Mark Drakeford: Exclusion should only be used as a last resort. Where exclusion cannot be avoided, our exclusion guidance sets out the support schools and local authorities must put in place for all children who have been excluded from school and from pupil referral units.
Mark Drakeford: We are investing in free school meals and provided additional funding for the food and fun/bwyd a hwyl programme, bringing the total for this year to £900,000. Last year the scheme was run in Merthyr and helped mitigate the impact of universal credit on deprived households.
Mark Drakeford: Local authorities are responsible for funding schools in Wales. Welsh Government has prioritised support for schools through the local government settlement. We also continue to provide significant additional grant funding to support our educational reforms and improve outcomes for learners.
Mark Drakeford: I hold regular meetings with the Minister for Education including discussions on key issues relating to higher education.
Mark Drakeford: Local authorities are responsible for school funding in Wales. Councils set their spending priorities for the services they provide. How much an authority sets aside for school budgets is a matter for the authority. Education funding remains a key priority for this Government, in spite of continued austerity.
Mark Drakeford: Local authorities are responsible for funding schools in Wales. Welsh Government has prioritised support for schools through the local government settlement. We also provide significant additional grant funding to take forward our educational reforms and improve outcomes for learners.
Mark Drakeford: The regional education consortia support, and work closely in partnership with local authorities to promote high standards of education. I am encouraged that Estyn’s most recent annual report, published last December, noted that there has been further improvement in standards in primary schools.
Mark Drakeford: Following the devolution of powers over teachers’ pay, terms and conditions last September, we have been working with others to ensure that, in future, they more closely reflect the school system here in Wales and ensuring that practitioners concerns are identified and solutions developed and implemented.
Mark Drakeford: Last month, the Cabinet Secretary announced a record level of investment to support health education and training in Wales. We also continue to work with health boards and with Health Education and Improvement Wales on recruitment challenges, supported by our successful 'Train. Work. Live.' campaign.
Mark Drakeford: ..., we continue to shield public services in Islwyn from the full impact of austerity through our additional investment in health, social care and housing. The £22 million new build of Islwyn High School is just one example of recent investment.
Mark Drakeford: Improving the mental health and well-being of children and young people continues to be a priority. We invest in a range of approaches, including our recent announcement to develop a whole-school approach, which aims to make emotional health and well-being central to the way schools work.
Mark Drakeford: Our investment proposals for Powys include just under £80 million to deliver band A of the twenty-first century schools and education programme and completion of the Newtown bypass.
Mark Drakeford: ...of the UK Government’s failed policy of austerity. We are providing additional funding next year to restore sixth-form budgets to current levels and allocating a further £7 million to further education colleges to support demographic pressures.
Mark Drakeford: Our vision for further education across Wales is to have a coherent, strong and diverse sector, to ensure our FE sector is resilient, responsive, collaborative, and fit for the future and able to provide sustainable and transferable skills that meet the needs of our learners, employers and the economy.
Mark Drakeford: ...gwrs, mae Steffan Lewis yn awgrymu y bydd annibyniaeth yr ateb i'r pethau yma yng Nghymru. Nid wyf yn meddwl ein bod ni'n mynd i gytuno â hynny ar ochr y Llywodraeth. Ar beth ddywedodd ef am free school meals, nid wyf cweit yn deall, a dweud y gwir. Rŷm ni'n mynd i roi mwy o arian i mewn i'r gyllideb. Bydd nifer fawr o blant yn cael bwyd am ddim yn ein hysgolion ni drwy'r arian rŷm ni'n...
Mark Drakeford: The Wales infrastructure investment plan sets out investment of over £6.5 billion in infrastructure across Wales over the remainder of the current Assembly term, including the twenty-first century schools and education programme and the Grange University Hospital.
Mark Drakeford: ...broad range of actions to promote good health and well-being for everyone, with a particular focus on children and young people. Examples include expansion of immunisation programmes, work through schools, actions to prevent adverse childhood experiences, and investment in active travel.
Mark Drakeford: We are committed to offering 30 hours of Government-funded early education and childcare to three and four-year-olds of working parents for up to 48 weeks a year.
Mark Drakeford: I am delighted to say that the National Academy for Educational Leadership was launched last week. It will support and impact on the whole education sector in Wales. It will be a small, independent, agile organisation, at arm’s length of Government. A further update will be provided later today.
Mark Drakeford: ...in Islwyn, defraying the revenue costs of capital borrowing by partners in local government and housing and by direct provision of capital funding. The £22 million new build of Islwyn High School is just one recent example of this investment.
