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Failing schools plan is presented Action plan over failing schools
(about 6 hours later)
Denbighshire education authority is due to present a draft action plan to the education watchdog Estyn later. Denbighshire's top council official has rejected calls for the education minister to intervene over the county's education problems.
It follows a damning inspection report which said education services in the county had shortcomings. Chief executive Ian Miller spoke as the council sent a draft action plan to education watchdog Estyn, after damning reports on its education services.
It also found "ineffective" political leadership at the council and failures to address poor performance. Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones said she was not convinced the plan would work, and again urged the minister to step in.
Estyn will provide Denbighshire with feedback on the content of the plan and indicate whether or not the actions are suitable within two to three weeks. Estyn will consider the plans before responding within two to three weeks.
Education minister Jane Hutt has already warned the authority she could intervene unless standards improve. But Mr Miller said it "would be the wrong course" for Jane Hutt to intervene.
If the action plan it is judged to be inadequate, it will be returned to the local authority for amendment. In the 40-page report, the council claims it will raise standards and school attendance rates within the next five years.
Process We're now reasonably confident that this will persuade the minister and Estyn that intervention would be the wrong course of action this time Ian Miller, chief executive
At a crisis meeting in October, the council accepted "radical change" was needed to improve education in the county, and said it would "rigorously implement" the Estyn action plan. Other key targets include reducing exclusions from schools, improving leadership and management, and introducing a minimum of £700,000 additional funding in 2008-2009.
Ian Miller, Denbighshire's chief executive, approved the draft for submission to the Welsh Assembly Government and Estyn by the 5 November deadline. But Ms Jones told BBC Radio Wales: "The action plan is written nicely, there are lots of warm words and phrases there, but I believe it lacks capacity to actually deliver what it's meant to."
Extensive consultation has been carried out with schools, governors, councillors, staff and external partners and will continue throughout the process. She said she still believed Ms Hutt should intervene in the education authority to prevent "uncertainty" for teaching staff.
Estyn's 35-page report said children's educational performance was below average at the ages of seven, 11 and at 16 when they take their GCSEs. She added: "I called for special measures from the word go, as soon as the damning report came out from Estyn, and I haven't seen anything that's made me feel I need to change my view."
In 2006, Denbighshire also came 19th of the 22 authorities in Wales for the percentage of students gaining two AS/A levels. "Weaknesses"
Mr Miller, who submitted the 40-page action plan to the Welsh Assembly Government and Estyn, said: "We acknowledge that there are weaknesses and that we need to improve.
"We're talking about substantial change more than carrying on with how things were, because obviously we were being criticised for how things were, so we need to change.
"We don't want to have intervention. Intervention could involve councillors being removed altogether from decision-making on education in Denbighshire and that's not something they want to contemplate.
"We're now reasonably confident that this [action plan] will persuade the minister and Estyn that intervention would be the wrong course of action this time."
Rhiannon Hughes was ousted after losing a vote of confidenceRhiannon Hughes was ousted after losing a vote of confidence
Education Minister Jane Hutt has described the shortcomings as "unacceptable". Ms Hutt has already warned the authority she could intervene unless standards improve.
Denbighshire Council said it had already begun to address some of the issues and had begun to invest £470,000 a year from 2006-07 on to improve attainment at Key Stage level 3. The Estyn report, published in September, found "ineffective" political leadership at the council and failures to address poor performance.
It also said it had improved partnership working with the social services and tackled leadership problems at schools with the worst under attainment. Estyn's 35-page report said children's educational performance was below average at the ages of seven, 11 and at 16 when they take their GCSEs.
Former authority leader Rhiannon Hughes was ousted after a no confidence vote, following the reports. At a crisis meeting in October, the council accepted "radical change" was needed to improve education in the county.
In 2006, Denbighshire came 19th of the 22 authorities in Wales for the percentage of students gaining two AS/A levels.
The local authority's former leader Rhiannon Hughes was ousted after a no-confidence vote, following the Estyn report.
She and her cabinet were removed from office following a council vote on 22 October.She and her cabinet were removed from office following a council vote on 22 October.
Hugh Evans looks set to be the next leader of Denbighshire and he faces a council vote on Tuesday.Hugh Evans looks set to be the next leader of Denbighshire and he faces a council vote on Tuesday.
The education watchdog is expected to say within three weeks whether it considers Denbighshire's action plan adequate or if it will be returned to the local authority for amendment.