig. Bydd y cyrff llywodraethu yn cynnwys cynrychiolwyr rhieni, staff (hynny yw, cyfuniad o athrawon a staff), yr awdurdod lleol, y gymuned, llywodraethwyr sefydledig, llywodraethwyr partneriaeth a disgyblion lywodraethwyr yn ogystal â’r pennaeth. Bydd categori newydd o ‘Lywodraethwyr Cyfetholedig’ a gaiff eu recriwtio’n benodol am eu sgiliau.  
  
Tra bydd lleiafswm y niferoedd ar gyfer cyrff llywodraethu ysgolion gwirfoddol ac ysgolion sefydledig yn uwch gan y bydd angen iddynt gadw at y gofyniad ar gyfer llywodraethwyr sefydledig a llywodraethwyr partneriaeth, y bwriad yw na fydd terfyn ar fwyafswm y niferoedd ar gyfer unrhyw fath o gorff llywodraethu.  
  
Credaf fod rhieni’n bartneriaid hollbwysig yn y gwaith o redeg ysgol. Mae sicrhau parhad eu cyfraniad ar gyrff llywodraethu yn hanfodol i sicrhau bod ysgolion yn cael eu llywodraethu’n effeithiol. Cynigiaf gadw rhieni lywodraethwyr sydd wedi’u hethol gan eu cymheiriaid yn hytrach na chael eu penodi i’r corff llywodraethu. Fodd bynnag, rydw i am fynd ymhellach ac estyn categori rhieni lywodraethwyr er mwyn cael rhieni lywodraethwyr fydd wedi’u penodi ochr yn ochr â’u cyd\-weithwyr etholedig ar bob corff llywodraethu.  
  
Wrth i’r olaf o’r ddau gael eu penodi gan y corff llywodraethu, credaf ei bod yn briodol, yn ogystal â’r holl lywodraethwyr eraill sydd wedi’u penodi, bod rhieni lywodraethwyr sydd wedi’u penodi’n meddu ar y sgiliau addas. Bydd gan gyrff llywodraethu’r hyblygrwydd i benderfynu pa sgiliau’n union fydd yn ofynnol er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn llywodraethu eu hysgolion unigol yn effeithiol wrth wneud y penodiadau hyn.  
  
Cynigiaf hefyd ganiatáu i rieni cyn\-ddisgyblion gael eu penodi’n rhieni lywodraethwyr gan y credaf y gallai’r grŵp hwn fod yn ffynhonnell gyfoethog o lywodraethwyr medrus. Yn hollbwysig, cynigiaf derfynu’r system gyfredol lle mae terfyn ar nifer y rhieni lywodraethwyr all wasanaethu ar gyrff llywodraethu.  
  
Bydd gan gyrff llywodraethu’r hyblygrwydd i gael cynifer o rieni lywodraethwyr ag y mynnant. Yr unig ofynion fydd na ddylai nifer y rhieni lywodraethwyr fydd yn cael eu hethol fod yn fwy na nifer y rhieni lywodraethwyr fydd yn cael eu penodi. Hefyd, dylai pob corff llywodraethu gael o leiaf un rhiant lywodraethwr sydd wedi’i ethol ac un rhiant lywodraethwr sydd wedi’i benodi.  
  
Bydd y fframwaith newydd arfaethedig yn rhoi i gyrff llywodraethu’r hyblygrwydd i gynyddu neu ostwng eu niferoedd yn haws ar yr amod eu bod yn bodloni’r gofynion o ran lleiafswm y niferoedd. Rwyf hefyd yn cynnig galluogi cyrff llywodraethu i benodi ‘aelodau cyswllt’ neu aelodau nad ydynt yn llywodraethwyr ar bwyllgorau lle bo angen arbenigedd neu brofiad penodol. Er enghraifft, mae’n bosibl y bydd cyrff llywodraethu am benodi archwilydd neu gyfrifydd yn aelod cyswllt ar eu pwyllgor cyllid.  
  
Caiff y gofyniad i gynnwys aelod annibynnol – sydd ar hyn o bryd yn berthnasol yn unig lle bo pwyllgor disgyblu a gwahardd staff yn delio â mater lle bo niwed wedi ei achosi i blentyn – ei estyn i holl bwyllgorau disgyblu a gwahardd staff, yn ogystal â phwyllgorau dewis penaethiaid a dirprwy benaethiaid. Bydd hyn o gymorth i lywodraethwyr wrth gymryd y penderfyniadau cymhleth a sensitif sy’n codi’n aml wrth i’r pwyllgorau hyn ddelio â materion o’r fath.  
  
Diben y cynigion hyn yw cryfhau rôl llywodraethwyr ysgol wrth sicrhau gwell deilliannau i ddisgyblion. Byddai’r cynigion yn berthnasol i gyrff llywodraethu’r holl ysgolion a gynhelir gan gynnwys ysgolion ffederal. Cynhelir ymgynghoriad 12 wythnos ar y cynigion yn yr hydref.