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| Welsh government's new school banding to be revealed | Welsh government's new school banding to be revealed |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| By Ciaran Jenkins BBC Wales education correspondent | By Ciaran Jenkins BBC Wales education correspondent |
| Secondary schools will learn later which of five performance bands they have been placed in by the Welsh government. | Secondary schools will learn later which of five performance bands they have been placed in by the Welsh government. |
| The system uses criteria including GCSE exam performance and attendance. | |
| Teaching unions have accused the government of "naming and shaming" struggling schools. | Teaching unions have accused the government of "naming and shaming" struggling schools. |
| Education Minister Leighton Andrews insists the system is not a return to league tables, which were abolished in Wales in 2001. | |
| Officials have devised a formula which produces a single score for each secondary school based on eleven different measures over the school year 2010-11. | Officials have devised a formula which produces a single score for each secondary school based on eleven different measures over the school year 2010-11. |
| The score is altered to take into account the number of pupils receiving free school meals, which is an indicator of levels of poverty among pupils. | The score is altered to take into account the number of pupils receiving free school meals, which is an indicator of levels of poverty among pupils. |
| The score also reflects the progress a school has made over time, rewarding those where performance has improved. | The score also reflects the progress a school has made over time, rewarding those where performance has improved. |
| Schools with the best scores will be placed in Band 1, whereas schools with the worst scores will be placed in Band 5. | Schools with the best scores will be placed in Band 1, whereas schools with the worst scores will be placed in Band 5. |
| Anna Brychan, director of the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru, said a single grade could not represent the entirety of what a school does. | Anna Brychan, director of the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru, said a single grade could not represent the entirety of what a school does. |
| 'Crucial difference' | 'Crucial difference' |
| "We are especially worried that the achievements of schools in lower bands, particularly those that are improving year-on-year by focusing tirelessly on standards and relying on their staff and communities to go the extra mile, will go unrecognised," she said. | "We are especially worried that the achievements of schools in lower bands, particularly those that are improving year-on-year by focusing tirelessly on standards and relying on their staff and communities to go the extra mile, will go unrecognised," she said. |
| "This will damage the morale of the very people who are making a crucial difference to pupils' lives." | "This will damage the morale of the very people who are making a crucial difference to pupils' lives." |
| The banding system is being introduced as part of 20 reforms to drive up standards in schools. | The banding system is being introduced as part of 20 reforms to drive up standards in schools. |
| Plans to band primary schools are currently being developed, although it was revealed at least 30% would be exempt from the process because they had too few pupils to produce reliable data. | Plans to band primary schools are currently being developed, although it was revealed at least 30% would be exempt from the process because they had too few pupils to produce reliable data. |
| Dr Stevie Upton, a specialist in Welsh school performance, said parents who are concerned about the results of the banding should use the information as a starting point for a discussion with schools. | Dr Stevie Upton, a specialist in Welsh school performance, said parents who are concerned about the results of the banding should use the information as a starting point for a discussion with schools. |
| "Many of the measures that are within this particular banding system are indicators that have been used for a long time already, they are things that schools will recognise," said Dr Upton. | "Many of the measures that are within this particular banding system are indicators that have been used for a long time already, they are things that schools will recognise," said Dr Upton. |
| "The issue of whether putting them together is helpful is another matter. | "The issue of whether putting them together is helpful is another matter. |
| "But the simple fact is we have it now and we need to work out how to use it constructively." | "But the simple fact is we have it now and we need to work out how to use it constructively." |
| Teaching unions claim the new system is tantamount to a return to league tables and accused the government of introducing a "branding system". | Teaching unions claim the new system is tantamount to a return to league tables and accused the government of introducing a "branding system". |
| Branding by banding | Branding by banding |
| David Evans, NUT Wales secretary, said teachers "strongly opposed" the process. | David Evans, NUT Wales secretary, said teachers "strongly opposed" the process. |
| "This naming and shaming is something that we in Wales were proud to have moved away from, and it is a real shame that the government has decided to return to what is an outdated and restrictive practice," he said. | "This naming and shaming is something that we in Wales were proud to have moved away from, and it is a real shame that the government has decided to return to what is an outdated and restrictive practice," he said. |
| The Association of School and College Leaders Cymru, which represents headteachers, was also critical. | The Association of School and College Leaders Cymru, which represents headteachers, was also critical. |
| "Branding by banding, via media headlines, will do little to raise standards for students given that the support available to schools, currently, merely consists of criticism and offers nothing in resolving the obstacles which are impeding progress," its spokesperson, Gareth Jones, said. | "Branding by banding, via media headlines, will do little to raise standards for students given that the support available to schools, currently, merely consists of criticism and offers nothing in resolving the obstacles which are impeding progress," its spokesperson, Gareth Jones, said. |
| BBC Wales understands officials have promised to publish only details of the band into which each school falls, rather than its overall score. | BBC Wales understands officials have promised to publish only details of the band into which each school falls, rather than its overall score. |
| This means it will not be possible to tell how close to the boundaries of each band a school falls, nor exactly how much better or worse a school has performed over time. | This means it will not be possible to tell how close to the boundaries of each band a school falls, nor exactly how much better or worse a school has performed over time. |
| According to the Welsh government, the system's purpose is to identify schools in need of support, although extra funding will not be made available to schools in need of improvement. | According to the Welsh government, the system's purpose is to identify schools in need of support, although extra funding will not be made available to schools in need of improvement. |
| Schools in the bottom bands will instead receive support from four new regional school improvement services, which will be run by groups of local authorities. | Schools in the bottom bands will instead receive support from four new regional school improvement services, which will be run by groups of local authorities. |
| However, BBC Wales understands the support services will not be operational until September 2012. | However, BBC Wales understands the support services will not be operational until September 2012. |
| Dr Philip Dixon, director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Cymru said the promised support for schools in the lower bands was failing to materialise. | Dr Philip Dixon, director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Cymru said the promised support for schools in the lower bands was failing to materialise. |
| "Schools want to know what new and extra resources they will have to improve their performance," he said. | "Schools want to know what new and extra resources they will have to improve their performance," he said. |
| 'Demoralised workforce' | 'Demoralised workforce' |
| "We are afraid that we could see the situation where schools labelled as underperforming are just left to languish without any effective support. | "We are afraid that we could see the situation where schools labelled as underperforming are just left to languish without any effective support. |
| "The government needs to act quickly if it is to avoid creating a demoralised workforce." | "The government needs to act quickly if it is to avoid creating a demoralised workforce." |
| A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: "Whilst consortium working won't formally be in place until September 2012, each region already has plans in place to provide targeted support once the banding has been published. | A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: "Whilst consortium working won't formally be in place until September 2012, each region already has plans in place to provide targeted support once the banding has been published. |
| "These plans have been informed by the termly stock takes and close working between the Welsh government's school standards unit and local authority consortia." | "These plans have been informed by the termly stock takes and close working between the Welsh government's school standards unit and local authority consortia." |
| The banding information will be available via a new searchable facility on the BBC Wales news website as soon as it is published by the Welsh government. | The banding information will be available via a new searchable facility on the BBC Wales news website as soon as it is published by the Welsh government. |