Agenda item
To receive a verbal up-date report by the GwE Improvement Support Adviser on the following matters:
· ESTYN Inspection Framework – implications to SACRE’s monitoring procedures
· Lifelong Curriculum – response to Successful Futures’ recommendations
Minutes:
(a)
Draft
Self-Evaluation Form.
The GwE Supporting Improvement Officer referred to pages 32-33 of the
Agenda which included the self-evaluation form sent to schools to be submitted
for monitoring by SACRE.
Members were reminded that ESTYN's Inspection Framework had changed since
September 2017, in co-operation with co-workers and SACRE officers, the
Supporting Improvement Officer had adapted the form and a draft was submitted
to the Members to ascertain their opinions on the contents.
It
was explained that inspection area 1 in the new Framework referred to religious
education standards, asking how well were the pupils progressing in religious
education, namely being aware of the pupils' standards.
The second area referred to
Well-being and attitudes towards learning - perhaps SACRE would be eager to
learn how pupils felt towards religious education at School; did they enjoy the
subject and did it contribute towards their development to become successful
citizens.
Inspection area three
referred to the children's experiences.
There was an opportunity to refer to the lessons - whether the pupils
had a cross-section of religions, and whether they went on visits that would
help the children improve their religious education.
In
terms of care, support and guidance in religious education - i.e. religious
education's impact, schools were asked to note to what extent did religious
education bring the community together, and whether the pupils got ample
experiences in their communities.
In the context of guidance
and management, it was asked to what extent did teachers scrutinise religious
education, and whether they identified the strengths and weaknesses to ensure
that religious education was consistently good.
The
Committee’s opinion was sought about the contents of the draft form above, and
in response, the following points were highlighted:
(a)
That
the form would be transferred to subject Heads to complete and would not
necessarily be completed by the school's Headteacher.
(b)
That
the request was too much for this year as Headteachers had to get to grips with
the new Inspection Framework. The idea
of retaining the form for another year was discussed as Headteachers had to
cope with the new arrangement anyway.
(c)
Were the questions slightly generic? i.e. what
evidence would be used to respond to the questions and would the child's
self-development be lost?
(d)
That all other subject were banded within quartiles
in KS3 except for religious education.
However, schools submitted data to GwE but it was not easy to track at a
wider level.
(e)
Religious education was not addressed annually in
primary schools as a subject self-evaluation
One
member noted that he/she would be willing to complete the form on behalf of
Ysgol Eifionydd.
Resolved: To provide schools with the option of
which form to complete, but perhaps choose some Schools to trial it in the new
year.
(b) The New Religious Studies
GCSE
Concern was expressed in
regards to the lack of textbooks for the GCSE and Higher Standard courses,
namely that the books were late being published, nearly a year after the
commencement of the course which added to the teaches workload.
It was mentioned that a
letter was sent on 23 June 2017 to the Joint Education Committee expressing
concern and requesting that schools would receive Welsh medium resources as
soon as possible, but no response was received.
Further
concern was expressed that teachers would be judged on the results.
Resolved: To ask the Assistant Education Quality
Improvement Officer:
(a) To correspond with the
Education Minister and the Welsh Language Commissioner to express concern about
the above situation.
(b)
To refer the matter to be addressed further by the Council's Education
and Economy Scrutiny Committee.
(c)
Religious Education and the new curriculum
GwE's Supporting Improvement Adviser reported that
in preparation for the new curriculum that a group of innovative schools, that
are responsible for the development of the Humanities curriculum, had
researched other countries' curriculums and had received guidance from external
experts. It was further noted that the
Government had commissioned experts to prepare papers on "what's
important" in religious education (Barbara Wintersgill), History (Dr Elin
Jones), Geography (Elinor Rawling) and Business (Cardiff University). The Wales Association of SACREs was also
commissioned to prepare a report, and Miss Bethan James noted that she had
contributed to this work. It was noted
that Barbara Wintersgill had identified six ideas including:
1. Parhad, Newid ac Amrywiaeth / Continuity, Change and Diversity
2. Geiriau a Thu Hwnt / Words and Beyond
3. Bywyd Da / A good Life
4. Gwneud Synnwyr o Brofiadau Bywyd / Making Sense of Life’s Experiences
5. Dylanwad, Cymuned, Diwylliant a Phwêr / Influence, Community, Culture
and Power
6. Y Darlun Mawr / The Big Picture
The Wales Associating of SACRE's Working Group had
identified three important things:
1. Awareness of life experiences and the questions raised from them
2. Beliefs, education and exercises
3. Audit and personal responses
and a report would be submitted to the Humanities
Group on 13 November.
(ch) Religious Education's E-magazine
It was noted that the fourth issue related to the
environment on the HWB website.
Resolved: To
accept, note and thank GwE's Supporting Improvement Adviser for the above
update.