Written Assembly Questions tabled on 3 February 2017for answer on 10 February 2017
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self-identifying question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): How much Welsh Government investment has been allocated to the National Academy for Leadership? (WAQ72018)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
The Cabinet Secretary for Education (Kirsty Williams): I am pleased to say that since my announcement in November, good progress has already been made on the development of the National Academy of Educational Leadership. Work to understand the current available leadership development provision across Wales has been undertaken, as has benchmarking research into international leadership development approaches. The Shadow Board will now be working with stakeholders to involve them in the development of the role and functions of the Academy.
Funding totalling £150,000 has been allocated to fund the development of the Academy for 2016-17. In addition, as I have previously announced, for 2017-18 and future years, there will be further investment in developing leadership as part of the £100 million identified to improve school standards over this Government term.
I will make further announcements on this in due course.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What is the Welsh Government doing to encourage the development and growth of All-through schools in Wales? (WAQ72019)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: All-through schools are one of the options that local authorities and others can consider when making changes to school provision in an area. Such decisions will be based on what is considered the most appropriate configuration of education provision for the locality.
My Local School reports that there are currently 10 such schools in Wales, some of which have been formed using existing school buildings. Where local authorities and others have sought capital funding from the Welsh Government for such schemes, any offer of funding is subject to the satisfactory submission of a business case for investment and the completion of any statutory procedures which may be required.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): In relation to the £36million allocated by the Welsh Government to its reduction of primary school class sizes policy, how much of the revenue funding has been earmarked for Continuous Professional Development – and what will the mechanism be to access that funding? (WAQ72020)
Answer received on 15 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: The £36m to reduce infant class sizes, comprising both revenue and capital funding over the next four years, will vary in its targeting of eligible activity, because it will be based on the needs of individual schools and their communities. As I stated on 24 January, the funding will be supporting different elements, and local authorities will have to identify how best to target the grant, through submission of a business case for each proposal. We would expect that there will be an element of Continuous Professional Development but it is not possible to state how much there will be.
We are working on the arrangements with local authorities and regional consortia to draw down funding from Welsh Government, and ensure the most appropriate mechanism for distribution of the grant.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): In relation to its policy of reducing primary school class sizes, what assessment has the Welsh Government made regarding projected capital take-up – what does it anticipate it to be in each of the next four years? (WAQ72021)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: As part of the £36 million set aside for the reduction of primary class sizes, £20 million capital funding has been allocated over the term of this Government. We are considering that £5 million be allocated each year for the next four years, but this is subject to more detailed plans being brought forward in due course. I would anticipate 100 per cent take up of this funding.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What is the Cabinet Secretary doing to address the significant problem in Welsh-medium teacher training – and incentivising more trainees into this particular part of the education sector? (WAQ72022)
Answer recieved on 9 Februrary 2017
Kirsty Williams: We are fully committed to the continued development of the Welsh language and aim for one million Welsh speakers by 2050. The education system has a key role to play in achieving this aim so we need to ensure there is a workforce to provide for Welsh-medium education.
Financial incentives are available for initial teacher education entrants who aim to teach the Welsh language and those teaching through the medium of Welsh.
We have extended and enhanced the Welsh Medium Improvement Scheme (WMIS), to support improvements to the quality and confidence of teaching delivered through the medium of Welsh at secondary level.
Training opportunities via the Welsh language Sabbatical Scheme are being extended – a total of 245 practitioners completed one of the Scheme’s intensive training courses during the 2015-16 academic year and we expect up to 300 practitioners to participate in the Scheme this year.
Welsh Government data from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) shows that the proportion of teachers teaching Welsh as a first language, teaching other subjects through the medium of Welsh or are able to teach through the medium of Welsh has increased since 2003 (24.5% in 2015/16 compared to 22.5% in 2003/04).
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What advice was given to the Cabinet Secretary by Welsh Government officials in developing the policy of reducing primary school class sizes? (WAQ72023)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: The advice given to me by my officials is reflected in my Oral Statement in Plenary on 24 January.
