Written - Legislative Competence Order - School Governance

The National Assembly for Wales has legislative competence in relation to many aspects of education and training.  At present Field 5 of Schedule 5 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Education and Training) is well populated with Matters.  This Legislative Competence Order provides a way of completing a gap in Field 5 by adding three new Matters in relation to School Governance.

The proposed Order, if approved, would extend the field of competence in relation to education and training to include:-

• Conduct and governance of maintained schools
• Securing collaboration between persons or bodies with functions relating to maintained schools
• Conferring of authority on governing bodies (or persons or bodies with functions in relation to maintained schools) to establish a body, such as an educational body that can provide services to schools and Further Education Institutions or which would be able to exercise functions on behalf of local education authorities.

Acquisition of this competence will support the Welsh Assembly Government’s policies in relation to the attainment raising School Effectiveness Framework and the skills-led 14 to 19 learning pathways as school governance underpins and relates to how schools work and how well they perform.  The competence will complement other Matters for maintained schools.  

The Welsh Assembly Government has already made clear the value we place on school governors in Wales in response to the Enterprise and Learning Committee’s recent report ‘The Role of School Governors’.  We want to ensure they are enabled to undertake their duties in a collaborative way ensuring high quality outcomes for pupil in Wales.

I look forward to working with Members and others with an interest in school governance issues in scrutinising the proposed Legislative Competence Order. I will make a Legislative Statement during Plenary on 20 October 2009.