A report examined the impact of devolution on diverging higher education policies. It called for better dialogue between ministers responsible for higher education from the four governments and for a more equitable formula for funding higher education across the United Kingdom.
Source: Alan Trench, Devolution and Higher Education: Impact and future trends, Universities UK (020 7419 5435)
Links: Report | UUK press release | UCU press release | Leicester University press release
Date: 2008-Dec
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation (following an independent report) on proposals to replace tuition fee payments for all university students in Wales with means-tested grants.
Source: Proposals to Refocus Higher Education Student Finance, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document | Review report | BBC report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that proposed teaching changes for pupils aged 14-19 in Wales should not proceed unless more financial details were made available. Under the proposals, schools and colleges would have to share resources to give pupils more study choices.
Source: Report on the Financial Implications of the Proposed Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure, Finance Committee/National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2008-Nov
The education inspectorate in Wales examined a Welsh Assembly Government initiative aimed at improving achievement levels among those who were economically and socially disadvantaged. Pupils taking part in 'RAISE' activities were making good progress in two-thirds of the schools visited: but in many schools RAISE work was not focused directly enough on tackling socio-economic disadvantage.
Source: The Impact of RAISE, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release | TES report
Date: 2008-Jul
The education inspectorate in Wales said that providers of adult education consistently delivered good-quality education, but were not working together enough to create a joint programme which was specifically tailored to address the needs of the community.
Source: Merging the Boundaries of Adult Community Based Learning, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
Date: 2008-Jul
The education inspectorate in Wales said that schools and local education authorities were making progress in sharing their expertise and good practice on curriculum developments more widely. But very few authorities were able to show a clear link between curriculum development activities funded by the 'Better Schools Fund' scheme and improvements in outcomes for learners.
Source: Impact of the Better Schools Fund on Curriculum Development, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
Date: 2008-Jun
The Welsh Assembly government began consultation on a strategy designed to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment, or training. Despite some progress in tackling the problem, the number of young people classed as 'Neets' remained unacceptably high – at 10 per cent of all those aged 16-18. The Assembly Government wanted to ensure that local councils, schools, and further education institutions worked together to deliver more attractive and flexible learning options.
Source: Delivering Skills that Work for Wales: Reducing the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document | BBC report
Date: 2008-May
The education inspectorate in Wales examined how well schools and local authorities were using funding from the Welsh Assembly Government to provide a range of services and activities to meet the needs of pupils, their families, and the wider community. It called for schools to encourage their local communities to use school facilities and resources more.
Source: Provision of Community-focused Services and Facilities by Schools, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
Date: 2008-May
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that the school funding process was not transparent, and was difficult to understand.
Source: Arrangements for School Funding in Wales, Enterprise and Learning Committee/National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report | NAW press release
Date: 2008-May
An article reported a case study of a review of assessment policies for schoolchildren in Wales aged aged 7-14. It analyzed what was understood by the term 'evidence', and the expectations associated with a commitment to evidence-informed policy.
Source: Richard Daugherty, 'Reviewing national curriculum assessment in Wales: how can evidence inform the development of policy?', Cambridge Journal of Education, Volume 38 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Mar
The education inspectorate in Wales said that local authorities and schools were not all making the best use of data available to them in order to identify and challenge poor performance and share good practice.
Source: The Use of Performance Data in Local Authorities and Schools, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
Date: 2008-Mar
The education inspectorate in Wales said that schools needed to focus on improving the basic literacy skills of boys in order to start closing the gap between boys' and girls' attainment in schools.
Source: Closing the Gap between Boys' and Girls' Attainment in Schools, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
>Date: 2008-Mar
The education inspectorate in Wales said that partnerships between local authorities and education providers in children's homes were in need of 'significant improvement'.
Source: Education in Children's Homes, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
Date: 2008-Mar
The education inspectorate in Wales examined the extent to which schools in Wales were encouraging pupil participation. School councils had some influence, but mostly limited to practical arrangements.
Source: Having Your Say: Young people, participation and school councils, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links:Report | HMCIETW press release | WAG press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Feb
The education inspectorate in Wales published its annual report for 2006-07. The gap between the best and worst performing schools in Wales had widened.
Source: The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales: 2006-2007, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release | WLGA press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Feb
