Children and Young People Committee
CYP(4)-11-12 Paper 1

HMCI Annual Report

This year’s annual report is presented in a series of free-standing documents on our website. 

There are five main sections of the report.

HMCI Foreword – in her foreword the Chief Inspector comments on some of the successes and challenges that have emerged from the inspection evidence we have gathered in 2010-2011.  The Chief Inspector states that while levels of wellbeing are generally good and the provision in the Foundation Phase is proving to be stimulating, there remains much to be done to improve education more generally in Wales.  She points out that around 25% of schools were identified as needing follow-up visits by Estyn, while a further 20% gained largely ‘good’ inspection judgements, but have one or more important areas for improvement.  In addition, five of the seven authorities inspected require follow-up. 

The Chief Inspector refers to strengths in many aspects of provision in 2010-2011, but states that there are also several areas for development that require action if we are to improve standards.  She explains that Wales still has problems of low-level literacy.  She also points out that in planning the curriculum in schools, teachers do not think enough about how subjects, such as history or science, can be a context for pupils to develop literacy or numeracy or information and communication technology skills.  The Chief Inspector also explains that in-school variation in standards and in the quality of teaching and learning is a common feature in most schools.  She indicates that provision and delivery are generally not differentiated or targeted carefully enough to meet the needs of different groups of pupils with distinctive learning needs.

The Chief Inspector states that many of the weaknesses she describes can be traced back to failures of leadership.  She emphasises that the quality of leadership and management is a main driver for improvement but explains that self-evaluation is only fully effective where leaders and managers can identify priorities for improvement because they monitor provision and assess outcomes robustly.  The Chief Inspector points out that in a third of primary schools and a fifth of secondary schools, there are shortcomings in the way that quality is monitored and improved.  She also emphasises that leaders and managers need to address issues of underperformance more robustly and directly. 

The Chief Inspector states that in many schools, governors provide effective support to the headteacher and are actively involved in setting the direction for their school.  However, in around a quarter of primary and secondary schools, governors are not given the information they need or do not use it well enough to hold the school to account. 

The Chief Inspector explains that while more learners have progressed into further education or training in recent years, providers need to do more to attract learners into certain fields of study such as engineering, manufacturing technologies and business administration.    

Insights and issues – in this section of the annual report the Chief Inspector identifies some of the insights gained from the inspection evidence we have gathered over the last academic year as well as issues that have been raised in pursuing some of the main lines of enquiry on inspections and in surveys HMI have undertaken.  The aspects covered in this section include:

· wellbeing;

· strategies for improving literacy skills;

· learning Welsh as a second language;

· the standards achieved by specific groups of learners;

· the leadership provided by school governors;

· the progress made by providers since their last inspection;

· the views of learners and parents about schools and other providers; and

· challenges for post-16 education and training.

Sector reports – this section describes the progress being made across the education and training sectors in Wales.  It provides an overview of provision, performance, outcomes and leadership and management for all sectors we inspect.

Summaries of Estyn remit surveys – this section summarises the main findings of our remit surveys.  Every year, the Welsh Government and Estyn agree a programme of education and training issues to look at in detail.  We carry out survey work into these issues in addition to our inspection work.  We present our findings and advice in reports sent directly to ministers and provide recommendations for the Welsh Government. Reports also contain recommendations for providers and local authorities.  The remit surveys covered in this section of the annual report include:

· Literacy and the Foundation Phase;

· Outdoor learning;

· Supporting more able and talented pupils in primary schools;

· Evaluation of the impact of the non-statutory Skills Framework at key stage 2;

· Money Matters -–The provision of financial education for 7 to 19-year-olds in primary and secondary schools in Wales;

· Numeracy for 14 to 19-year-olds;

· Area inspection report on the quality and standard of provision for 14 to 19-year-old learners in Flintshire;

· The education of Gypsy Traveller pupils;

· Review of disability equality schemes and practice in schools and pupil referral units;

· Tackling poverty and disadvantage in schools;

· The impact of deprivation on learners’ attainment in further education and work-based learning;

· The developing thinking skills and assessment for learning programme;

· Skills for older workers and the impact of adult community learning on the wellbeing of older learners; and

· A follow up survey of progress by stakeholders in addressing shortcomings in professional youth worker training in Wales.

Annual Report data and commentary on performance – in this section the Chief Inspector comments on a series of charts that illustrate the outcomes of end-of-key-stage teacher assessments and external examination results.

Appendices – in addition to the five main sections of the annual report, there are a number of appendices. These appendices to the annual report include:

· charts that show the distribution of grades awarded in each sector we inspect as well as the grades awarded to all providers we have inspected; and

· summaries of the responses to the learner and parent questionnairesthat we circulate before inspections. 

Additional items on the website – in the annual report section of the website, there are also:

· training materials for schools and other providers in the form of powerpoint presentations, which summarise the main findings from the annual report, that have been designed to be used by education professionals at meetings, conferences or as a reference tool; and

· parents’ pages – a newsletter designed for parents and carers that provides a brief overview of how well primary, secondary and special schools are doing, the quality of teaching and what needs to improve to ensure all children and young people in Wales get the best education.