Have your say on Carmarthenshire’s Modernising Education Programme Strategy

Carmarthenshire County Council is consulting on its Modernising Education Strategy , which has been developed to deliver on the Local Authority’s School Modernisation and reorganisation aspirations.

Click here to have your say on the Modernising Education Programme.

Since 2004, Carmarthenshire’s Modernising Education Programme (MEP) has been used by the County Council as a strategic investment and rationalisation plan to transform school provision across Carmarthenshire. The aim of the MEP Strategy is to transform the network of nursery, primary and secondary schools serving the county into a strategically and operationally effective resource that meets current and future need for a school based and community focused education.

In 2010, the County Council resolved that the MEP be regularly reviewed to ensure consistency with the timeframe of the national 21st Century Schools Programme (Renamed Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (SCfLP)).

This has been a central feature of the MEP since its inception that it needs to retain flexibility at its core to ensure that the programme remains current and responsive to changes in the education policy framework and the needs of constantly developing society and communities. This is truer than ever in the current climate, post the pandemic.

The Council is currently undertaking its review of the Strategy, in line with the requirement to submit a strategic outline programme for the new rolling programme of investment to Welsh Government. Consequently, the MEP Strategy has been revised to direct the future delivery of the new Modernising Education Programme. It is guided by a set of strategic objectives and underpinned by the Council’s Education Department’s purpose pieces and educational principles to ensure cohesion with the 8 Education Priorities for 2022-2025 and the Education Sir Gar 2022-2032 strategy. The MEP strategy includes a set of viability and investment criteria to ensure an appropriate and transparent method of developing school organisation and investment proposals.

Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language – Cllr Glynog Davies said, “Since its inception, the Modernising Education Programme has drawn widespread recognition for its strategic vision, transformational planning and impressive record of delivery. It is very important, therefore, that we consult with residents and stakeholders to ensure that our MEP meets the needs of Carmarthenshire’s future generations.”

The MEP features prominently in the Council’s Corporate Strategy 2022-2027 which sets out the direction for the Local Authority over a five year period, incorporating our improvement and well-being objectives as defined by legislation:Well-being Objective 1- Enabling our children and young people to have the best possible start in life (Start Well).

The MEP also has a significant role to play in the Cabinet Vision Statement 2022-2027.

The Modernising Education Programme Strategy Consultation closes at 12pm on Tuesday, 12 March 2024.