Does every child still matter in Wales? Yes and no – depends who you are!

The Importance of the Child in Wales Children and Young People are at the heart of policies in Wales, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Specific Programme of Government relating to Children and Young People Support for children by supporting families including Flying Start, Intensive Family Support and Families First Children’s Commissioner who protects and promotes rights and welfare of Children and Young people Advocacy – including Children and Young People’s assembly a forum for their opinions to be voiced.

Education in Wales The Learning Country (2001) resulted in the parting of the ways with England after devolution Outcomes of this vision Abolition of SATS The Foundation Phase for 3 to 7 year olds. (2007) The Skills based curriculum for KS 2 and 3 (2008) Skills Framework (2008) Pupils’ rights and needs at the core of education.

Education Section of the Programme of Government Overarching Aim Help everyone reach their potential and improve economic and social well being The programme developed from a speech made by former Education Minister Leighton Andrews in 2011

Current Educational Priorities  To improve literacy and numeracy standards  To reduce the impact of poverty on educational attainment How? Funding available to schools to implement measures that impact on either or both of the priorities (SEG, WEG and PDG) Support for teachers on a range of issues  Hwb – the all Wales Learning Platform  Learning Wales website Literacy and Numeracy Framework – Planning across the curriculum and Annual National Testing of all pupils from Y2 to Y9.

The threat and challenge of the Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) A useful tool or a stick to beat schools with?

Does the child still matter? This is where we hit a brick wall…. The LNF defines the expected level of attainment for a year group It allows for pupils to be working at a variety of levels both below and above their year group BUT Expectations for Year 2 are equivalent to level 3 and for year 6 are level 5 – that this will be the new norm is the challenge for many pupils.

Progress and reporting When schools report to parents about their child’s progress that they will give a narrative report on the strands of Literacy and Numeracy.

Testing And then there are the TESTS! This is where the child does not seem to matter. The Foundation Phase and The Skills based curriculum (2008) emphasise the need for collaboration, co-operation and communication through all phases of education. Skills of team work are paramount throughout.

Now you are on your own …… Sit on your own Don’t look at anyone else’s work Don’t talk Don’t get up out of your seat to check the display or find your spelling book Don’t ask your teacher or your friend Complete and check the test but we won’t be going over it afterwards!

Additional or Special needs Extra time? maybe Extra help? Scribe, computer, BUT no adjustment for language deficit Dyslexia – too much on a page, constant turning back and forwards in the test booklet to read and answer questions Disapplication? Does everyone have to do the tests?

Limited value of assessment Can’t test some pupils because it doesn’t measure progress for pupils working below age expectations Not diagnostic Doesn’t tell teachers anything new!

Summary One of the major structures that has been put in place to measure school and pupil progress says that some children don’t matter in the testing process! The process seems to be about measuring not evaluating progress THE ONLY THING THAT SEEMS TO MATTER IS DATA! If it can be measured numerically, it must matter if it can’t - it doesn’t The LNF could be a really useful tool to aid progress - BUT it should be STAGE NOT AGE - the fundamental of the Foundation Phase.