More progress needed to improve attendance and behaviour in schools across Wales – says National Assembly Committee
08 August 2013
A National Assembly for Wales Committee has found that more progress is needed to improve attendance levels and pupil behaviour in Welsh schools. The Committee has called for the Welsh Government to develop an overarching national attendance and behaviour strategy which takes forward existing good practice.
The Committee were disappointed that despite the attention which has been given to issues relating to pupil attendance and behaviour, progress has been patchy and problems still need to be tackled. These include issues identified in the National Attendance and Behaviour Review, commissioned by the Welsh Government in 2008.
The Children and Young People Committee has identified inconsistencies in the approaches taken by Wales’s 22 local authorities and, while accepting that there is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution, the Committee believes that not enough is being done to share best practice.
It recommends exploring the benefits of a regional consortia model as an appropriate driver for delivering such change.
The Committee heard that the inclusion of attendance and behaviour rates among the criteria for the schools banding system has had a positive effect in attempting to drive up standards.
Concerns were expressed at the level of support and training available to Welsh teachers in different parts of the country in dealing with problem behaviour. The Committee recommends that evidence-based behaviour management techniques should be a part of a teacher’s initial training and ongoing development.
As well as hearing from a range of organisations, focus groups were held with 181 children and young people aged between 9 and 23 years old from across Wales.
“We are very grateful to the children and young people who gave the time to share their views and experiences with us and are committed to keeping our attention on issues which have such a direct impact on individual pupils and their families.” said Lynne Neagle AM, member of the Children and Young People Committee.
“Every child in Wales deserves the best possible start in life with a high quality education and a positive learning environment,”
“The current system of, in effect, 22 different plans to improve these standards is inconsistent and risks missed opportunities so we are urging Welsh local authorities to do more to share examples of best practice.
“We are also concerned at the varying approach to training and support for teachers in managing poor behaviour and have recommended that evidence-based techniques should be part of every teacher’s initial training and ongoing development.”
The Committee makes 11 recommendations in its report including:
That the Welsh Government develops an overarching national attendance and behaviour strategy which takes forward existing good practice and against which progress is regularly monitored;
That an increased emphasis be placed on evidence-based behaviour management training within initial teacher training. Evidence-based pupil behaviour management modules should also form a core element of continuous professional development; and,
That the regional consortia model should have a more clearly defined role in respect of improving pupil attendance and behaviour.