Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
The 22 Council Leaders have given a commitment that education is their number one priority and that they would move to regional school improvement services from September 2012\.  


I agreed to an independent review to test the consortia’s readiness to deliver shared school improvement services on a regional basis with a focus on the progress being made in implementing consortia arrangements, reflection on progress and the sharing of lessons learned, the identification of priorities for action and inform the  development of future policy.  The review was based on a series of ‘tests’ designed to evaluate the progress each region has made against the commitments and milestones set out in their business cases in relation to the three key aspects of delivery, leadership, capacity and systems.


The overall conclusion of the review team is that there is evidence of a strong commitment to making the new regional arrangements work, that those involved in each consortium have been working hard to ensure effective delivery, and there are encouraging signs of progress and indications of the potential benefits of the new arrangements.   Each consortium has areas of strength but it is clear even from the snapshot view from this review that there is evidently much more work to be done.  This is urgent and must be prioritised if consortia are to progress and build on what has been achieved to date.


There are key messages from the review which are important for the future development of consortium working.  I expect consortia to take note of these key messages and address them.


 


* Consortia must clearly articulate what they will be delivering, through their work with schools and local authorities that will lead to improvement in teaching and learning in schools, and result in raising standards.
* System leaders have a key role to play and consortia must consider how to grow the relatively limited pool of talent from within Wales.
* While addressing this, the central role of schools must not be forgotten and consortia must maximise the involvement of school\-to\-school support within regional delivery.


 


The consortia must now turn their attention to moving ahead with pace and urgency, embedding systems and governance arrangements, improving communications and developing the effectiveness of system leader engagement with schools and head teachers.


The expectations of system leaders are high.  They are vitally important to the successful delivery of our three education priorities and the delivery of the national implementation plan – Improving Schools.  They will, therefore, require continuous professional development and training.  The perception and quality of system leaders and their interaction with schools and head teachers needs to grow and continue to improve.  


We will continue to work with consortia to deliver system leaders training to national standards, which must be sustainable.  I also expect consortium to identify and share good practice between the four regions, something they have failed to do to date.  


Each consortium will be expected to produce an action plan that will set out what steps they will take to address the areas of development identified from the review. The review findings will also form part of the evidence that Robert Hill is collecting.  


A copy of the review can be found on the Welsh Government website.


 


 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
Mae’r 22 o Arweinwyr y Cynghorau wedi rhoi ymrwymiad mai addysg yw eu blaenoriaeth cyntaf, ac y byddant yn defnyddio gwasanaethau rhanbarthol gwella ysgolion o fis Medi 2012\.

Cytunais i gynnal adolygiad annibynnol i brofi parodrwydd y consortia i ddarparu gwasanaethau gwella ysgolion yn rhanbarthol gan ganolbwyntio ar ddatblygu’r gwaith sydd wedi'i wneud hyd yn hyn i weithredu'r trefniadau consortia, ystyried y datblygiadau, rhannu'r gwersi a ddysgwyd, nodi blaenoriaethau ar gyfer gweithredu a llywio’r gwaith o ddatblygu polisïau ymhellach yn y dyfodol. Roedd yr adolygiad ei hun yn seiliedig ar gyfres o 'brofion' a luniwyd i werthuso cynnydd pob rhanbarth yn erbyn yr ymrwymiadau a'r cerrig milltir a nodwyd yn eu hachos busnes mewn perthynas â’r dair agwedd allweddol ar y broses weithredu sef arweinyddiaeth, capasiti a systemau.

Casgliad cyffredinol tîm yr adolygiad yw bod tystiolaeth o ymroddiad cryf i sicrhau bod y trefniadau rhanbarthol newydd yn gweithio, a bod y rheini sy'n rhan o bob consortia wedi gweithio'n galed i sicrhau bod y trefniadau’n cael eu gweithredu’n effeithiol, a cheir arwyddion o gynnydd ynghyd ag arwyddion o fanteision posibl y trefniadau newydd. Mae gan bob consortiwm gryfderau ond mae'n glir hyd yn oed o gipolwg ar yr adolygiad hwn bod llawer iawn o waith ar ôl i'w wneud. Mae angen gwneud y gwaith hwn ar frys a’i flaenoriaethu er mwyn i'r consortia allu datblygu ac adeiladu ar yr hyn a gyflawnwyd hyd yn hyn.

Mae negeseuon allweddol yn deillio o'r adolygiad sy'n bwysig er mwyn datblygu’r gwaith consortiwm yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n disgwyl i'r consortia nodi'r negeseuon allweddol hyn a'u gweithredu.

* Rhaid i'r consortia ddatgan yn glir beth fyddant yn ei gyflawni drwy eu gwaith gydag ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol i wella'r addysgu a'r dysgu mewn ysgolion a chodi safonau.
* Mae gan arweinwyr systemau rôl allweddol i’w chwarae, a rhaid i'r consortia ystyried sut i gynyddu'r gronfa gymharol gyfyngedig o ddoniau yng Nghymru.
* Wrth ymdrin â hyn, rhaid peidio ag anghofio rôl ganolog yr ysgolion a rhaid i'r consortia fanteisio i’r eithaf ar gydweithio rhwng ysgolion o fewn cyflenwi rhanbarthol.

Rhaid i'r consortia ganolbwyntio nawr ar symud ymlaen yn gyflym i wreiddio eu systemau a'u trefniadau llywodraethu, gwella cyfathrebu a sicrhau bod arweinwyr systemau'n cydweithio'n effeithiol gydag ysgolion a phenaethiaid.

Mae disgwyliadau'r arweinwyr systemau'n uchel. Maent yn hanfodol bwysig er mwyn gweithredu ein tair blaenoriaeth addysgol a'n cynllun cyflawni \- Gwella Ysgolion. Bydd arnynt angen datblygiad proffesiynol parhaus a hyfforddiant. Mae angen datblygu a pharhau i wella'r canfyddiad o arweinwyr systemau a'u hansawdd, a hefyd y modd y maent yn rhyngweithio ag ysgolion a phenaethiaid.  

Byddwn yn parhau i weithio gyda'r consortia i sicrhau bod yr hyfforddiant ar gyfer arweinwyr systemau yn bodloni safonau cenedlaethol, ac yn gynaliadwy. Rwyf hefyd yn disgwyl i'r consortia nodi a rhannu arferion da rhwng y pedwar rhanbarth, rhywbeth y maent wedi methu â’i wneud hyd yma.  

Bydd disgwyl i bob consortia lunio cynllun gweithredu a fydd yn amlinellu pa gamau y byddant yn eu cymryd i fynd i'r afael â'r meysydd datblygu a nodwyd yn yr adolygiad. Bydd canfyddiadau yr adroddiad hefyd yn llunio rhan o’r dystiolaeth y mae Robert Hill yn ei gasglu.

Mae copi o’r adolygiad i’w gael ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru.