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As Assembly members will be aware Estyn undertook a full inspection of Cardiff’s Local Authority Education Services for Children and Young People (LAESCYP) services in January 2011 and determined that the authority was in need of Estyn monitoring following the outcomes of this inspection.  


A monitoring visit to assess the local authority’s progress was then undertaken in June 2012; this noted that the authority had largely addressed one of the key recommendations from the original inspection and partly addressed the remaining five.  As a result of these findings the authority remained in the follow up category of Estyn monitoring.


As is usual the authority has now been subject to a further monitoring visit by inspectors and I am making this written statement to update members on the outcome of this visit.  The visit itself took place from 10\-14 February 2014 and today Estyn will publish the results of this visit in the form of a letter to the Chief Executive.


It is with a great deal of disappointment that I inform assembly members that following this visit Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (HMCI) is increasing the level of follow\-up activity as she is of the opinion that the authority is in need of Significant Improvement.  


As the monitoring letter highlights, it has been three years since the authority was originally inspected and 20 months since the first monitoring visit.  The inspectors have noted the purposeful leadership of the Cabinet Member for Education and Life Long Learning and that throughout this time she has ensured that the focus of improvement has been maintained appropriately. Her wide\-ranging knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting education have been crucial to the authority maintaining a strong focus on improvement.


However, despite the more robust action that has been taken in recent months; overall, they conclude that most outcomes for children and young people have not improved well enough during the period and not enough progress has been made in many of the areas for improvement such as provision and leadership and management.


In terms of the actual recommendations following the original inspection and the first monitoring visit, Cardiff have fully addressed only one recommendation, largely addressed one other, and only partly addressed the remaining five recommendations.  


As a result the recommendations from the inspection in 2011 and the monitoring visit in 2012 have been revised.  HMCI is of the opinion that in order to bring about improvements the authority should:


 


* Raise standards, particularly at key stage 4;
* Reduce exclusions and reduce the proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training post\-16;
* Make sure that the arrangements for delivering school improvement services challenge and support all schools effectively, in order to improve standards for learners in all key stages;
* Improve the effectiveness of joint planning across the range of partnership working;
* Improve performance management processes to ensure a consistent approach in delivering objectives; and
* Improve the scrutiny of local authority education services and partnership working.


 


I have noted that the inspectorate have highlighted the significant changes in the senior leadership of the authority over the period since the original inspection and first monitoring visit where there was significant turnover in the senior management posts and periods with key posts unfilled.


I therefore take some reassurance from the inspection findings that the current Director of Education (who took up post in August 2013\) has clarified the relationship between the authority and its schools and has taken action to challenge schools more robustly and is working closely with the regional consortia to improvement the quality of monitoring, challenge and support for schools in the authority.  I am also reassured that the current Chief Executive (who took up post in December 2013\) is found to have a sound understanding of the areas for improvement in Cardiff’s education services.  This along with the purposeful leadership of the cabinet member will I hope place the authority in a position to now address the recommendations with urgency and rigour.


Estyn expects the authority to prepare a post inspection action plan to outline the steps they will take to make the necessary improvements within 50 days.  However this plan is not being generated from the results of this visit, as the authority already has plans in place that they are now in the process of revising and updating.  As such I expect and have agreed with the leadership of Cardiff that the revised plan is to be prepared urgently.  I am therefore giving the authority a revised deadline of 10 working days from the publication of this report to submit their revised action plan.  


I also expect that in preparing and taking forward that plan the authority will take advice and guidance from my department which holds a range of expertise linked to work with a number of authorities who have fallen into the Estyn categories of Special Measures and Significant Improvement.


I expect the authority to adopt the good practice evident from a number of my Ministerial Recovery Boards and to ensure that they secure objective, external challenge, advice and guidance as they address their shortcomings.  


In order to support the authority in doing this I commit officials within my department to work with the authority to help, challenge and support them in their improvement journey.  I expect the authority to accept this support and guidance and to work productively with my officials in preparing and actioning their response to the inspection.


Once I have fully considered the authority’s response and taken further advice from HMCI on the robustness of the authority’s plans I will consider whether the authority requires any further intervention using powers available to me as Welsh Minister.  


I will of course continue to update Assembly Members as these matters develop.  