It highlights research, including significant UK based research into class sizes undertaken by the Institute of Education at University College London and the findings of Estyn's 2003 remit review which show that smaller class sizes are of particular benefit to our youngest children, those from deprived backgrounds, those with additional needs and those whose first language is not English/Welsh.
This is why I am targeting the largest infant classes (29 and over) prioritising schools in the lowest categories under the School Categorisation model which have high numbers of these pupils.
I am clear that reducing class sizes is not the only driver for school improvement, which is why this policy is being delivered within the context of wider reforms to raise teacher standards.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What advice was given to the Cabinet Secretary by education consortia in developing the policy of reducing primary school class sizes? (WAQ72024)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: I and my officials have held numerous discussions with the Managing Directors of the Regional Consortia and lead Directors of Education regarding how we intend to raise standards of education and reduce the gap in attainment. These conversations have included policy on class sizes. Further discussions are scheduled in relation to the grant distribution formula.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What is the Cabinet Secretary doing to address the teacher recruitment and retention crisis and what investment has been allocated for this agenda? (WAQ72025)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: I do not agree that there is a teacher recruitment and retention crisis in Wales. The overall teacher vacancy rate in Wales remains comparatively low, although of course there can sometimes be local difficulties in recruiting in certain subjects or phase. The Welsh Government remains committed to ensuring that we recruit and retain the very best teachers with the highest levels of knowledge and skills to support the effective delivery of a new curriculum for Wales.
Financial incentives to attract graduates with the highest levels of subject knowledge onto postgraduate Initial Teacher Education programmes have been available for some time. In recent years, the Welsh Government has targeted the highest levels of support toward attracting top graduates with high levels of degree subject knowledge in the secondary designated priority recruitment subjects of mathematics, chemistry, physics, Welsh, foreign languages and computer sciences. For academic year 2016/17, up to £20,000 is available for top postgraduate students who want to train to teach the key recruitment priority subjects in our schools. Eligible Welsh students are also entitled to a tuition fee grant to support their studies. All Initial Teacher Education Centres in Wales actively promote their courses to recruit the very best and brightest individuals into teaching and not simply recruit to meet targets.
Ultimately, we seek to ensure that the right people with the right skills are deployed and remain in our schools to provide a high quality and motivated workforce. We are currently consulting on the introduction of regulations which would enable a greater level of information on the school workforce in Wales to be collected. This will help to consolidate and improve the quality of the information we hold on our workforce and support effective workforce planning across our schools.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What is the Welsh Government doing to encourage the development and growth of faith schools in Wales? (WAQ72026)
Answer received on 10 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: Whilst the Welsh Government does not actively promote the establishment of schools with a religious character, it recognises the historic and continuing contribution that such schools make to education across Wales.
The Education Act 1996 provides that local authorities shall have regard to the general principle that pupils are to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents, so far as that is compatible with the provision of efficient instruction and training and the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure. Therefore, local authorities need to aim for a balance of provision between the types of schools that they can maintain bearing in mind the need for efficiency and effectiveness.
The 21st Century Schools and Education Programme includes provision for inclusion of Faith Schools. The Programme is delivered in partnership with Local Authorities and Further Education Institutions, and it is our partners that prioritise the projects that need to be delivered.
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What methodology has the Welsh Government used to cost the policy of reducing primary school class sizes? (WAQ72027)
Answer received on 14 February 2017
Kirsty Williams: I have announced funding of £36m to reduce infant class sizes which will be directed at the frontline and starting with the largest class sizes of 29 and over, it will target classes where teaching and learning needs to improve and where there are high levels of deprivation. The money, consisting of both revenue and capital funding, will be invested over the next four years up until 2021.
The costs of reducing infant class sizes will vary based on the needs of individual schools and their communities. Taking this into account, the funding available will enable local authorities, working closely with their schools, to establish how best to target funding taking in to account a range of factors including any current and future capital investment.
We will now be working closely with local authorities and consortia on the detailed arrangements for distribution of the grant.