Virtual interviews to be held to choose Wrexham’s next education chief

Virtual interviews are set to be held to choose Wrexham Council’s next chief education officer.

It comes as local authority meetings have been cancelled en masse due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The current holder of the position announced he was stepping down on the eve of damning inspection report by education watchdog Estyn, which raised concerns over the performance of secondary schools in the area.

Ian Roberts, whose salary stands at around £86,000 a year, warned that schools would need to “raise their” game after inspectors demanded improvements to pupils’ achievements at GCSE level

With his departure taking place in August, a virtual meeting is being held on Monday as part of the process to find his successor.

But members of the press and public will not be able to view the proceedings as it has been recommended that they should be excluded.

Outlining the reasons for the decision by Wrexham’s chief governance officer Sioned Wyn Davies, the meeting agenda states: “Her view on the public interest test was that to make this information public would disclose personal data relating to an individual in contravention of the principles of the Data Protection Act.

“Because of this and since there did not appear to be an overwhelming public interest requiring the disclosure of personal data, she felt that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

“Her view on the public interest test was that while she was mindful of the need to ensure the transparency and accountability of public authorities for decisions taken by them, disclosure of the information would give an unfair advantage to applicants and distort a fair and objective selection process.

“This information is not affected by any other statutory provision which requires the information to be publicly registered.

“On that basis she felt that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

A cross-party group of councillors is expected to attend the meeting remotely, with interviews of shortlisted candidates set to take place first before they decide if any are suitable for the role.

According to a job advert previously shared by the council, the post holder will be responsible for overseeing a schools budget of approximately £81m.

They will also be required to develop education services for children and ensure the department runs seamlessly.
It is understood that the successful candidate will be announced at a later date.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter