Eight North Wales schools have been highlighted as shining examples of good practice in a major country-wide report about performance.
The annual report from the Chief Inspector for Education and Training in Wales published today shows that seven in 10 primaries inspected in 2016-17 were rated good or excellent by inspectors.
while half of secondary schools also featured in the top two categories, according to WalesOnline. That is similar to the picture for the past seven years.
But the picture is not so rosey elsewhere as half of high schools and a third of primaries are rated as merely adequate or unsatisfactory.
the report from Meilyr Rowlands, head of inspectorate body Estyn, found there are persistent problems but said there is “enough excellence across Welsh education to support improvement and help reduce variability” with a “spirit of co-operation” and sharing of best practice.
It prompted calls from Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives for more urgency pushing up standards but the National Education Union said the report’s endorsement of self improving schools would be a “big boost to teachers”.
The 200-page report shows while numeracy and literacy has improved, more work needs to be done to drive up standards in those and other subjects.
David Wales, secretary of the National Education Union Cymru, said: “This report shows that despite increasingly difficult funding settlements and the ongoing concerns of workload schools and teachers in Wales are continuing to provide an education service we can be proud of.
“Amongst the many positives identified, it is especially good news to see recognition from Estyn for the work schools are doing to work constructively together.
“The profession has always espoused the benefits of self-improvement, collaboration and the focus on teaching and learning.
“This report highlights those issues and the benefits to be gleaned when teachers are allowed to take ownership of their teaching practices.
“This will be a big boost as we seek to implement the new curriculum and highlight the cooperative approach that we see being priorities in communities across Wales.”
The schools used as case studies of good practice in the report are:
CONWY
Ysgol San Sior
The school’s farm provides a range of learning experiences that develop independent learners and improve pupil’s literacy and numeracy skills.
DENBIGHSHIRE
Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn
The school is the regional centre for autism in north Wales. It engages closely with parents, carers and with schools and colleges to share its expertise through support, guidance and a wide range of training courses.
FLINTSHIRE
Elfed High School
The school created Learning Director posts to coordinate for learning opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy skills and support staff to consolidate these across the curriculum. There is now increased confidence in planning and delivering effective activities.
Ysgol Pen Coch
Flintshire Special Ysgol Pen Coch use a range of interventions including a virtual reality room that have had a significant impact on pupils’ wellbeing, engagement and readiness to learn.
GWYNEDD
Ysgol Gynradd Talysarn
The school has helped parents to overcome obstacles in supporting their children’s learning. Another project has developed the bilingual skills of pupils and their parents. There is especially effective support for vulnerable pupils, this has a positive effect on the development of individuals, and promote their self-worth.
Ysgol Bodfeurig
The school works in partnership with another local school, and both senior leadership teams work together very effectively as a committed professional learning community. Excellent examples of this are the way in which both schools plan learning experiences, have developed assessment for learning structures and evaluate each other’s work.
Ysgol Gynradd Bontnewydd
The primary developed a training programme for its governors that equipped them with the knowledge and skills needed to better fulfil their role.
Grwp Llandrillo Menai
Llandrillo Menai makes effective use of an early identification tool to identify and support learners at risk of leaving a course before completion.