 







Translation:


 
Fel y gŵyr Aelodau'r Cynulliad, cynhaliodd Estyn arolygiad llawn o Wasanaethau Addysg Awdurdod Lleol Caerdydd ar gyfer Plant a Phobl Ifanc ym mis Ionawr 2011 a phenderfynwyd, yn sgil yr arolygiad hwn, fod angen i Estyn fonitro gwaith yr awdurdod. 

Cynhaliwyd ymweliad monitro wedyn i asesu cynnydd yr awdurdod lleol ym mis Mehefin 2012\. Yn ystod yr ymweliad hwn, nodwyd bod yr awdurdod wedi mynd i'r afael yn helaeth ag un o argymhellion allweddol yr arolygiad gwreiddiol ac wedi mynd i'r afael yn rhannol â'r pum argymhelliad arall. O ganlyniad i'r canfyddiadau hyn, parhaodd yr awdurdod yng nghategori monitro dilynol Estyn.

Yn ôl yr arfer, mae'r awdurdod erbyn hyn wedi bod yn ddarostyngedig i ymweliad monitro pellach gan arolygwyr a nod y datganiad ysgrifenedig hwn yw rhoi'r newyddion diweddaraf i aelodau ar ddeilliant yr ymweliad hwn.  Cynhaliwyd yr ymweliad rhwng 10 a 14 Chwefror 2014 a heddiw bydd Estyn yn cyhoeddi canlyniadau'r ymweliad cyntaf hwn ar ffurf llythyr i'r Prif Weithredwr.

Er mawr siom imi, mae'n rhaid imi roi gwybod i aelodau'r Cynulliad fod Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru, yn dilyn yr ymweliad hwn, yn bwriadu cynyddu lefel y gweithgarwch dilynol gan ei bod o'r farn bod angen Gwelliant Sylweddol ar yr awdurdod.

Fel y nodir yn y llythyr monitro, cynhaliwyd yr arolygiad gwreiddiol dair blynedd yn ôl ac mae 20 mis wedi mynd heibio ers yr ymweliad monitro cyntaf. Mae'r arolygwyr wedi nodi arweiniad pwrpasol yr Aelod o'r Cabinet dros Addysg a Dysgu Gydol Oes a'i bod wedi sicrhau, trwy gydol y cyfnod hwn, bod y ffocws ar welliant wedi cael ei gynnal yn briodol. Mae ei gwybodaeth a'i dealltwriaeth eang o'r materion sy'n effeithio ar addysg wedi bod yn hanfodol wrth i'r awdurdod barhau i ganolbwyntio’n benodol ar welliant.

Fodd bynnag, er y camau mwy cadarn a gymerwyd dros y misoedd diwethaf; mae'r arolygwyr, ar y cyfan, yn dod i'r casgliad nad yw'r mwyafrif o ddeilliannau ar gyfer plant a phobl ifanc wedi gwella'n ddigonol yn ystod y cyfnod ac nad oes digon o gynnydd wedi cael ei wneud mewn sawl maes y mae angen ei wella, megis darparu ac arwain a rheoli.

O ran yr argymhellion eu hunain a gyflwynwyd yn dilyn yr arolygiad gwreiddiol a'r ymweliad monitro cyntaf, dim ond un ohonynt y mae awdurdod lleol Caerdydd wedi mynd i'r afael ag ef yn llwyr. Aeth i'r afael ag un arall i raddau helaeth ond yn rhannol yn unig yr aeth i’r afael â'r pum argymhelliad arall.

O ganlyniad i hyn, cafodd yr argymhellion a ddaeth i'r amlwg yn ystod arolygiad 2011 a'r ymweliad monitro a gynhaliwyd yn 2012 eu diwygio.  Er mwyn sicrhau gwelliannau, mae'r Prif Arolygydd o'r farn y dylai'r awdurdod

* Godi safonau, yn enwedig yng nghyfnod allweddol 4
* Lleihau nifer y gwaharddiadau a lleihau cyfran y bobl ifanc nad ydynt mewn addysg, cyflogaeth na hyfforddiant ôl\-16
* Sicrhau bod y trefniadau ar gyfer darparu gwasanaethau gwella ysgolion yn herio ac yn cefnogi pob ysgol yn effeithiol, er mwyn gwella safonau dysgwyr ym mhob cyfnod allweddol
* Gwella effeithlonrwydd cynllunio ar y cyd wrth weithio mewn partneriaeth
* Gwella prosesau rheoli perfformiad i sicrhau bod dull cyson yn cael ei ddefnyddio i gyflawni amcanion
* Gwella'r ffordd y mae gwasanaethau addysg awdurdodau lleol yn craffu ac yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth.

