Schools failing on site safety - inspectors

Schools in mid Wales need urgent improvements to site security, better leadership, and more pupil success, the national inspection body has found.

Estyn raised "significant concerns" about Powys council's education services after an inspection in February, calling for "important school site security issues" to be "urgently addressed".

Despite bringing in a new chief executive and director of education, Estyn said "leadership at all levels has had a limited impact on securing important improvements in education services or in improving outcomes for children and young people."

Powys council "pledged to strengthen education services and improve outcomes for learners", describing the report as "disappointing".

Inspectors also highlighted concerns about the quality of support for schools and pupils with additional learning needs (ALN), and post 16 provision.

Inspections of secondary schools in Powys have been "poor over time", Estyn added.

Since February 2021, Estyn has inspected three secondary schools and placed all of them into review, which means the inspectors re-visit them to check on improvement progress.

Primary schools have faired better over that period, but the county still has more primaries placed in follow-up measures than is usual across Wales.

Estyn says that there is positive work being done by early years education team, and also that there are more opportunities for pupils to access their education in Welsh.

On site security at schools, Estyn found that there has been investment to address a range of identified site management issues in targeted schools across Powys.

Despite this, inspectors said "when compared to other local authorities, a notably higher proportion of schools in Powys still have important site security issues that give cause for concern."

Although Powys council often identifies these risks, inspectors added, too often they do not address them.

Brecon and Radnorshire MS James Evans said blame "lies firmly with the Lib Dem/ Labour run Administration".

"The Lib Dem/Labour run council are failing the children of Powys and allowing our school standards to decline and budget deficits to rise, failing to tackle the growing problem of bullying or addressing the increasing needs for ALN provision," he said.

After security, Estyn made three more recommendations:

• Strengthen the quality and impact of leadership, including political leadership, at all levels
• Strengthen the quality of support and challenge to schools to improve outcomes for all learners, including those with ALN
• Work with partners to rapidly develop and implement a model for 16-19 education that is financially viable and sustainable, and meets the needs of all learners, and considers Welsh-medium and ALN provision

Powys council said it accepted the recommendations and would "double down to drive education improvements" with an action plan and monitoring.

Council leader James Gibson-Watt said several security improvements had already been made.

"This issue has become much more pertinent over recent years, and we have to react accordingly," he said.

"We have reacted, but there's quite a lot more to do."

Recruitment problems, he said, made secondary schools a "challenge", adding pupils results were "respectable" compared to the rest of Wales.

After nearly two decades, he said "we are getting to the point where I think we're going to make some very significant proposals on the reform of the post-16 learning system in the county".

"We've got to make dramatic improvement in the area, and I'm determined to see that happen," he added.