5. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: High Achievement — Supporting our More Able and Talented Learners

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:17 pm on 27 February 2018.

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Photo of Mark Reckless Mark Reckless Conservative 5:17, 27 February 2018

Diolch. Cabinet Secretary, I'm especially interested in the Seren network to support able and talented learners into university, as you may be aware from my volume of written questions on the—[Interruption.] Thank you.

First, I'd like to ask if you've made any assessment of the summer camps run by some leading universities, including their cost-effectiveness. For example, I note the Yale camp costs us £2,000 per pupil, and that's coming out of the existing Seren budget. Second, through discussions I've had with the sector, including key admissions officers, there's a concern that some schools are cautious about putting in the necessary effort to engage with the Seren network as they fear their Estyn rating could suffer if teacher time is taken from other areas where they're rated by Estyn. Would it be possible as part of your commitment to expanding and bolstering the Seren network to have Estyn inspections consider engagement with the Seren network and its objectives?

Finally, could the Seren network do more in training and improving teachers to support pupils into elite universities? Whilst there are some workshops run for teachers already, I have heard that they've—or at least some of them—been poorly attended, with Seren unable to cover the costs of teachers' attendance, particularly the supply costs. If we're able to give people exposure to some of the evidence the Sutton Trust has found, I think that would be particularly valuable. If we are, as you're saying, to become world leaders in pedagogy, do you agree that this is an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved?