Learning is being “held back” by weak self-evaluation and improvement in schools, a report from the man tasked with overseeing quality of education in Wales warns. The Estyn chief inspector’s annual report, published on Wednesday, flags concerns about attainment in key subjects and comes as education minister Jeremy Miles attends a new literacy and numeracy “summit” with Estyn, Qualifications Wales, directors of education authorities, unions, and councils.
Chief inspector of schools and training Owen Evans warns in his annual report that “learners’ knowledge and skills remain weaker than they were before the pandemic”. He said: “We continue to see too many examples of ineffective self-evaluation and improvement planning in education."
The report – headlined by Estyn with “much to celebrate but weaker practice holding learners back” – paints a gloomy picture of a post-Covid education system hampered by lack of staff, high absence, poverty, trailing attainment in literacy, numeracy, and Welsh, as well as bad behaviour. Estyn says children missed one day of school a fortnight in 2022-23 on average rising to two days for children eligible for free school meals. Self-evaluation rather than headline inspection ratings are part of the school inspection reforms introduced in Wales.
Estyn said there are “particular challenges delivering literacy, numeracy, and Welsh in English-medium schools” and by weaker practice it is referring to weaker self-evaluation and improvement practice. While the chief inspector adds that there is “much to be proud of” – and his document cites examples of good practice – the general picture is of a system under economic, social, and post-pandemic pressure while it grapples with Welsh Government curriculum and other reforms.
As the report was published education minister Mr Miles agreed the effects of the pandemic were still affecting pupils' learning. He said he has increased, rather than begun to decrease, extra Covid funding to address this.
The Welsh Government will also this week launch consultation on plans for a database of children not registered at school, not in education, or not known to the local authorities as being suitably home-educated. But with Westminster funding cuts and councils under pressure the minister warned: “I am under no illusions that the coming year will be an incredibly difficult one for local authorities and schools because of the financial climate we are all operating in.” His comments come as head teachers warned schools are having to fund raise for basics like paper.
