Meetings

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s chief inspector, Estyn

Claire Morgan, Strategic Director, Estyn

Jassa Scott, Strategic Director, Estyn

Liz Miles, Assistant Director, Estyn  

Annual Report – Estyn

NDM8856 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the 2023-24 Annual Report of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 21 February 2025.

2. Notes that the Welsh education and training sectors have significant strengths but there are areas that continue to require improvement.  

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets that Estyn's 2024-25 Annual Report has highlighted issues around reduced attendance, poor pupil behaviour and challenges around recruiting staff, which are having a negative impact on education in Wales.

Amendment 2 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Regrets that Wales's latest PISA results for maths, reading and writing are the lowest in the United Kingdom.

Amendment 3 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

Add as a new point at the end of the motion:

Regrets that the Annual Report notes that:

a) at the current rate of improvement, it would take over 10 years for secondary attendance to improve to pre-pandemic levels;

b) teacher recruitment to subjects with a shortage or can deliver through the medium of Welsh, continues to cause particular concern; and

c) in too many cases, the quality of teaching and assessment is not good enough.

The item started at 17.10

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

NDM8856 Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan) 

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes the 2023-24 Annual Report of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 21 February 2025. 

2. Notes that the Welsh education and training sectors have significant strengths but there are areas that continue to require improvement.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire) 

Add as new point at end of motion: 

Regrets that Estyn's 2024-25 Annual Report has highlighted issues around reduced attendance, poor pupil behaviour and challenges around recruiting staff, which are having a negative impact on education in Wales. 

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire) 

Add as new point at end of motion: 

Regrets that Wales's latest PISA results for maths, reading and writing are the lowest in the United Kingdom. 

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

Amendment 3 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central) 

Add as a new point at the end of the motion: 

Regrets that the Annual Report notes that: 

a) at the current rate of improvement, it would take over 10 years for secondary attendance to improve to pre-pandemic levels; 

b) teacher recruitment to subjects with a shortage or can deliver through the medium of Welsh, continues to cause particular concern; and 

c) in too many cases, the quality of teaching and assessment is not good enough.

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion:

To propose that the Senedd: 

1. Notes the 2023-24 Annual Report of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 21 February 2025. 

2. Notes that the Welsh education and training sectors have significant strengths but there are areas that continue to require improvement.

The motion was agreed.

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous sessions.

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Estyn

Claire Morgan, Strategic Director, Estyn

Jassa Scott, Strategic Director, Estyn

Estyn Annual Report 2023 - 2024

2.1 The Committee scrutinised Estyn on its annual report.

2.2 Estyn agreed to provide a note on the latest numbers of schools in follow-up, the two statutory categories of requiring significant improvement and in special measures and where they are concentrated, for example regions of Wales and demographics.

2.3 Due to time constraints the Committee agreed to write with the unasked questions.

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous sessions.

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Estyn

Claire Morgan, Strategic Director, Estyn

Jassa Scott, Strategic Director, Estyn

Estyn Annual Report 2022-2023

2.1 The Committee scrutinised Estyn on its Annual Report.

NDM8227 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

To propose that the Senedd:

1.    Notes the Annual Report for 2021-22 of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 1 February 2023.

2.    Notes the report’s assertion that although many of the issues that arose during the pandemic started to show signs of gradual improvement, challenges remain.

3.    Welcomes the report’s conclusion that education and training providers have responded with fortitude to the challenges, placing learners at the heart of their work.

4.    Welcomes the report’s findings that all providers have rightly focused on learner and staff well-being, with the strongest providers continuing to have open and honest self-evaluation and an unrelenting focus on teaching and learning.

Estyn Adroddiad Blynyddol | Annual Report – 2021-2022 (gov.wales)

The item started at 17.25

Voting on the motion under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

NDM8227 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

To propose that the Senedd:

1.    Notes the Annual Report for 2021-22 of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 1 February 2023.

2.    Notes the report’s assertion that although many of the issues that arose during the pandemic started to show signs of gradual improvement, challenges remain.

3.    Welcomes the report’s conclusion that education and training providers have responded with fortitude to the challenges, placing learners at the heart of their work.

4.    Welcomes the report’s findings that all providers have rightly focused on learner and staff well-being, with the strongest providers continuing to have open and honest self-evaluation and an unrelenting focus on teaching and learning.

Estyn Adroddiad Blynyddol | Annual Report – 2021-2022 (gov.wales)

The result was as follows:

The motion was agreed.

9.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session with Estyn.

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Estyn

Claire Morgan, Strategic Director, Estyn

Jassa Scott, Strategic Director, Estyn

Estyn Annual Report 2021 - 2022

7.1 The Committee scrutinised Estyn on its Annual Report.

7.2 Estyn agreed to provide the Committee when available the findings from a piece of thematic work being carried out on the implementation of the new Additional Learning Needs reform system.  

NDM7980 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

To propose that the Senedd:

1.     Notes the Annual Report for 2020-21 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 7 April 2022.

2.     Welcomes that the report recognises the resilience and perseverance of the education workforce and how they have been flexible, creative and adapted in innovative ways to support learners.

3.     Welcomes that ‘all providers prioritised the wellbeing of their learners’ and continued to strengthen links with families and communities.

4.        Notes that we should not underestimate the impact of the pandemic on wellbeing of learners, staff and leaders.

The following amendment has been tabled:

Amendment 1 - Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets Estyn’s findings that “the divide between pupils from disadvantaged and more privileged backgrounds became more pronounced over the course of the pandemic.”

Believes that the disparities outlined in the report will be further exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and calls on the Welsh Government to work with Estyn to increase efforts to ensure measures to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools are implemented urgently.

The item started at 18.35

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 - Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Regrets Estyn’s findings that “the divide between pupils from disadvantaged and more privileged backgrounds became more pronounced over the course of the pandemic.”

Believes that the disparities outlined in the report will be further exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and calls on the Welsh Government to work with Estyn to increase efforts to ensure measures to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools are implemented urgently.

The amendment was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

NDM7980 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

To propose that the Senedd:

1.     Notes the Annual Report for 2020-21 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales that was laid in Table Office on 7 April 2022.

2.     Welcomes that the report recognises the resilience and perseverance of the education workforce and how they have been flexible, creative and adapted in innovative ways to support learners.

3.     Welcomes that ‘all providers prioritised the wellbeing of their learners’ and continued to strengthen links with families and communities.

4.        Notes that we should not underestimate the impact of the pandemic on wellbeing of learners, staff and leaders.

5. Regrets Estyn’s findings that “the divide between pupils from disadvantaged and more privileged backgrounds became more pronounced over the course of the pandemic.”

6. Believes that the disparities outlined in the report will be further exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and calls on the Welsh Government to work with Estyn to increase efforts to ensure measures to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in schools are implemented urgently.

The motion as amended was agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, at 19.12 proceedings were suspended to allow a technical break before Voting Time.

4.1 The Committee considered the evidence it has heard in the previous session.

Claire Morgan, HM Chief Inspector – Estyn

Jassa Scott, Strategic Director – Estyn

Annual Report 

Estyn Report - We don’t tell our teachers - Experiences of peer-on-peer sexual harassment among secondary school pupils in Wales

2.1 The Committee scrutinised Estyn on its annual report.

2.2 Estyn agreed to provide a note on the numbers of schools that are in the two statutory categories requiring significant improvement and requiring special measures for Estyn monitoring.

2.3 The Committee agreed to write to all local authorities to make them aware of the training that Estyn provides for school governors.