Agenda item

(copy enclosed)

The GwE Managing Director presented a report which summarized the situation in terms of indicators of pupil outcomes in 2015. He guided the Members through the report by key stage.

During the ensuing discussion, the following main points were highlighted:

·         Target results differed in individual authorities. In response, the GwE Managing Director noted that it was an issue that affected the whole of Wales. He noted that there were pending plans to improve consistency across local authorities and that individual schools would be challenged on their targets on pupil levels;

·         No target should be set for a pupil if it is not attainable;

·         KS2 outcomes had improved in Gwynedd and Angelsey, and that collaboration should be encouraged to disseminate good practice;

·         There was a decline in pupil results when comparing KS3 teacher assessments with the true results in KS4. In response, the GwE  Managing Director noted that procedures  were in place to assist teachers to generate meaningful assessments;

·         The process of moderation of teacher assessments and visiting individual schools made a difference, but questioned the capacity to look at each school and each subject individually. In response, the GwE Managing Director noted that visits to schools would be held to measure improvements against targets implemented within resources. He added that that they would maybe look to vary the use of grants such as the Education Improvement Grant to this purpose;

·         The need to ensure that competent teachers teach mathematics and the need to consider the lack of mathematicians. In response, John Davies (Wrexham County Borough Council) noted that GwE is advertising for individuals who specialize in mathematics and English to respond to the demand;

·         It would be interesting to look at the new GCSE results in mathematics and English. The need to re-train teachers and to attract individuals who were specialists in their subjects was noted. In response, Geraint Rees (Welsh Government) noted that Professor John Furlong was looking at  a teacher training programme on behalf of Welsh Government. He added that there was a real national concern about keeping individuals in the teaching profession;

·         It would be useful to come to a judgement on KS5 results. In response, GwE’s Assistant Director (Standards) noted that it was difficult to compare results since a low number of pupils took the subjects of this Key Stage in Sixth Form, but that schools were visited when there was a problem with a particular subject;

·         It was questioned whether it would be possible to establish the outcomes of FSM pupils in order to benchmark how they compare with pupils across Wales.

·         It would be interesting to see the profile of KS4 in the results of Estyn inspections. GwE’s Assistant Director (Standards) noted that when the inspection results were received, proposals for individual schools across the Region would be considered.

RESOLVED to accept and note the content of the report.