There will be no councillors on the internal Powys council board which is supposed to drive improvements in education – and discussions will be in secret.

Former interim Powys and Swansea City Council chief executive Jack Straw is returning to the county to take on a “mentoring role” to help Emma Palmer, the current chief executive, run the board.

At an extraordinary Powys County Council meeting on 10 April councillors received the details of how the council’s education service aim to recover form a scathing report by Estyn.

The report published last month highlighted that there have been a number of “poor” inspection reports for secondary and all ages schools in the county and that there are leadership weaknesses at all levels.

Deputy council leader, Cllr Matthew Dorrance explained that the “Accelerated Improvement Board” has been set up as a response to the report.

Cllr Dorrance said: “That board will be chaired by the chief executive to ensure there is robust oversight to drive strategic change within the council’s education service.”

He added that the board will report “directly” to cabinet and that councillors will have oversight and receive progress reports on its work.

Cllr Dorrance said the council is also seeking a support package from the Welsh Local Government Association.

Ms Palmer said: “We all have to do better, the aspiration is to be the best in Wales.

“The important element is not to have this yo-yo effect but to break the cycle of going in and out of special measures.

“This is not just an education but a whole organisation response.”

Ms Palmer said “no politicians” would be on the board.

Council leader, Cllr James Gibson-Watt said that “it would be totally inappropriate for myself or any member of the cabinet to sit on that board”, as it would be “blurring the lines of responsibility.”

Gibson-Watt said that the move had been agreed with himself and Cllr Dorrance.

He added that Ms Palmer had taken advice on this point from regulators and othe council chief executives.

Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies pointed out that several members of the previous administration including himself, the council leader (Rosemarie Harris) and the leader of the opposition had been involved in the previous improvement board.

“That delivered a glowing Estyn report in 2021,” said Cllr Davies.

Ms Palmer said: “The previous board was an external intervention and we had an independent chair, this is different this is internal.

“I need this space to have full and frank discussions with individuals that are not in the public domain.”

By the end of this month the council will need to draw up a Post Inspection Action Plan (PIAP).

During May this will be “moderated” and further developed with help from Estyn with the final version of the PIAP expected to be completed by 31 May.

An improvement conference will be held with Estyn on 2 July and the details of the PIAP will then be made public by 15 July.