I welcome the chance to debate Estyn's annual report today. Having spent 16 years in a classroom as a secondary school teacher, I know all too well the anticipation caused by an upcoming inspection. It is therefore a welcome change to now be in the position of considering the work of Estyn in turn.

Despite the disruption, school inspections have a critical role to play. They shine a light on best practice so we can praise what is good, and more importantly work to spread the exceptional throughout the Welsh education system. They also offer us the chance to monitor progress, to expose what is wrong, unacceptable or just not working, and make changes where these are needed to ensure better outcomes for learners and the educational workforce.

This report shows we can be proud of much in our education system. The commitment to drive up standards is shared across the board. Indeed, the report notes the spirit of co-operation in terms of the new curriculum. The report also describes a positive momentum behind improvement. Policy interventions and reforms from Welsh Government are having beneficial effects. Actions to improve leadership are welcomed.

For my substantive remarks, I want to focus on three areas of the report. The first of these is tackling the effects of disadvantage. The report notes that this is one of the main priorities for Welsh Government, and this is rightly so. From my own teaching career, I have seen first hand the disparity in outcomes between pupils who are eligible for free school meals and their peers. Such differentials are unfair and unacceptable. It should be welcomed that schools are now more focused on tackling this than they were seven years ago, making interventions and determined to improve performance. As Estyn notes, this means the outcomes for EFSM pupils are improving at each phase of education.

However, as the report notes, some schools are leading the way on this. Positive measures are taken around attendance. Actions are taken by working with the local community. Interventions are even, in a few cases, taken before children have started school. These lessons must be cascaded throughout the system. This is also an area where we must ensure a joined-up approach across all policy areas, tackling the effects of disadvantage requires a truly holistic approach. 

The Welsh Government lunch and fun clubs are an excellent intervention, offering eligible children worthwhile summer activities so that any progress made during term time is not lost in the summer months. Importantly, they also contribute to tackling holiday hunger. We know that food bank usage spikes during summer months. I mentioned in FMQs last week a pilot project being held in North Lanarkshire that aims to feed EFSM pupils a full 365 days a year. I hope that the Welsh Government will pay close attention to this project. Children and young people cannot learn effectively if they are hungry. 

Secondly, I want to refer to the section on secondary schools. Estyn found that over half of Welsh secondary schools are now good or better. Similarly, it is welcome that the percentage of excellent schools in 2016-17 is higher than the 2010-17 average, but conversely Estyn has also noticed a general increase in unsatisfactory practice. This cannot be accepted, and these schools must be supported so that they can swiftly turn around and ensure their students can truly fulfil their potential. The positive approach to learning that the report notes amongst young people in good schools must be the minimum we aspire to and deliver for all in Wales.

My teaching career also involved a significant pastoral role, and I know full well how important this is to ensuring the well-being of our pupils in the round. It's good to see that pupil well-being, care, support and guidance were such positively marked features during the longer term cycle of inspection.

Thirdly, I want to touch on the report's comments on work-based learning, which I think is a really important strand if we are to deliver the nimble and upskilled workforce that we need for the future in Wales. Estyn state that, during 2010-17, standards were good or better in around half of providers. However, of the three providers inspected in 2016-17, only two were adequate and the third was unsatisfactory. Whilst the number of providers inspected during the year means that we're dealing with a very small sample, we can't dismiss these findings out of hand. As Estyn notes:

'Where standards are unsatisfactory, learners do not make strong enough progress.'

Provision of work-based learning is something that the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee has briefly considered during our inquiry into apprenticeships in Wales. I hope it is a topic that we can return to, as Estyn shows clear grounds for concern here. I hope it's an area where outcomes are more positive come the next Estyn inspection.