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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Five councils miss top school band | Five councils miss top school band |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| By Ciaran Jenkins BBC Wales education correspondent | By Ciaran Jenkins BBC Wales education correspondent |
| Almost a quarter of Wales' 22 councils have no schools in the top band of a system which identifies the best and worst performers. | Almost a quarter of Wales' 22 councils have no schools in the top band of a system which identifies the best and worst performers. |
| Secondary schools have been placed into one of five bands based on GCSE exam performance and pupil attendance. | Secondary schools have been placed into one of five bands based on GCSE exam performance and pupil attendance. |
| In more than a third of areas, there are no schools in the bottom band. | In more than a third of areas, there are no schools in the bottom band. |
| The Welsh government denies the claims of teaching unions who say the rankings "name and shame" struggling schools. | The Welsh government denies the claims of teaching unions who say the rankings "name and shame" struggling schools. |
| Schools with the best scores are placed in Band 1, whereas those with the worst are in Band 5. | Schools with the best scores are placed in Band 1, whereas those with the worst are in Band 5. |
| There are 27 schools in Band 1 and 28 in Band 5. Neath Port Talbot has the highest proportion of schools in Band 1 while neighbouring Bridgend has the highest proportion in Band 5. | |
| Merthyr Tydfil, Powys, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Ceredigion have no schools in Band 1. | Merthyr Tydfil, Powys, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Ceredigion have no schools in Band 1. |
| At the other end of the scale, there are no Band 5 schools in Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire. | At the other end of the scale, there are no Band 5 schools in Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire. |
| Education Minister Leighton Andrews said: "If we are to drive up standards across the board in Wales we need to know how our schools are performing. Banding is at the heart of this. | Education Minister Leighton Andrews said: "If we are to drive up standards across the board in Wales we need to know how our schools are performing. Banding is at the heart of this. |
| "It's not about labelling, naming or shaming, or creating a crude league table. It is about putting schools into groups to identify which need our support and which we can learn from. | "It's not about labelling, naming or shaming, or creating a crude league table. It is about putting schools into groups to identify which need our support and which we can learn from. |
| "You cannot un-invent the Freedom of Information Act - parents and pupils have a right to know what is best in Wales and how their schools measure up." | "You cannot un-invent the Freedom of Information Act - parents and pupils have a right to know what is best in Wales and how their schools measure up." |
| 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. | The banding system is being introduced as part of 20 reforms to drive up standards. |
| Plans to band primary schools are currently being developed, although it was revealed at least 30% would be exempt 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 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. |
| 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. |
| 'Demoralised workforce' | 'Demoralised workforce' |
| However, BBC Wales understands the support services will not be operational until September 2012. The Welsh Government says there will be extra support for councils in the meantime. | |
| 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. |
| "We are afraid that we could see the situation where schools labelled as under performing are just left to languish without any effective support. | "We are afraid that we could see the situation where schools labelled as under performing 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." |
| The Welsh Conservatives' shadow Minister for Education Angela Burns feared the new banding system could cause confusion for parents and "negatively impact on staff morale even in academically well-performing schools". | The Welsh Conservatives' shadow Minister for Education Angela Burns feared the new banding system could cause confusion for parents and "negatively impact on staff morale even in academically well-performing schools". |
| She added: "While accessible information on standards in our schools has the potential to be a valuable tool for parents, the Minister's current plans are not comprehensive and rank schools partly based on factors totally out of their control." | She added: "While accessible information on standards in our schools has the potential to be a valuable tool for parents, the Minister's current plans are not comprehensive and rank schools partly based on factors totally out of their control." |
| Ucac, the teaching union for Welsh language teachers, said the results would be misinterpreted. | Ucac, the teaching union for Welsh language teachers, said the results would be misinterpreted. |
| The union's general secretary Elaine Edwards: "Although a complex formula using 12 different pieces of data is the basis for the results - schools are given a simple 1-5 score. | The union's general secretary Elaine Edwards: "Although a complex formula using 12 different pieces of data is the basis for the results - schools are given a simple 1-5 score. |
| "The likelihood is that this impossibly oversimplified score will be used to measure schools' overall performance, and will encourage competition between them." | "The likelihood is that this impossibly oversimplified score will be used to measure schools' overall performance, and will encourage competition between them." |
| However, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) responded positively to the banding information. | However, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) responded positively to the banding information. |
| WLGA education spokesman Coun Peter Fox said: "Secondary school banding is about everyone in the education system in Wales working together to improve outcomes for children and young people, it is not about creating a school league table. | WLGA education spokesman Coun Peter Fox said: "Secondary school banding is about everyone in the education system in Wales working together to improve outcomes for children and young people, it is not about creating a school league table. |