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Struggling schools facing reforms Concern over school performance
(about 3 hours later)
Plans are due to be unveiled for a shake-up of poorly performing schools in Wales, as watchdog Estyn publishes its annual report into education. Plans are due to be unveiled for a shake-up of poorly performing schools in Wales, as watchdog Estyn published its annual report into education.
Education Minister Jane Hutt will announce her plans for tackling low standards in the classroom.Education Minister Jane Hutt will announce her plans for tackling low standards in the classroom.
It comes after the inspection body's last report found some 40% of teenagers in Wales left school with good GCSEs in English or Welsh, maths and science. It comes after the inspection body found the gap between best and worst performing schools had widened.
There was also concern that some 20,000 children were missing school every day. The numbers of schools needing special measures or big improvements had almost doubled to 16 over the year.
The 2007-08 Estyn report is published on the same day as Ms Hutt unveils the schools effectiveness strategy, which will address how to improve standards in schools.
It comes amid growing concern about the performances of pupils in Wales in their exams.
It is understood the strategy will allow a high level of intervention in cases where help is needed.
Estyn's report covers education in Wales from nursery to college level, although it does not inspect or report on universities.Estyn's report covers education in Wales from nursery to college level, although it does not inspect or report on universities.
Estyn's recently appointed chief inspector Bill Maxwell will unveil the report at St. Joseph's RC High School in Tredegar Park, Newport. Estyn's recently appointed chief inspector Bill Maxwell praised the overall improvements in teaching when he unveiled the report at St. Joseph's RC High School in Tredegar Park, Newport.
It is likely to address issues raised in last year's report by former chief inspector Susan Lewis. "The picture for 2006-07 is positive in many respects," said Dr Maxwell.
She raised concerns about truancy and exam results in core subjects in Welsh schools. "But although standards have improved in many sectors of education, the way in which education and training is provided must continue to be transformed if learners in Wales are to match the achievements of the best performing countries in the UK and abroad." He said the gap between the best and the worst was getting larger.
But she praised the standard of lessons, with 73% of those inspected gaining the top grades. Other schools were "very close" to entering the formal category of "causing concern" and overall, around 10% of schools are clearly not doing well enough.
Estyn also identified 16 schools as needing special measures or significant improvement, almost double the number identified last year.
Some councils did not focus their support on underperforming schools at an early enough stage to prevent them becoming a cause for concern, said Dr Maxwell.
Two thirds of council services inspected were judged to have uncertain prospects for improvement.
A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said it was "great" to see improvements in most areas of education and training, but they had to be built on.
There was a "lot to be positive about", with primary schools exceeding targets, but they were "obviously concerned" about the gap between the best and worst schools in Wales.
"Our new school effectiveness framework, through the sharing of good practice will certainly play a role in narrowing this gap and will ensure that all children and young people have access to first class education."