School improvement arrangements updated after council takes control

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

Council members have been given an update on school improvement arrangements in their borough after the authority took on more responsibility for the service in 2025.

The report was given to Bridgend County Council bosses at an education and youth services scrutiny committee meeting held in June.

They were told how the council had taken a more hands-on approach to school improvements and performance following a transfer from the Central South Consortium.

Changes included the employment of additional “improvement partners” who now work solely for the authority to support local schools in identifying their strategic improvement priorities.

They can also assist in collecting information throughout the year, monitoring it to track progress made and offering enhanced support to the schools that need it.

The report added that collaboration between schools and partners was also being encouraged in order to share effective practice on issues such as attendance and behaviour.

Bridgend county borough currently has 22,364 pupils based across 59 schools.

These are spread across 48 primary schools, nine secondary schools, one pupil referral unit (PRU), and two special schools.

The latest report said: “Following the Welsh Government middle tier review responsibility for school improvement transferred from Central South Consortium to the local authority in September 2025, strengthening local accountability while retaining a strong regional professional learning offer.

“The current model provides universal support to all schools through improvement partners with improvement priorities identified through ongoing self‑evaluation and informed by first‑hand evidence, performance information, and professional dialogue.

“Targeted and enhanced support is provided where progress is insufficient, ensuring timely intervention and sustained improvement.

“Collaboration across clusters, networks, and regional structures remains a strength, supporting progression, transition, and the sharing of effective practice.

“Looking ahead the directorate is developing a new three‑year strategic plan for implementation from autumn 2026 aligned with revised national school improvement guidance published in January 2026.”

The report follows an Estyn report which was published in March and gave praise to the borough’s education services.