Cardiff's schools and education services have improved "incrementally" and now exceed other parts of Wales in some areas, a new report from inspectors says.
Ten years ago the local education authority was in danger of being put into special measures and high profile cases included a damning report on the now transformed Eastern High.
Education has been turned around but work still needs to be done on issues such as wellbeing, monitoring bullying and provision of Welsh medium education, the latest Estyn report published on February 9 shows..
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“In recent years, Cardiff Council has demonstrated a sustained and incremental improvement in the quality and effectiveness of its education services,” Estyn said.
The city’s education department, the largest in Wales, was put under Estyn review in 2011 and until 2016 was deemed to be in need of significant improvement. Since being taken out of that category strides have been made to improve matters across the board, the latest inspection shows.
Estyn's report covers core school inspection visits from 2017 to March 2020 - when they were halted by the pandemic - as well as other education services. It concedes it cannot be a full report as some of the comparative school performance measures have been halted by the continued disruption of Covid.
Responding to the report Cardiff Council leader Cllr Huw Thomas, said: “Education has always been a priority for this administration. We know that improving standards across the city will improve the lives of our citizens.
“Guaranteeing a better education for all helps guarantee a better future for all. It will do more to tackle inequalities and ensure our children get the best start and the best opportunities in life. I’m delighted that Estyn has recognised the progress we continue to make.”
Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry added: “Education in Cardiff has come a long way over the past 10 years. When this administration took over in 2012 education services in the city were at a low ebb and in danger of going into special measures.
"I am delighted that Estyn has recognised the tremendous efforts that have been put in across the board.”
How Estyn rated Cardiff’s schools
Outcomes for secondary pupils in crucial GCSE years 10 and 11 of secondary school “have been above or well above expectations in the majority of schools in the three years up to the pandemic”.
Between 2017 and March 2020 43 of Cardiff’s primary schools and seven secondaries were inspected. Standards were judged the top excellent in two secondary schools, good in a further two and adequate in three. In primaries standards in four were deemed excellent, five adequate and “many” good.
Standards in Cardiff’s two maintained special schools were good in one and adequate in the other. No special school received a judgement of excellent compared with just under a third nationally.
Excellent judgements for standards in secondary schools are higher than those nationally and in primary schools are in line with other schools across Wales.
Two primary schools were placed in a statutory follow-up category and a further nine schools were placed in the follow-up category of Estyn review. Of these, five were primary schools, three secondary and one special school. One secondary school remains in Estyn review.
GCSEs
Estyn said outcomes for secondary pupils in crucial GCSE years 10 and 11 of secondary school “have been above or well above expectations in the majority of schools in the three years up to the pandemic”.
In a further eight schools standards were “generally in line or above expectations" In the remaining two schools, standards were variable in one and consistently below expectations in the other.
Outcomes for pupils eligible to free school meals have generally been above that of the same group nationally and the proportion achieving five A*-A GCSE grades “is notably higher than the national average”.
Covid, bullying, wellbeing and safeguarding
"During the period of the pandemic, the local authority significantly strengthened its relationships with its schools,” inspectors noted.
Despite this progress work needs to be done on issues such as bullying and wellbeing. Cardiff’s education department does not collect data from all schools on “important issues” such as allegations of bullying and positive handling. “As a result, officers are not able to analyse or address trends”.
Inspectors added: “There is a recognition that counselling services have been weak in supporting the wellbeing needs of children and young people."
Safeguarding, a concern among headteachers since the pandemic struck, “is a high priority across all education departments”.
The recently introduced local authority funded online package to record safeguarding concerns is now used in all schools, the youth service and providers of education other than at school “is beginning to deliver a more consistent approach to the recording and sharing of safeguarding information” inspectors said.
School Attendance
Overall Cardiff’s school attendance rates in Cardiff were judged good between 2017 and 2020 although the proportion of pupils persistently missing secondary school was rising and above the Wales average. This will have changed significantly since Covid during which penalties for parents not sending their children to school have been waived across Wales and absence has risen nationally.
Exclusion
Fixed term exclusion rates in Cardiff were gradually reducing in secondary schools from 2017-2020 but “rising considerably in primaries”. Despite the rise this was still better than the average in Wales.
Welsh medium education
Work needs to be done on meeting demand for Welsh medium education in the city, Estyn noted. “Leadership at senior officer level, for example, does not always provide effective strategic direction to help stimulate the demand for Welsh-medium education in all areas of the city.”
Budgets
Cardiff’s education budget is projected to overspend by £1m by the end of 2021-2022.
While schools’ balances overall “significantly increased” over the 2020-2021 financial year, this was largely due to additional funding being received from Welsh Government.
“The council recognises a growing reliance in some schools and some education directorate teams on external grant funding, surplus balances or Covid Hardship Funding to maintain spending and staffing levels,” Estyn warned.
Two unnamed schools recorded a deficit at the end of the 2020-2021 financial year and four schools have set a deficit budget for 2021-2022.
Key financial challenges, due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, include the need to review the business models for specialist additional learning needs services, educational psychology services, school meals and music tuition, but this is recognised by the council and appropriate action is being taken, inspectors said.
Estyn made four recommendations to Cardiff:
- Improve counselling services for children and young people
- Improve the quality of self-evaluation at service and team levels across the directorate
- Ensure that the work of the regional consortium is focused appropriately on Cardiff’s strategic priorities
- Ensure clear strategic leadership and oversight of the development of Welsh-medium education
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