Agenda item

Provisional External Examinations and Teacher Assessments (Pages 15 – 34)

To consider a report by the GwE Senior Challenge Advisor (copy attached) to review teacher assessments and external examinations.

 

A Level Results of Rhyl Sixth (Pages 35 – 42)

To consider a report by the Director, Coleg Llandrillo, Rhyl (copy attached) to provide Members with information about the performance of the Rhyl Sixth.

9.35 a.m. – 10.15 a.m.

 

 

 

Provisional External Examinations and Teacher Assessments

 

The Lead Member for Education, Councillor Eryl Williams, introduced the Provisional External Examinations and Teacher Assessments report (previously circulated).  The report had been presented to provide Members with information regarding the performance of Denbighshire schools teacher assessment and external examinations on the basis of final verified data of Foundation Phase, Key Stage 2/3 and external examinations at KS4 and Post 16.

 

The Head of Education, Karen Evans, introduced Dr Alwyn Jones, Head of Standards, GwE, and Marc Berw Hughes, Senior Challenge Advisor – Conwy/Denbighshire Hub, GwE to the Committee.

 

The Head of Education confirmed that all results at Key Stage 4 were provisional and verified results would be available in November and benchmarked data in December 2015.

 

The Local Authority had identified with GwE that mathematical development within the Foundation Phase had been an area that merited focus with a view to improvement.

 

Despite an improvement in Key Stage 2 (KS2) results in 2015 compared to the previous year, Denbighshire’s rank position had dropped due to the fact that results had improved within other Local Authorities.  At KS2 level it had become apparent that there would be a requirement for intervention at an earlier stage in a pupil’s education journey, possibly at the Foundation Phase.  This would provide support to the pupil during the early part of their education and help them achieve their potential at KS2. 

 

Key Stage 3 (KS3) results had improved for the seventh year, which had been extremely encouraging.

 

The unverified external examination results for 2015 had been disappointing as levels 1 and 2 results had remained static or generally registered a dip in performance compared to previous years.

 

Key Stage 5 (KS5) results had been similar to the grades achieved in the previous year.

 

 

Responding to Members’ questions, the Head of Education and GwE Officers advised that:

 

·       In the Foundation Phase Denbighshire, similar to other Local Authorities, had been concentrating on literacy and as a result, mathematical skills had suffered.  This had been the reason in future to focus on mathematical development and to identify special educational needs (SEN) at an early stage in a pupil’s development in order to target the correct intervention and provide support to them.  Without targeted support at an early stage, pupils could struggle with all Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) subjects in due course;

·       It had been disappointing to note that good performing high schools had appeared to have slipped against previous performance this year, as had those schools who had until recent years received intensive external support.  This was attributed to the fact that GwE, during its initial period since its establishment, had concentrated a lot of its resources and work in the primary sector, to the detriment of the secondary sector.  There was particular disappointment with Rhyl High School as its results this year had been on a par with the results attained when it had been under special measures.  This would be an urgent area for intervention and improvement.  Rhyl High School had requested a number of its pupils’ examination papers be re-marked.  Council and GwE Officers had met with Estyn representatives, the Headteacher and Governors to discuss the results and associated concerns.  It had been agreed that a mini Recovery Board be established, comprising of the Local Authority, School and Independent representatives, with a view to addressing the problems (some of which had been identified by Estyn two years earlier) and to improving outcomes for pupils;

·       At a recent meeting with Welsh Government (WG) Officials, GwE and Local Authority representatives agreed there was a need for Human Resources Departments to be aware of capability issues relating to individual teachers at an early stage with a view to supporting them to acquire the necessary skills to achieve the best possible outcomes for pupils;

·       There was also a necessity for Headteachers to draw to the attention of their Governing Body, any areas of concern and risk at an early stage.  This would ensure that the Governing Body performed its role in a robust and challenging manner to ensure support for pupils to achieve their full potential;

·       There had been no indication during the 2014/15 school year that the performance of the County’s pupils in external examinations had been likely to decline;

·       Individual schools set their own targets;

·       During the autumn term of 2015 GwE would attempt to visit all school Governing Bodies to challenge and test the targets they had set and to undertake work with Governors to upskill them to be more robust and challenging;

·       GwE, as an organisation, had been subject to regular monitoring and challenge from the WG.  Two of the other school effectiveness and improvement consortia in Wales had encountered huge challenges and consequently they had received substantial investment from WG.  Despite the investment, neither consortia had realised their expected potential.  The Lead Member for Education advised that he would raise this with the Minister during their meeting in mid-October;

