Education authority ‘thrilled’ by top rating

May 15 2008 by Sarah Miloudi, Western Mail

A SOUTH WALES Local Education Authority (LEA) has received the highest ever rating in a school inspection report.

Following a recent examination by Estyn – Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales – Newport LEA was officially named best LEA in Wales and, in addition, had its pupil performance described as “outstanding” by the inspection body.

The authority was also awarded the highest possible grades for strategic management and support for school improvement, and its work raising standards in numeracy and literacy was also commended, particularly in its primary schools. The Estyn report follows last year’s release of official National Curriculum assessment figures from the National Assembly for Wales, which showed Newport outperformed many of the Welsh local authorities in the core subjects of English, maths and science.

Using the Core Subject Indicator, the Newport LEA also came out as the top authority in Wales at Key Stages One and Two, and in sixth position at Key Stage Three.

The managing director of Newport City Council, Chris Freeguard, said: “This outstanding result pays tribute to the commitment, dedication and hard-work of elected members, council staff and schools over the past few years.

“We are all committed to providing our children with the best possible environment in which to learn and the best education standards in Wales.

“We are delighted and thrilled our hard work has been recognised by Estyn and we will continue our on-going efforts to provide the best start in life for Newport’s young people.”

Newport’s chief education officer Dr Brett Pugh also welcomed the LEA’s glowing Estyn report, and added: “We have consistently performed so well due to the dedication and hard work of our LEA staff, head teachers, pupils, support staff and our school communities as a whole.

“We try to understand the importance of sharing ideas and initiatives of good practice in our schools and there is a strong culture of schools moving forward together.”

Nine Estyn inspectors assessed the LEA in January this year, and in addition to its pupil performance and learning support, praised the authority’s City Venues programme – a scheme for Year 12 students which allows for 20% of students’ curriculum to be spent learning alongside students from other schools in vocational settings.

Its partnership working was also highlighted as a positive element of work being done in Newport LEA.

The Estyn report read: “The work of the preventative services subgroup is already making an impact, albeit as a pilot project, by bringing together a range of services and agencies to work with the families of pupils referred to them by schools.”

It also stated positive progress had been made over the past two years in developing provisions for pupils at risk of exclusion, via the opening of three learning support units.