National strategy needed to improve post-16 education and training in Wales, says Estyn

A new report highlights substantial differences in post-16 learning options available to 16-year-olds. These are influenced by learners’ location, preferred language choice and prior educational attainment.

Findings from Estyn suggest that national, regional and local structures need to tackle inconsistency between, and within, different geographical areas and education and training providers in the curriculum offered to 16-to-19-year-olds in Wales.

The new report calls for every local curriculum offer to include a suitable variety of learning options to meet the needs of post-16 learners. The findings recommend developing a more cohesive suite of qualifications that include progression opportunities from entry-level to level 3 and beyond. More work needs to be done to ensure vocational education options are valued as highly as general qualifications.

The report also recommends that all 14-16-year-old learners receive impartial information, advice and guidance so that they know about all the post-16 options within their local area. Estyn highlights that too many learners lack awareness of work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships.

Access to a wider range of courses is needed for Welsh-medium students. The report suggests that collaborative working used in some school sixth forms and colleges, such as merging teaching groups or effective use of teachers’ availability, could be implemented in other sixth forms and further education colleges to ensure greater Welsh-medium teaching.

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales said: 

Our findings come at a time when a clear strategy is being pursued for learners up to the age of 16 by way of the new Curriculum for Wales. This new report shows that more work needs to be done to ensure that learning options for 16-19-year-olds across Wales are more impartial. The new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research recognises that there needs to a more joined up approach across post-16 services.

We hope that the report and its recommendations will help support Welsh Government in their work with the Commission and other bodies, such as Qualifications Wales and Careers Wales, to develop a more cohesive approach to post-16 education and training.