MONMOUTHSHIRE council’s education services for children and young people no longer requires intensive monitoring after four years of regular visits, the Welsh Government’s inspectorate has concluded.

The authority was placed in special measures by Estyn in November 2012 and was subject to four monitoring visits from inspectors.

The final one was undertaken last November and six inspectors found the council had made strong progress on two of six recommendations. It made satisfactory progress on the other four.

Of the improvements, the council reacted best to improve its safeguarding for children and improve corporate planning.

It made satisfactory progress to improve attainment for all pupils, especially those in its four comprehensive schools; improved leadership and management in underperforming schools; improved its own self-evaluation and ensured performance management is effective.

Estyn repeated the authority had been “initially slow to accept its findings and implement an appropriate post-inspection action plan covering all the shortcomings” identified in 2012.

But it said once senior managers had realised urgency was required, they had “demonstrated a clear commitment to improving education provision and outcomes for learners, as well as ensuring learners are safe”.

Estyn’s assistant director Clive Phillips said in a report released today that Monmouthshire should continue to work with other authorities and other experts working outside the council to ensure improvement continues.

His report also found that although progress had been made, primary school pupils’ attainment in some areas remains below average and that too few more able pupils achieve five good GCSEs.

Cabinet member for children and young people Cllr Liz Hacket Pain said: “Clearly the removal from special measures is an important step for education within Monmouthshire. 

"This has been the focus for a huge range of people across the directorate, our schools, governors and other partners. 

"I take great pleasure in acknowledging that we know our schools well, we intervene to support them appropriately and that this has driven a continued improvement in standards across all of the key stages. I also recognise that there is further work to be done that will take those standards higher again especially for our most able students.”

And the council’s leader Cllr Peter Fox said: “I am very pleased to receive this letter from Estyn today marking our removal from special measures. 

"I am grateful for the work of everybody who has contributed to this positive outcome. 

"The focus on improving outcomes for young people has been, and will continue to be our absolute priority, this letter provides assurance that we have the leadership and systems in place to continue our improvements.”

But the council’s Labour group leader Cllr Dimitri Batrouni said: “I am delighted Monmouthshire County Council is out of special measures. 

"It means the children of Monmouthshire are now receiving the standard of education they deserve after years of mismanagement by the Conservative administration. 

"It is a shame, with such good news, that the Conservative-controlled council seek to undermine this by cutting the budgets of Monmouthshire’s schools by around £1.5 million.”

Estyn’s findings and any Monmouthshire council comments had been embargoed until today.

News of the council being moved from special measures had been inadvertently announced during a meeting last week by Wales Audit Office’s Alan Morris, as we have previously reported.