Local government has responded positively to the publication of secondary school banding information by the Welsh Government. The system is aimed at raising standards and improving outcomes as part of a package of measures provided by local authorities to support schools. Secondary schools were told their final bands yesterday and from today the information is publicly available on the Welsh Government’s website.
Cllr Peter Fox (Monmouthshire), WLGA Spokesperson for Education said:
“Secondary school banding is about everyone in the education system in Wales working together to improve outcomes for children and young people; it is not about creating a school league table. The information that is provided by banding will be a starting point for a discussion between the school and their local authority about how to make real improvements to the teaching and learning within that school.”
“Local authorities, working in their consortia, have already set up action plans to support the lowest performing schools. For example, in the South East 20 secondary schools have specific, costed action plans while the South West are supporting 11% of their primary and secondary schools in this way. From Sept 2012, this will happen through integrated regional school improvement services. School banding will provide an essential part of the information that regional school improvement services will need to continue this work with schools.”
The secondary school banding system is based on an analysis of schools performance data, coupled with value added data, taking account of socio-economic factors and deprivation, over a specific period of time. Used in conjunction with qualitative information about schools, banding will provided a valuable assessment of a school’s performance.
Cllr Fox added:
“School banding will also provide learners, and their parents and carers, with essential information about their schools. This will allow them to have more meaningful engagement with schools which is to be welcomed.”
The school banding information is available via the following link: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/schoolshome/raisingstandards/schoolbanding/?lang=en
