Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Recommendations
FE colleges should:
- R1 Identify learners’ wider skills and abilities during initial assessments and include a suitable focus on communication, independence, employability and wellbeing within these
- R2 Make sure that individual learning plans reflect the outcomes of initial assessments and that they include specific, measurable targets that link clearly to learners’ long-term goals and likely destinations
- R3 Design independent living skills programmes of learning that:
- are sufficiently challenging
- include opportunities to develop skills that are relevant to learners’ needs and likely destinations when they leave the college
- have an appropriate balance between completing qualifications and learning activities
- R4 Implement reliable systems to track the progress of all learners in relation to their individual starting points
- R5 Track learners’ destinations when they leave the learning area or college accurately
Local authorities should:
- R6 Provide colleges with relevant information about learners’ needs when they start college
- R7 Develop a broader range of partnerships with the post-16 and voluntary sectors to develop and improve progression routes in the local area
The Welsh Government should:
- R8 Review the collection of information on the outcomes of learners on independent living skills programmes to ensure that this provides an accurate picture of learners’ destinations across Wales
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Recommendations
Further education colleges should:
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R1 Work more effectively with secondary schools to identify Welsh-speaking learners before they transfer to college and ensure that learners have all the information about support that they need in order to allow them to choose to continue their learning in Welsh
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R2 Strengthen Welsh language strategic plans to increase the number of learners who learn in Welsh or bilingually, particularly in the occupational areas for which there is an increasing demand by employers for bilingual skills
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R3 Ensure that there are sufficient staff available in each college to provide courses in Welsh or bilingually and to support staff who wish to learn Welsh or improve their Welsh
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R4 Improve staff training on the methodology of teaching bilingually and ensure that there are sufficient resources and learning materials for Welsh-medium or bilingual courses
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R5 Ensure that information about learners’ language ability, prior qualifications in Welsh and learning activities are correctly recorded on the Lifelong Learning Wales Record
The Welsh Government should:
- R6 Help colleges to improve the quality of Welsh language strategic plans, including the use of data to set challenging targets to increase the number of learners who follow their courses in Welsh or bilingually
- R7 Conduct regular reviews of the progress made by colleges against the targets in their strategic plans
- R8 Improve data collection fields, and their associated guidance, to ensure that colleges record accurate information about learners’ linguistic abilities and the language of learning and assessment by activity
- R9 Develop a national strategy to raise learners’ awareness of the advantages of choosing to continue to learn in Welsh when they transfer from school to college
- R10 Ensure that there are sufficient resources and learning materials for Welsh-medium or bilingual courses
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Recommendations
The Welsh Government should:
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R1 Promote the ‘Effective Management of School Workforce attendance’ document more widely
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R2 Provide schools and local authorities with guidance on monitoring, recording and evaluating the impact of staff absence due to activities other than illness, such as training, conferences and school-to-school support
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R3 Produce guidance on the effective management of headteacher absence
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R4 Ensure that the provision of supply cover in the Welsh-medium sector is addressed when reviewing the teacher workforce strategy
Local authorities should:
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R5 Ensure that training on managing workforce attendance is available for all headteachers and forms part of an induction package for all newly appointed headteachers
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R6 Provide schools with regular benchmarking data on staff attendance in line with Welsh Government guidance
Schools should:
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R7 Monitor the work of supply teachers regularly and ensure that all pupils continue to make appropriate progress when their usual classroom teacher is absent
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R8 Provide supply teachers with feedback on their performance
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R9 Ensure that supply teachers can always access teacher planning documents
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
Main findings
- Pupil participation is strong in schools that have the following characteristics:
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Pupil participation and building positive relationships are an integral part of the school’s vision and ethos. Leaders and managers have a clear strategy for promoting participation and for fostering good relationships. They support and encourage open and honest participation. Leaders create an ethos where pupils respect the rights of others and understand the importance of diversity and equality.
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There are clear roles and structures in place across the school to capture the views of all pupils on a wide range of issues relating to school improvement. Staff take the views of pupils seriously and act on them. Pupils, staff and governors understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to participation. Leaders can demonstrate the impact of participation on school improvement planning.
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Pupils have a breadth of opportunities to participate within and beyond the school to contribute to debate and influence decisions across a wide range of issues that affect them. These opportunities encourage pupils to develop the skills needed to become active citizens.
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Pupils and staff access good quality training and continuous professional development that is well targeted to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to have pupils’ voice heard in discussions and in decision-making.
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- Where pupil participation is strong, pupils make a valuable contribution to school improvement by influencing decisions on wellbeing, learning experiences, and the quality of teaching, and by helping to identify the school’s future priorities. Many schools report that pupil participation contributes to an improved school environment and ethos, and to better relationships between all in the school community.
- There are also benefits for pupils in greater participation, including improved health and wellbeing, improved engagement and behaviour, and improvements in learning, achievements and school performance. Through their greater involvement in decision-making, pupils develop valuable personal and social skills, such as listening, communication, negotiation, prioritising, and working with others. They also gain a better understanding of the rights of other members of the school community and of the consequences of actions that affect others. Pupils are better prepared to become ethical, informed and active citizens of Wales and of the world, and attitudes towards active citizenship become more positive.
- Nearly all schools inspected between September 2013 and July 2016 comply fully with the School Council Regulations. In almost all schools, the school council makes a worthwhile contribution towards improving the school learning environment. In these schools, pupils’ views are taken into account and influence decisions on school life.
- Estyn gathers pupils’ views through a questionnaire issued before inspecting all schools, pupil referral units and non-maintained settings. Most learners feel that staff respect them and help them to understand and respect others. Most learners are encouraged to do things for themselves and to take responsibility. Many learners also feel that staff treat them fairly and with respect and that their school listens to their views and makes changes they suggest. A summary of the questionnaire findings is in Appendix 1.
Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report
