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Does Every Child Still Matter ? The Secondary Perspective in Wales. Neil Foden National Executive Member for Wales. No S ystems do !.
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Does Every Child Still Matter ?The Secondary Perspective in Wales Neil Foden National Executive Member for Wales
Some of the most recent innovations in the secondary sector are focused on accountability and “challenge”Data drivenBandingRegional school effectiveness servicesQualifications reviewHill ReportSixth form reforms
Teaching makes a difference2 February 2011, Reardon Smith Theatre, CardiffIn Wales over the decade of devolution we have implemented many of the changes the profession wanted to see. We have worked with the profession. We don’t have league tables. We abolished SATS. We introduced the Foundation Phase. We created a skill-based curriculum. We have avoided many of the antagonistic competitive features of the English system. We do not have academies. We will not have Michael Gove’s so-called free schools. We have maintained faith in the comprehensive model of education.As I said to Michael Gove last year, one of the advantages of devolution is that it allows England to be a laboratory for experiments.
Teaching makes a difference2 February 2011, Reardon Smith Theatre, CardiffBut if we believe in the comprehensive model in Wales, then we have to make sure that it delivers for all our children.The evidence of PISA is that it is not. Performance has fallen back. In both reading and mathematics Wales’ mean score was significantly lower than the OECD average and our UK counterparts. In science we performed at around the OECD average but significantly below the performance of other UK administrations. In all three domains the mean score for Wales and our international ‘ranking’ was lower than in 2006.
Teaching makes a difference2 February 2011, Reardon Smith Theatre, CardiffPISA is a highly respected and robust measure of the relative performance of educational systems and the Welsh school system underperforms for all ability levels. These results cannot be argued away or excused. We need to face up to the harsh truth: the education system in Wales is not delivering the outcomes that our young people need and deserve.These results cannot be excused on the basis of low socio-economic status or the bilingual nature of our nation and education system. They cannot be excused by relative funding levels . We need to refocus on higher standards, set our ambitions and expectations high and look for improvement in every aspect of our system.
Teaching makes a difference2 February 2011, Reardon Smith Theatre, CardiffPISA is a highly respected and robust measure of the relative performance of educational systems and the Welsh school system underperforms for all ability levels. These results cannot be argued away or excused. We need to face up to the harsh truth: the education system in Wales is not delivering the outcomes that our young people need and deserve.These results cannot be excused on the basis of low socio-economic status or the bilingual nature of our nation and education system. They cannot be excused by relative funding levels . We need to refocus on higher standards, set our ambitions and expectations high and look for improvement in every aspect of our system.
His 20 point plan:1. We will be creating a Standards Unit to lead performance and provide challenge on a national basis. 2. No new initiatives will be approved unless they add value to our demand for higher performance.4. We will introduce a national reading test .5. By the 2012-13 academic year, we will have developed similar plans for numeracy. 7. We will look to integrate PISA assessments into school assessment at 15. 8. We will ensure that all teachers and headteachers have appropriate levels of literacy and numeracy .9. I have asked officials to examine whether we can revise initial teacher training so that it becomes a two-year Master’s course.10. .We will introduce a national system for the grading of schools which will be operated by all local authorities/consortia.
His 20 point plan:11. Where schools are found by Estyn to be failing, and I regard the situation as irredeemable, I will close them. 12. I expect to see more federations of schools, operating under single headteachers. 13. We are introducing statutory training for governors and effective clerking.14. No school will pass an Estyn inspection unless its governing body has discussed the family of schools data and other relevant performance data 15.. We will change performance management provisions to enable closer monitoring of their approach to raising standards.17. CPD will in future be focused on system-wide needs.19. .We will expect local authorities to participate in consortia arrangements.20. I have already announced some extensions to teachers’ powers last autumn in respect of the use of force
Data driven:Ofsted – welcome to our world;Consortium termly visits;Various and conflicting data:FFTCore Data SetsQuartilesBandingLA school profileEstyn reportsEstyn’s use of data in inspections;Evidence from governors’ meetings.;Choose your courses carefully.
B(r)andingRemember, this is not a league table !The role of the enterprising journalist;Reaction of Heads;Have lunch on us;A moderate response;The rollercoaster;Conflict with Estyn reports;Impact on pupil rolls;Supposedly extended to the primary sector in 2014.
Consortium working:Four consortiaGovernance modelsNorth Wales model – RSEISThe gas towerSystem leaders – drifting off the subjectTUPE or not TUPE - assessment centreThe right peopleMonitoring and challenge but where’s the support ?
Qualification review:Undertaken properly - consultationGCSE being retainedModules still retained but re-sits now to be limitedStill graded A*-GChanges to courses which will count to school performance measuresAS and A level not decoupledOffa’s Dyke will keep out other exam boardsWJEC and regulatory body may be combined Welsh Bac rules ok ?
Hill Report:More on systems and structures, including:Reduction by one third in number of LAsFederation and hard clustering of schoolsIncreased delegation to federations and clstersCPD becomes DIYRegional boards to oversee leadership developmenteven section on teaching and learning makes little reference to pedagogy
Sixth form reforms:Geographic pathfindersELWaTransforming provisionLearning pathways 14-19: minimum 30 courses five separate domainscomplex rules concerning vocational courses bureaucratic rules regarding documentationbureaucratic rules concerning options appeals scuttling about in taxisWebb reportNPFS – taking the PThe return of stabilityPlus ca change – programme led funding