·       The Local Authority employed “link officers” to support foundation phase pupils integrate into school life and identify basic or special needs support.  Sometimes there were significant differences between pupils whose families had been supported by “Flying Start” initiatives and others who had not;

·       Individual pupils developed at a different pace between the ages of 7 and 11.  It would, therefore, be important that any special needs or additional learning needs were identified at an early stage in order to ensure the best outcomes for those pupils who required support;

·       GwE and the Local Authority continually strived to try and support teachers in their role.  They tracked their performance and offered appropriate support when required.  It was the Governing Body thathad the powers to appoint or dismiss teaching staff;

·       Whilst the Local Authority took the wellbeing of pupils seriously, it was the external examination results and the eventual outcomes for the pupils on which they were judged.

 

The Co-opted Members felt it would be important that both GwE and the local Authority provided sufficient training and development to School Governors to assist them to identify the most important data and analyse it correctly

 

The Chair expressed the gratitude of the Committee to the Head of Education for all her hard work on this issue.

 

RESOLVED that subject to the above observations the Performance Scrutiny Committee receive the report and to invite the Managing Director of GwE to attend the Performance Committee meeting in January 2016, at which the verified examination results would be presented.

 

 

A Level Results of Rhyl Sixth

 

The Head of Education introduced the Assistant Principal for College Llandrillo, Rhyl – Celia Jones, and the Programme Manager for Rhyl Sixth – Martin Evans.

 

The Assistant Principal of Llandrillo College, Rhyl, gave an overview of the background to the establishment of the Rhyl Sixth and informed Members that generally the “A” Level and Welsh Baccalaureate results attained by students this year were positive.  Statistical information was presented to the Committee illustrating the College’s pass rates and grades in comparison to Denbighshire as a whole, Wales and England. 

 

Responding to Members’ questions, both the Assistant Principal of Coleg Llandrillo and the Programme Manager for Rhyl Sixth advised that:

 

·       They were currently undertaking a piece of work to establish the number of students from Rhyl attending other school or college campuses for their further education, but it had been generally thought that the majority of current students at Rhyl sixth were former pupils of either Rhyl High School or Blessed Edward Jones, along with a few former Ysgol Glan Clwyd pupils;

·       There were a variety of reasons for the seemingly high number of students who had dropped out between years 12 and 13.  The reasons included a realisation by the students that the “A” level route would not be best for them.  Usually these students opted for a more vocationally based course.  There were others which gave up their ‘A’ level courses due to a lack of home support for their studies;

·       The educational outcomes for all students enrolled at the college were tracked and despite the perception of a high number of students dropping out of “A” level courses between Years 12 and 13 the actual education outcomes for all students were good.  All but two who had been through the Rhyl Sixth last year had achieved successful outcomes;

·       The College acknowledged the significance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) subjects and their importance to the local economy and employers.  The College worked closely with local industry to attempt to meet their needs and to monitor former students’ progress;

·       Similar to school sixth forms, college students would initially study 4 “AS” level subjects in year 12, progressing to 3 “A” levels subjects in year 13.  Students would also undertake the Welsh Baccalaureate.  Student who were struggling during and at the conclusion of Year 12 would be supported to transfer to other more suitable courses.  They would not be expected to leave College;

·       Talented and gifted students were supported to realise their full potential, and increasing the number of learners accessing Russell Group Universities had been identified as one of the College’s areas for development for the forthcoming year, as had improving the College’s overall pass rate together with its grades profile.

 

Responding to members’ concerns on the number of higher education establishments, particularly high ranking universities that were still unwilling to acknowledge the Welsh Baccalaureate as a reputable entrance qualification for higher education in its own right, the Head of Education and 14-19 Network Co-ordinator advised that this was slowly changing.  The University of Cambridge had recently announced that it would now recognise the Welsh Baccalaureate as an entry qualification.  More work was possibly required with other establishments to attempt to persuade them of the Welsh Baccalaureate’s validity and to educate them on the effort put in by students to gain the qualification.

 

Prior to the conclusion of the discussion, the 14-19 Network Co-ordinator agreed to provide Members with an information report on the retention and progression of Denbighshire Sixth Forms.

 

The Chair thanked the College Officials for attending the Committee.

 

RESOLVED that subject to the above observations, to receive the information on the A Level results of Rhyl Sixth.