School colour code system expected to be scrapped
CONTROVERSIAL school colour categorisation will be ditched in a move away from “high stakes” performance monitoring, the new head of standards in schools in Wales has said.
The annual banding sees a traffic light system with the best schools colour coded green and the worst red.
Colour rankings, halted during the pandemic, are not expected to return, Estyn Chief Inspector for Education and Training Owen Evans said.
It would be part of a radical shake up, already under way, with on the spot and more frequent school inspections also now being suggested.
The Welsh Government would not confirm school colour categorisation would go but said an announcement will be made soon.
Meanwhile, a new focus will also look at how well schools tackle wellbeing and the poverty attainment gap.
School inspections, also halted since the pandemic, resumed under a reformed system piloted since Easter this year.
Estyn inspection reports will no longer have headline rankings for schools of excellent, good, adequate and needs improvement or unsatisfactory and needs urgent improvement. Instead there will be evidence on how schools are performing and improving.
Mr Evans, who took over as chief inspector earlier this year, said he was in favour of unannounced visits to schools as well as more frequent inspections.
Currently schools are inspected every seven years, which he believes is not often enough.
“Blind inspections give a better, more realistic view. I am looking at how we can go in more often working on adapted inspections,” he said.
Mr Evans said this was not to catch schools out and unannounced inspections would also mean less stress for teachers as the run up to a visit can pile on pressure.
Asked about using data to rate performance he said it was useful but had drawbacks and colour categorisation – first published in January 2015 and halted during the pandemic from 2021 – is not expected to return.
On new inspection reports he said: “The report now has a more succinct over view. It’s moving from high stakes good or bad to a focus on how schools can improve.
“All energy before went on where you are on the ladder, now it will be on how and where schools can improve. The rigour is still there because that’s our job.
“Even if we had all the data in the world I don’t think inspections should be data led, but supported by data. Our job is to reassure parents, learners and policy makers. We employ very experienced leaders and inspectors.”
Performance measures such as exam results will still be looked at, but won’t be the be all and end all – wellbeing and the poverty attainment gap as well as how to improve will be part of the new focus.
“Data is important and has a role but sometimes you can become a slave to data,” said Mr Evans. “If I am a teacher and what I’m measured on is exam results you teach to the test. Education is about more than that.”
He said he also wants to tackle differing school standards across Wales. He said some are “struggling” since Covid but in others “you would not know the pandemic had happened”.
The Welsh Government would not confirm school colour categorisation would go but said an announcement will be made soon.
The bodies representing headteachers said they would be pleased to see colour categorisation go. They said the system was divisive and too blunt to help show where school standards really were.