Our mission quite simply is to “deliver equity and excellence in Education and enhanced well-being for all.”
Our vision is “to inspire and support excellent leadership and professional practice so that all learners in Rhondda Cynon Taf make good progress and become ambitious, capable, creative and ethically informed.”
We strive to ensure that every learner in the County Borough has access to excellent schools and positive and enriching educational experiences that enable them to achieve the very best educational outcomes that they are capable of.
We have forged robust partnerships between the local authority and our non-maintained settings, schools and Pupil Referral Units throughout the pandemic and the recovery phase and have strengthened our collective drive and purpose to ensure that all learners access the highest quality teaching and learning experiences, so that they are able to progress and grow as lifelong learners. In order to achieve our vision, we require excellent leadership and professional practice at all levels in the system.
The local authority invests heavily in our schools. Our ambitious and aspirational Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme is successfully building on previous work to ensure that our learners thrive in accessible and stimulating learning environments, that will prepare them for life in a digitally connected and rapidly evolving society. Our current Band B programme is nearly £300M and is one of the most ambitious, if not the most ambitious, school investment programme in Wales.
The educational landscape in Wales is changing and is not without its challenges as we tackle the impact of the pandemic, cost of living crisis, curriculum and additional learning needs reforms. Our workforce is highly valued and driven to support our pupils to overcome barriers to learning and engagement so that they have the best chance of achieving academic success. Schools have excellent relationships with the local authority and are well supported to secure school improvement. Together we strive to ensure that we create an effective culture of equity and excellence in education and high expectations for all. Central to this has been the development of effective pedagogical policies and practice that supports the progression and development of all learners, including the most vulnerable.
Leadership development
We have a strong culture of investing in the professional development of our staff and we are committed to ‘growing our own’ leaders. Our innovate leadership programmes were highlighted by Estyn in our inspection in January 2023 as best practice and we were invited to write a case study on our work in this area which is readily accessible on the Estyn website. View the inspection report for Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council 2023 .
We are meticulous in identifying and nurturing potential in employees and we invest in the development of our workforce. Staff aspiring to management positions have access to a variety of structured learning opportunities including a broad range of leadership programmes, such as our Aspiring Leaders Programme.
Since 2005, many education staff have engaged in our leadership programmes and cross directorate projects, which include developing coaching and mentoring skills and engaging in collaborative research projects.
Aspiring Leaders Programme
To develop and support our staff to transition into headteachers and senior leaders, the local authority provides a highly effective Aspiring Leaders’ Programme. This has been modelled on a well-established senior leadership programme for Council staff, and is research informed and focused clearly on leadership in practice. This programme has helped to accelerate the personal and professional development, and growth of future leaders for schools in RCT.
The local authority supports the development of aspiring school leaders well. They ensure that middle and senior leaders are offered a wide range of opportunities to develop and improve their leadership skills. The local authority’s Aspiring Leaders’ Programme is a particular strength. These programmes are planned and evaluated effectively to meet aspiring leaders’ expectations and needs and are routinely adapted to ensure that they remain fit for purpose, with learning and development directly linked to local authority and national priorities.
The RCT Aspiring Leaders’ Programme is unique in both its design and delivery. The programme is planned in response to the specific needs of the cohort and local and national priorities. It has been particularly successful in promoting both the personal and professional growth of participants. It has supported effectively not only newly appointed leaders, but also the succession planning of senior leaders in all schools in RCT for the last decade.
Graduate and Apprenticeship Schemes
The local authority also makes strong use of apprenticeship and graduate programmes to develop a highly skilled workforce. For example, the highly successful Graduate Scheme provides a two-year work placement and structured opportunities to develop management skills in a dynamic and varied organisation, coupled with a Level 4 Project Management qualification.
Many former apprentices, graduates and trainees go on to secure permanent roles and leadership positions with the local authority.
The local authority prioritises the professional development and wellbeing of local authority and school staff. You can find out more about development opportunities by clicking on the relevant section of our Working in Schools homepage.
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