Improvements seen in number of Welsh schools requiring support

The number of schools in Wales that require support in order to improve has fallen since last year, according to new government data.

Figures from the Welsh National Categorisation System, which was introduced in 2014 to help identify schools in need of support, have shown there are now fewer schools in need of the highest levels of support compared to last year, while the number of schools categorised as needing lower levels of support has risen.

Under this system, schools are placed into one of four colour-coded support categories to demonstrate the level of assistance they need. Schools in the green category are deemed to be in need of the least support, moving upwards through yellow, amber and red.

For the 2017 report, the proportion of green schools was shown to have increased by five percentage points in the primary sector and seven percentage points in the secondary sector, while the percentage of red primary and secondary schools dropped by one percentage point and two percentage points respectively.

It means that 84.4 per cent of primary and 64.6 per cent of secondary schools are now in the green and yellow categories, while 41 per cent of special schools have been categorised as green, compared to only eight per cent falling into the red category.

Kirsty Williams, Wales' cabinet secretary for education, said: "This increase is to be welcomed, as these schools will have a key role to play in supporting other schools, sharing their skills, expertise and good practice.

"In this way, they will be making a vital contribution to our national mission of driving forward improvements in Welsh schools and moving us towards a self-improving system."

Categorisation is determined by factors such as performance data and capacity to improve in areas such as leadership, teaching and learning. Local authorities and regional consortia then play a central role in determining a bespoke support package for each school.