Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths has announced an additional 8.93 million for Further Education Institutions (FEIs) and sixth forms. The funding is in direct response to the economic downturn to support those colleges and local authorities in the post-16 sector most affected by the recent budget settlement. The effect of this additional allocation is that, in almost every case, FEIs and local authority sixth form provision will be funded at or above the same level for 09/10 as they were for 08/09.
Education Minister Jane Hutt has announced the establishment of a group to review Welsh Assembly Government policies on education for 8-14 year olds to assess their effect. The task and finish group is chaired by Professor David Egan from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff and the membership includes representatives from Estyn and the Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW) as well as secondary heads, primary heads and a special school head.
Overall, 79 per cent of the year 11 cohort continued in full-time education (77 per cent in 2007), continuing the general increase seen in recent years. With regards to the Year 13 cohort (students in the second year of a school sixth form only) overall, 65 per cent of the year 13 cohort entered a higher education institution, including those taking a gap year, compared with 66 per cent in 2007.
In the 2008-2009 Ministerial remit to Estyn, the Welsh Assembly Government requested an update to the ‘Food and fitness in schools’ survey report. The update report is based on a review of reports on the primary, secondary and special schools and pupil referral units in Wales published between January and November 2008. The main improvements since 2007 have been in aspects of leadership and listening to learners.
Under the Schools Forum (Wales) Regulations 2003 every local authority must have a local schools budget forum (known as a schools forum). The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was commissioned by DCELLS to conduct a review to assess the effectiveness of schools forums in Wales and to make recommendations for their future development and/or improvement.
This document evaluates the Speech and Language Service Pilot Projects across Wales. CRG Research Ltd was commissioned in 2007 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Speech and Language Service Pilot Projects across Wales.
Estyn published a report on the impact of the special school pilot projects funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Unlocking the Potential programme. The ‘Unlocking the potential of the special school’ funding scheme aims to promote the use of special schools as a community-focused resource base.
The purpose of this remit report is to respond to the request from the Welsh Assembly Government in the Minister’s annual remit to Estyn in 2008-2009. In the schools visited, the nature and scope of parental involvement are very varied. There does not seem to be any clear pattern in how schools involve parents and neither is there any formal monitoring of the extent of parental involvement.
An independent survey of teachers’ views on Ofsted’s inspections of schools has found that almost 90% of teachers think that inspection helps their schools set new priorities for the future. 84% think it is important that their lessons are observed by inspectors. The survey, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research, also found that 85% of teachers agreed that inspection led to improvements in teaching and learning.
The behaviour in school of the large majority of children is good, as it always has been. Where instances of bad behaviour occur intervention must be swift, intelligent and effective. This intervention must protect the interests of the majority while aiming to change the behaviour of those causing the difficulties. This report presents the overall conclusions of Sir Alan Steer’s review of pupil behaviour issues, announced in the Children’s Plan.
Improvements in brain scanning technology and the use that scientists make of it means that our understanding of the learning process is continually developing. While understanding the functions of the brain has many implications for teaching and learning, it is a complex and dynamic field of study that can seem daunting.
Latest statistics from The Data Service shows the further education sector is becoming increasingly important to the nation’s economy with participation and success rates on the rise. According to the results, the FE College success rate was 80.6% in 2007/08 –up from 78% last year and 3 years ahead of the planned date for meeting this target. Participation of adults has also increased to over 3.2 million in 2007/08 with huge increases in the number of adults achieving full level 2 and 3 qualifications.
Schools Minister Jim Knight has asked the science community, employers and higher education experts to come together to ensure the new Advanced level Science diploma is of the highest possible quality. This will build on the Foundation stage and Higher level diplomas in Science, that have been warmly welcomed in a recent consultation.
New guidance to help Government departments encourage contractors to provide skills training and apprenticeships in all publicly let contracts has been launched by Skills Secretary John Denham and Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle.
