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School inspections in Wales are set for a major overhaul.

Education watchdog Estyn should no longer give headline rankings, a new review says.

Instead there should be more frequent reports with schools publishing self evaluation documents alongside revised external inspections.

A three-yearly “state of the nation” report from the Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales should also be introduced.

Schools are currently ranked under four headings of excellent, good, adequate and needs improvement or unsatisfactory and needs urgent improvement.

Under the proposed changes these would go.

Instead there would be more detailed evidence on how schools are performing and improving, said Professor Graham Donaldson, the architect of Wales’ new curriculum who was asked to head the review of Estyn by Education Secretary Kirsty Williams and Chief inspector for schools in Wales, Meilyr Rowlands.

In his 77-page report Professor Donaldson says the inspectorate is crucial to the success of the reforms but there is a danger that schools work to please inspectors rather than improving learning.

“Examples were given of schools trying to customise their evidence and behaviour during the inspection to meet the assumed preferences of the lead inspector,” the document warns.

After hearing from parents, teachers, school leaders, local authorities and others Professor Donaldson adds: “A recurring theme in evidence to the review was that the nature of Estyn’s engagement with the reform agenda could make or break the ultimate success of that agenda.”

Although evidence to the review “points to Estyn as An efficient organisation that meets its targets and is generally well respected for its objectivity and professional expertise” some teachers said they feared being innovative or creative for fear of inspectors.

Others said inspections were too frequent or not frequent enough.

At the moment some of Wales’ 1,547 maintained and 70 independent schools are inspected only once every 10 years, said Professor Donaldson.

Self evaluation reports would provide more relevant and timely information better geared to improving learning - although how schools will self evaluate is not detailed in the review.

To help schools prepare for reforms coming in from 2022 inspections as currently run should be halted for a year from 2019 to 2020 to allow schools breathing space to plan the changes, the review also recommends.

Launching his report, Professor Donaldson said curriculum changes are on track with the aim of improving education and Wales’ results compared to other UK nations and internationally.

The review highlights how Wales has lagged behind other UK nations in the international Pisa tests taken by 15 year-olds for several years.

But performance data on its own does not provide enough information on how well a school or a pupil is doing or how that could improve Professor Donaldson said: “Under these changes there will be more evidence for parents and the intention is schools will provide parents with more regular reports on how they are performing and where they are trying to improve.

“The role of Estyn would be to give parents the assurance that what the school is telling them has integrity and to assure parents they can trust what they are being told.

“It can be 10 years between Estyn inspections so under these changes parents should be better informed

“The frequency of self evaluation is for the Welsh government and Estyn to work out.

“Inspection has a huge impact on how schools behave and the downside is energies go on pleasing the external body - Estyn - not improving learning.

“I am recommending a better balance between the external element and doing what is right for children.

“If an inspection was just about data we wouldn’t need inspectors.”

Changes would not mean less inspectors are needed, more work for schools or job losses at Estyn, he added. Schools deemed to be in special measures would continue to get enhanced help from Estyn.

Responding to the review Chief Inspector for schools in Wales Meilyr Rowlands said: “I am glad that the report recognises the strengths of the current inspection system.

“We now look forward to working with Welsh Government, schools, and other stakeholders to fully consider the report’s comprehensive proposals and how to take them forward.

“We will keep stakeholders informed as this work develops and be seeking their views through consultation to ensure they have their say.”

The review’s 34 detailed recommendations include:

* An enhanced role for Estyn in providing evaluation and support at the school, local authority, regional, and national levels.

* A “pause” in the inspection cycle to allow inspectors and schools to work together on the reforms.

* Increased responsibility for schools to evaluate their own performance with confirmation of the quality of that self-evaluation by Estyn.

* More informative inspection reports with “rounded evaluations” replacing summative grades.

* More tailored focus on schools causing concern with diagnostic inspections providing better insights into necessary changes.

* A three-yearly “state of the nation” Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector’s Report.

Teaching and head teachers' unions welcomed the proposals.

Keith Director, director of the National Education Union, said added: "Currently, inspection can be a stressful time for education professionals in schools. We welcome these announcements, and the potential positive impact the recommendations could have on our education system. We have long pushed for self-evaluation for the schools’ sector in Wales, and Professor Donaldson's recommendations could help make this a reality. We look forward to working with Estyn and the Welsh Government to take these recommendations forward."

David Evans, Secrtary of the NEU Cymru said:

“The recommendations outlined by Graham Donaldson, if accepted and implemented, will represent a seismic shift in the school inspection arrangements in Wales which will be largely welcomed by the profession as it wrestles with the ambitious educational reforms that are already underway.

In particular, we note the very real concerns identified regarding the high stakes accountability measures that have increasingly caused significant pressures and unintended consequences since being imposed upon schools in 2011. Many of the concerns we voiced at that time are reflected in this review and should become a thing of the past if the necessary changes are implemented.

A key and very welcome recommendation is the proposal that there be a moratorium on the formal inspection reporting cycle as inspectors, schools and other key stakeholders learn about, develop and implement the new curriculum."

(Image: media wales)

Rob Williams, Director of Policy for the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru said:

“The recommendations emerging from the review of the inspectorate are very welcome. It is clear that we now need inspection to properly reflect the new curriculum that schools are currently seeking to implement. The concern for school leaders and staff up until this point is that the two things were becoming increasingly out of step.

The report and recommendations also recognise that now is the time to be bold and enable schools, Estyn, Local Authorities, Regional Consortia and Welsh Government to think differently, focusing all our collective efforts upon maximising the progress and achievement of children and young people across Wales. High stakes accountability linked purely to pupil outcomes has not served our pupils well, there now needs to be an expectation that schools work together, with support from regional consortia, to continually strive for school-level driven improvement."