Kirsty Williams: If I could deal with the points that Darren has made—Darren, as you well know, I am not satisfied with current Welsh performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment. What a close examination of the PISA results tells us is that one of the reasons we are not doing as well as I would like is because the attainment of our more able and talented pupils in Wales does not...
Kirsty Williams: Darren is right to say that there is an inconsistency in approach to Seren. He says that we don't know how many of those pupils have gone on to study at our top universities. There is a reason for that, because it is the students that are sitting their A-levels this summer who are the first complete cohort of Seren support. We do need, I acknowledge, to improve the way in which we track...
Kirsty Williams: Could I thank Llyr for his questions? Can I start by going back to the point about further education? I'm committed to meeting the needs of more able and talented learners within the further education sector as well as in the schools sector. We have for the first time produced guidance tailored to the needs of FE learners. This is not just for those whose ability lies in the more traditional...
Kirsty Williams: So, this is a first in the FE sector. We've already produced that guidance in that sector, and now we are looking at what we can do in the schools, because, Llyr, you talked about the issue of identification. One of the problems that we have is that what more able and talented looks like in one school is different in another school, so we need to get a universally understood definition of the...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank Caroline for her questions? The first evaluation that we've had of the Seren network made a recommendation that we should look to bring Seren earlier into a child's schooling career and I think there are real benefits and the network is well placed to do that. For instance, in choosing GCSE subjects, that can have a profound effect on a student's ability to go on and study...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Mark. And I really do welcome—and I mean this sincerely—your interest in this programme. I know this is a particular area that you are keen to see develop and work well for Welsh students, and I welcome the extra scrutiny, which keeps me on my toes to make sure I'm in a position to answer your questions. We are looking at the effectiveness of all the interventions, and, as we...
Kirsty Williams: Deputy Presiding Officer, I open this debate today by thanking Meilyr Rowlands for his third annual report as chief inspector of education and training in Wales. As well as providing evidence on performance and standards, the chief inspector's report will inform policy development and drive improvements in education. Estyn's 2016-17 annual report looks at progress over the past seven...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Could I thank everybody for their contributions this afternoon?
Kirsty Williams: Yes. [Interruption.] I'll try to get through as many of them as I—
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'll try to get through as many of the comments and questions that were raised as possible in the time allowed. I think that what's really important, Llyr, is that the chief inspector recognises that there is a significant shift in the culture of education in Wales. We have to rely on those people out on the ground to make the changes we need to make. Whether you...
Kirsty Williams: Yes, of course.
Kirsty Williams: It is a matter for Estyn what they include in their report—it's not a matter for me—but I do not believe that going to a system of league tables that pits school against school, teacher against teacher, will help us to build the collaborative system that we need, and what the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development tells us that we need here in Wales. But what the inspector...
Kirsty Williams: Of course. Categorisation provides a clear picture of how well schools are doing and the level of support they need to do even better. This year, Monmouthshire has seen an increase in the primary schools in the green category, which is a testament to the hard work of the staff at the schools and is something to be celebrated.
Kirsty Williams: Well, I'm glad that we've got the same figures; it would not have been a very positive start if we had a different set of categorisation data between us. You're absolutely right, Nick, to identify that school improvement is a joint endeavour, between the staff and the leadership of individual schools, the local education authority. And I would like to pay tribute to Councillor Fox, I believe,...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, David. We're working closely with Universities Wales, the British Council Wales and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, through the Global Wales partnership, to build collaborative opportunities and support increased promotional activity, such as the delivery of the Study in Wales brand in key markets.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, David. I couldn't agree more with the analysis that you just gave of the importance of international students and, indeed, international staff who come to study and work at our universities. And I've been clear that students from the European Union, and beyond, remain very welcome in Wales and will continue to be very welcome in Wales. I have good news for the Chamber: UCAS data on...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that question. On coming into office, I was concerned that current SRE provision is not as good as it should be, and listening to children and young people, as I travel around schools in Wales, they have been very clear with me that the current SRE provision often doesn't meet their individual needs. That's why I commissioned Professor Emma Renold of Cardiff University, who is...
Kirsty Williams: Well, of course, parents have rights and responsibilities, but, sometimes, the issues that you're talking about are beyond a parent's control. I remember only too well, when my own children were very small, going into a very well-known high street retailer to find in that shop the dressing up costumes for doctors were in the boys' toy section and the dressing up section for girls had a...
Kirsty Williams: I don't want to pre-empt the final discussions and decisions that I will make with regard to that report. And I have given a commitment here this afternoon, Michelle, that, having done that, I will come back to the Chamber with a full statement on how we intend to develop policy in this area. I have to say, we don't allow parents to take their children out of maths lessons, or English...
Kirsty Williams: Well, Llyr, I have met with both UK-wide officials of UCU as well as Welsh representation, and I continue to be in correspondence with them. Unfortunately, because of the bad weather in Cardiff on Saturday, I was unable to attend the UCU conference, because the conference was cancelled. Officials keep in close touch with both the employers and the employees, and I have, at every opportunity,...
