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Home Posts tagged "Estyn"

“Community development” is key to school success, says expert

Published on May 14, 2013,

The former head of one of Wales’ leading education services has hailed the importance of “community development” in building a thriving schools system. This is from Wales Online…

Karl Napieralla said ensuring schools are “operating at the heart of their communities” had been crucial to success in Neath Port Talbot (NPT). (more…)

 

Embarrassment for NUT as standards at new president’s school branded ‘unsatisfactory’

Published on May 11, 2013,

A leading teachers’ union is facing embarrassment as its president’s school is expected to fall foul of inspectors. This is from WalesOnline…

WalesOnline understands Alltwen Primary School in the Swansea Valley has been heavily criticised by education watchdog Estyn, which found pockets of provision “unsatisfactory”. (more…)

 

Wales’ chief schools inspector ‘frustrated’ by pace of improvement

Published on May 8, 2013,

Wales’ chief schools inspector has admitted to being “frustrated” by the pace of improvement in the nation’s classrooms. This is from Wales Online…

Head of Estyn Ann Keane said levels of literacy and numeracy remain a “major issue” in Welsh schools and inspectors are not picking up the “systemic improvements” she wants to see. (more…)

 

‘Concern’ as man in charge of rescuing county’s schools sends his daughter to private school in England

Published on April 11, 2013,

The man put in charge of rescuing a Welsh county’s education service has sent one of his own children to an independent secondary school in England, it has emerged. This is from Wales Online…

Jeremy Patterson, the chief executive of Powys County Council, was last year made director of education as well following a critical report from Estyn, the schools inspection body.

Mr Patterson said his daughter had left Llandrindod High School last summer and is now a pupil at Bedstone College, a co-educational independent school for day pupils and boarders at Bucknell in Shropshire. (more…)

 

Pembrokeshire headteachers will be made to explain school inspection reports to county councillors

Published on April 6, 2013,

Headteachers and governors will be hauled before councillors to explain future Estyn reports and improve scrutiny within the county council. This is from the Western Telegraph…

Estyn school inspection reports will be scrutinised on a regular basis to “develop and strengthen the council’s overview and scrutiny function”, councillors were told last week. (more…)

 

Sixth Welsh education authority faces special measures

Published on March 23, 2013,

A sixth Welsh local education authority has fallen foul of school inspector Estyn, and faces special measures. The education watchdog says Torfaen council has not delivered enough improvement after a critical inspection in 2011. This is from the BBC…

The Welsh government will now be asked to respond to the recommendation, which could see education responsibilities removed from the council. (more…)

 

Education professionals in Wales told to ‘get a grip’

Published on March 19, 2013,

Education professionals in Wales have been told by minister Leighton Andrews to get a grip on poor performance. Five school education services have been labelled failing by inspection body Estyn. Mr Andrews says he does not want to have to call in private companies, and does not believe they are the answer. This is from the BBC…

He says outside help might have to be called in, but told Huw Edwards on The Wales Report on BBC One Wales that the nation could sort out problems itself. (more…)

 

Failing Welsh schools: Merthyr Tydfil and Monmouthshire warned of special measures

Published on February 21, 2013,

The education services in two more areas of Wales should be taken into special measures, according to the education watchdog Estyn. This is from the BBC…

Merthyr Tydfil and Monmouthshire are the latest councils deemed to be failing pupils, following Anglesey, Blaenau Gwent and Pembrokeshire. (more…)

 

Welsh education: Estyn urges more help for best pupils

Published on January 30, 2013,

Wales’ schools inspection body Estyn is concerned not enough is being done to get the most out of the best pupils. In its annual report, Estyn said fewer schools achieved good or excellent inspections compared with last year. This is from the BBC…

Opposition parties said it made for “sad reading about the current state of education in Wales”. (more…)

 

Career-long training is what makes the best of teachers

Published on November 2, 2012,

David Laws is the latest education minister to turn on teachers. Pupils, he said, are suffering from a lack of ambition and it is the teacher’s job to ‘reach for the stars’. Here, General Teaching Council for Wales chief executive Gary Brace champions the need to win greater respect for the profession. This is from Wales Online…

THOSE who care about the status of the teaching profession have just had a roller coaster couple of weeks. (more…)

 

Estyn concerns over Welsh schools’ careers advice after failure to prioritise new framework

Published on October 2, 2012,

Secondary schools in Wales have been criticised by the education watchdog over careers guidance. Although many schools provided good information, they were not consistently monitoring how well pupils did once they left, said Estyn. This is from the BBC…

Estyn said four years after a new framework for careers advice was introduced, many schools had made little progress fully implementing it. (more…)

 

Cardiff high school changes curriculum to improve poor literacy

Published on September 8, 2012,

A high school in Cardiff has changed its school curriculum to tackle poor literacy in its youngest students. Year 7 pupils at Ysgol Glyn Derw in Caerau will have literacy and numeracy lessons for half their timetable instead of more traditional subjects. Head teacher Martin Matthews said history and geography would be vehicles used to improve reading and writing. The Welsh government said it wanted to see good practice adopted throughout Wales. This is from the BBC…

Mr Matthews said Glyn Derw faced a huge challenge because 45% of year 7 pupils were classified as functionally illiterate, and just over half of the school’s students were below their chronological reading age. (more…)

 

Troubled faith school in Wales improving under interim executive board

Published on September 6, 2012,

A troubled faith school in Wales is making “good progress” but will remain in “special measures” until standards improve to expected levels. St Alban’s RC Primary School’s performance and prospects for improvement were last year deemed “unsatisfactory” by education watchdog Estyn. This is from Wales Online…

The Tremorfa school became the first in Wales to require an “interim executive board” after a damning inspection report found “systemic failures” in leadership and management over a three-year period. (more…)

 

Estyn concerns over Fishguard schools

Published on August 13, 2012,

According to the Western telegraph, two Estyn reports have raised concerns about standards in two Fishguard schools.

Fishguard’s primary school, Ysgol Glannau Gwaun, has been placed under special follow-up measures following Estyn’s visit to the school in April. (more…)

 

WLGA defends Welsh councils after school improvement criticism from Education Minister Leighton Andrews

Published on August 2, 2012,

Following yesterday’s story that education and school improvement services on Anglesey have been put into special measures after inspectors found them “unsatisfactory”, Wales Online reports the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) as saying improving outcomes for children and young people remained the “number one priority” for all of Wales’ 22 local authorities.

It followed a stinging attack from Mr Andrews who, after another damning inspection report into standards, questioned whether local authorities had the capacity to run school services. (more…)

 

Anglesey schools: Special measures call from Estyn

Published on August 1, 2012,

The BBC is reporting that education and school improvement services on Anglesey have been put into special measures after inspectors found them “unsatisfactory”.

The council, which is being run by commissioners after management concerns, must draw up an action plan. (more…)

 
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