THE former head of Monmouthshire council is among a group who will help improve education in Torfaen.

Ken Skates AM, the Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, today unveiled extra members of a 'recovery board' which he hopes will help education services in Torfaen move out of special measures.

Joyce Redfearn is one two additional members of the board announced today. Four people including the boss of Sony in Pencoed were announced in October.

Torfaen became the third Gwent authority to have its education department placed in special measures after a damning report in March 2013.

In a damning report by the schools’ inspectorate Estyn, the council is slammed for the "limited progress" it has made in relation to recommendations made by Estyn in October 2011 when it deemed Torfaen’s education department "unsatisfactory.’ As a result it is now in special measures.

The board members are:

Steve Dalton OBE, Managing Director of Sony UK Technology Centre, Pencoed
Mel Ainscow – Professor of Education and co-Director of the Centre for Equity in Education at Manchester
Associate Professor Sue Davies – Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wales Trinity St David
Councillor Huw David – Cabinet member for Children and Young People at Bridgend County Borough Council
Eifion Evans – Director of Education and Community Services at Ceredigion County Council and lead education director for the ERW (Education through Regional Working) consortia
Joyce Redfearn – former Chief Executive of Wigan Council and Monmouthshire Council and member of the Expert Group who assisted in the development of the National Model for Regional Working