Rwyf wedi nodi bod yr arolygiaeth wedi tynnu sylw at y newidiadau sylweddol a fu ar lefel uwch\-reoli'r awdurdod dros y cyfnod ers yr arolygiad gwreiddiol a'r ymweliad monitro cyntaf pan gafwyd trosiant uchel o ran swyddi uwch\-reolwyr a chyfnodau pan fu rhai swyddi allweddol yn wag.

Mae canfyddiadau'r arolygiad, felly, yn rhoi rhywfaint o sicrwydd imi, gan fod y Cyfarwyddwr Addysg presennol (a ddechreuodd yn ei swydd ym mis Awst 2013\) wedi egluro'r berthynas rhwng yr awdurdod a'i ysgolion a hefyd wedi cymryd camau i herio ysgolion yn fwy cadarn. Mae hefyd yn gweithio'n agosach â'r consortia rhanbarthol i wella ansawdd dulliau o fonitro, herio a chefnogi ysgolion yn yr awdurdod. Mae hefyd yn rhoi sicrwydd i mi y gwelir bod gan y Prif Weithredwr presennol (a ddechreuodd yn ei swydd ym mis Rhagfyr 2013\) ddealltwriaeth gadarn o'r meysydd y mae angen eu gwella yng ngwasanaethau addysg Caerdydd.  Gobeithiaf y bydd hyn, ynghyd ag arweiniad pwrpasol yr Aelod o'r Cabinet, yn ei gwneud hi'n bosibl i'r awdurdod fynd i'r afael â'r argymhellion ar fyrder ac yn drwyadl.

Mae Estyn yn disgwyl i'r awdurdod baratoi cynllun gweithredu ar ôl arolygiad i nodi'r camau y bydd yn eu cymryd i wneud y gwelliannau angenrheidiol ymhen 50 diwrnod. Fodd bynnag, nid yw'r cynllun hwn yn deillio o ganlyniadau'r ymweliad, oherwydd bod gan yr awdurdod gynlluniau eisoes sy'n cael eu diwygio a'u diweddaru ar hyn o bryd. Felly, rwy'n disgwyl i'r cynllun diwygiedig gael ei baratoi ar frys ac mae arweinwyr awdurdod lleol Caerdydd a minnau wedi dod i gytundeb ynglŷn â hynny. Rwy'n rhoi terfyn amser diwygiedig, felly, o 10 diwrnod gwaith o gyhoeddi'r adroddiad hwn iddo gyflwyno ei gynllun gweithredu diwygiedig. 

Wrth i'r awdurdod baratoi'r cynllun hwn a'i roi ar waith, disgwyliaf hefyd i'r awdurdod fanteisio ar gyngor ac arweiniad fy adran sy'n cynnwys amrywiaeth o arbenigeddau sy'n deillio o weithio â nifer o awdurdodau a oedd, ym marn Estyn, angen Gwelliant Sylweddol arnynt neu wedi'u gosod o dan Fesurau Arbennig.

Rwy'n disgwyl i'r awdurdod fabwysiadu'r arferion da sydd gan nifer o fy Myrddau Adfer Gweinidogol a sicrhau ei fod yn derbyn ffynhonnell allanol wrthrychol o her a chyngor ac arweiniad wrth iddo fynd i'r afael â'i ddiffygion.  

Er mwyn cefnogi'r awdurdod i gyflawni hyn, rwy'n rhoi fy nghaniatâd i swyddogion yn fy adran i'w helpu, ei herio a'i gefnogi ar ei daith tuag at wella.  Disgwyliaf i'r awdurdod dderbyn y gefnogaeth a'r arweiniad hwn a gweithio'n gynhyrchiol gyda fy swyddogion i baratoi ymateb i'r arolygiad ac i'w weithredu.

Unwaith imi ystyried ymateb yr awdurdod yn llawn a derbyn rhagor o gyngor oddi wrth y Prif Arolygydd ar gadernid cynlluniau'r awdurdod, byddaf yn ystyried a oes angen ymyrryd ymhellach gan arfer fy mhwerau fel Gweinidog Cymru.  

Byddaf, wrth reswm, yn parhau i ddiweddaru Aelodau'r Cynulliad ar y materion hyn wrth iddynt ddatblygu.