Agenda item

To present information for Joint Committee members on the main focus of our work programme for the Autumn term and beyond.

Accept and approve the report which outlines the main focus of  GwE Work Programme during the Autumn and Spring Term 2022-23

 

The report was submitted by the GwE Regional Leader – Secondary, and the following main points were noted:

 

-      It was explained that the joint-committee was already aware of the expectations and the requirements of the new national school improvement guidance.  It was reminded that GwE, the Governors and Local Members were responsible for holding the regime to account on a local level and that Estyn shared the same responsibilities regionally and nationally.

 

-      It was noted that this report highlighted the work programme for this term as well as successive terms to support every school to respond to the requirements of the new framework.

 

-      It was confirmed that the report had been approved by the GwE Management Board and regional Headteachers had been consulted at Strategic Forums and at the GwE Conference for senior leaders at Venue Cymru on 22 and 23 September 2022. 

 

-      Detailed attention was given to the new guidance for improving schools noting the following points:

 

-      Schools were expected to possess robust self-evaluation processes along with the mechanism for improvement. It was also expected that schools had processes for planning and maintaining improvements.

 

-      It was explained that schools were not alone in this as the local authorities and the regional consortia would ensure that they had support to maintain improvements.

 

-      It was explained that one of the main duties of the LA, GwE and Estyn was to evaluate these procedures and improve them effectively. This meant there had to be a clear system of accountability for everyone to know what needed to be implemented and what additional intervention was needed.

 

-      It was emphasised that evaluation and improvement procedures had changed over the last two years in light of the pandemic and therefore the work programme was not as simple as it looked at first sight. This derived from the fact that schools had faced very serious challenges to ensure that the children of the region continued to receive first rate education, safely. This meant that providing a high standard of education, well-being and health and safety had been a priority over the last two years rather than updating evaluation frameworks.

 

-      The headteachers of some of the schools in the region had expressed their gratitude for the Joint-committee's stance, it had helped to ensure that teachers' assessments were used to assessed pupil attainment during this time, as it had operated as a very effective system in an uncertain time.

 

-      It was noted that Estyn had now begun visiting schools again to carry out inspections, and the following main points were noted:

 

-      The Estyn inspection frameworks had not changed much since before the Covid-19 crisis.

-      It was explained that schools continued to cope with the additional problems deriving from the pandemic such as attendance, well-being, staff turnover and loss of basic skills.

-      To support schools on their improvement journey every school would receive a bespoke support plan highlighting the support that was most suitable for them.

 

Members of the Joint-committee were given an opportunity to share observations and ask questions:

 

-      It was agreed there was a need to recognise the new challenges deriving from the pandemic. It was recognised there was a need for inspections to look at schools individually.  It was emphasised that inspections, in general, were a key part of ensuring that pupils received education of the highest standard.

 

-      It was noted that schools were also dealing with new challenges such as staff and pupil well-being along with matters such as the increase in the cost of living. It must be borne in mind that schools had grown to be community hubs in several areas and that education was going in the midst of an unprecedented period.

 

-      It was proposed that it would be useful to offer training to governors to ensure that they understood the new Schools Improvement Framework.

 

-      It was mentioned that it would be useful to receive input from the Welsh Government Minister for Education on these matters as there would be some time before we could measure the success of the new procedures and that staff and pupil well-being were currently at very concerning levels.

 

RESOLVED

 

-      To accept and approve the report which outlines the main focus of the GwE Work Programme during the Autumn and Spring Terms 2022-23.

 

-      To write to the Welsh Government Minister for Education to receive input.

 

-      To arrange a meeting with Estyn to discuss these matters further.