Agenda Item No. 6

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

CABINET:      21^ST MAY, 2018

REFERENCE FROM EXTRAORDINARY LEARNING AND CULTURE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: 23^RD APRIL, 2018

“           SUMMARY OF SCHOOL INSPECTION REPORTS FOR AUTUMN TERM 2017 (DLS) –

The Lead Officer for School Improvement / Senior Challenge Advisor provided Members of the Committee with an update on the outcomes of school inspections for the Autumn term 2017 and on the outcomes of recent Estyn monitoring activities.

In September 2017 a new Estyn school inspection Common Inspection Framework had been introduced across all schools in Wales and an overview of the Common Inspection Framework was outlined in Appendix 1 attached to the report.   

The Lead Officer for School Improvement / Senior Challenge Advisor informed the Committee that schools now received 15 working days’ notice of an inspection rather than 20.  Judgements were made under five inspection areas: 

• Standards
• Wellbeing and attitudes to learning
• Teaching and learning experiences
• Care, support and guidance
• Leadership and management. 

The judgements for each of the five key questions could be one of four options: 

• Excellent – very strong, sustained performance and practice
• Good – strong features, although minor aspects may require improvement
• Adequate and needs improvement – strengths outweigh weaknesses, but important aspects require improvement
• Unsatisfactory and needs urgent improvement – important weaknesses outweigh strengths. 

Oakfield Primary School, Cadoxton Primary School and All Saints CiW Primary School were inspected during the Autumn term 2017.  A summary of the inspection findings for each of the named schools was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

Paragraph 17 of the report detailed the overall judgements achieved by the three schools inspected during the Autumn term 2017.  Excellent practice had been identified in Oakfield Primary School, Cadoxton Primary School and All Saints CiW Primary School and they had been invited to prepare written case studies which would be published by Estyn and shared with other schools.

The Lead Officer for School Improvement / Senior Challenge Advisor also advised the Committee that there were three types of follow-up categories, these were: 

• Estyn review
• Significant improvement
• Special measures. 

The officer stated that as a result of the inspection in May 2017, St. Richard Gwyn R/C High School was identified as requiring Estyn review.  It was noted that the Local Authority also had one school requiring significant improvement, which was Bryn Hafren Comprehensive.  The officer confirmed that neither school had been re-inspected, however she was confident that improvements were being made.  For information, Appendix 3 attached to the report provided an overview summary of Estyn activity for the period September 2017 – December 2017 and a summary of schools in the follow-up category. 

The Committee was pleased with the inspection results for the three schools, and requested that like letters of congratulations be sent to all three with regards to the results of the inspections.  The Chairman also suggested that the Learning and Culture Scrutiny Committee hold future meetings at the three schools, so their written case studies into best practice could be presented to Committee.  The Cabinet Member for Learning and Culture also suggested that Cabinet be notified of the inspection results. 

It was subsequently

RECOMMENDED –

(1)       T H A T the inspection judgements about the schools inspected during the Autumn term be noted and the Committee’s congratulations be extended to each school.

(2)       T H A T the judgements made by Estyn in its monitoring activities regarding the progress of schools in addressing inspection recommendations be noted.

(3)       T H A T the changes to Estyn inspection arrangements be noted.

(4)       T H A T the report be referred to Cabinet for its consideration of the inspection results.

Reason for recommendations

(1-3)    To note the Estyn judgements about local schools.

(4)       To allow Cabinet to consider the inspection results of these schools.”

Attached as Appendix - Report to Extraordinary Learning and Culture Scrutiny Committee - 23^rd April, 2018