The following amendment has been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Item 8 on the agenda this afternoon is a debate on the Estyn annual report, and I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Education to move the motion—Kirsty Williams.

Motion NDM6675 Julie James

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the annual report for 2016-17 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales.

Motion moved.

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 years, back to 2010, when Estyn's current inspection cycle began, and the inspection findings for the sectors. I welcome this long-term approach. It is encouraging to see that the biggest trend over the last seven years has been the move towards a culture of self-improvement, and this remains a key priority for me and the Government.

The report shows increased collaboration between schools, particularly in the way the new curriculum is being developed. We are supporting schools to collaborate and play their full part in a self-improving system, and this effort is facilitated through the educational regional consortia. I welcome the findings that show that many strengths exist in nursery settings, maintained special schools and further education colleges. The quality of education is good or better in most cases, and there has been continued progress with early years provision, literacy and numeracy, behaviour and attendance and the performance of disadvantaged learners.

I am pleased to see that, between 2010 and 2017, there were also improvements in primary school performance, particularly of boys and those pupils eligible for free school meals. It is encouraging that schools and settings are committed to good foundation phase practice. Children make good progress and show increased motivation and enjoyment of learning where settings get it right. I note, however, that the application of the foundation phase has been inconsistent. I recognise that more needs to be done to embed consistent practice across Wales and to ensure that the right framework exists to support effective teaching and learning through foundation phase pedagogy. Last year, I announced the development of a foundation phase excellence network, which primarily will support the sharing of effective practice and work closely with the networks of excellence in science, technology and mathematics.

Deputy Presiding Officer, it's heartening that looking after pupils' well-being, care, support and guidance and the learning environment are strong features of our education system. We know that well-being is strongly linked to educational outcomes, and children with higher levels of emotional, behavioural, social and school well-being, on average, have higher levels of achievement and are more engaged in their schooling.

I note the report's findings that seven in 10 primary schools inspected this year are good or excellent, which is similar to last year. While this is positive, and I recognise the dedication and hard work of our schools in achieving this, there is clearly more to be done. Half of the secondary schools inspected are good or excellent, which is an improvement on last year. I'm also pleased to see the report's findings that there are good and excellent providers in all sectors, including in areas of relative poverty. We are committed to creating an inclusive education system for all learners, regardless of their needs, to ensure that all learners are able to access a high standard of education. The report is clear that we are making progress, although I believe, Deputy Presiding Officer, there is still too much variability in some sectors and challenges still remain in raising standards in numeracy, raising standards in Welsh in English-medium schools, improving pupils' progress in digital skills, and in continuing to reduce the attainment gap.

The report, however, does show that there are now far more examples of schools collaborating to improve aspects of provision, such as literacy and numeracy projects, improving teaching and developing leadership, which will, I believe, all help reduce variability in the system. There is now a more systematic approach to planning opportunities for pupils to apply and practice their numeracy across the curriculum, resulting from schools' implementation of the national literacy and numeracy framework.

Standards of Welsh in many English-medium secondary schools are improving, with the numbers achieving qualifications in Welsh at the end of key stage 4 increasing by over 12 percentage points between 2010 and 2016. However, the chief inspector's foreword notes that some schools focus too much on examination technique rather than on providing broad education, and this is because the secondary schools' accountability system is linked to external examination results, and I recognise this. We are continuing to work with key stakeholders and partners to develop a new evaluation framework and a new model of accountability. We will establish constructive evaluation and accountability mechanisms to reinforce the purposes of reform and bring system alignment to curriculum, assessment and accountability arrangements.

I note that in 2016-17, the number of trainees on both undergraduate and postgraduate initial teacher education programmes fell short of intake targets. Recruitment to primary programmes was around 90 per cent of the target, and secondary programmes only attracted 66 per cent of the target. Therefore, I have established a new teacher recruitment and retention advisory board, which will consider these issues and how we can support a high-quality education workforce, able to meet the demands of the curriculum and wider education reform. Let me be clear: our teachers are absolutely integral to our national mission. A profession that collaborates is always learning and, therefore, always raising standards. It is clear from the report that the policies we have put in place are helping to drive improvement, but it's really important that we maintain momentum to secure further and more consistent advances across our education system.

The Estyn report will play a key role in highlighting areas in need of improvement and supporting the implementation of our wide-reaching reforms. Our focus must continue to ensure that we properly implement our national mission of education reform to drive up standards and help every learner, whatever their background, to fulfil their potential. Deputy Presiding Officer, I'm grateful to all the teachers, the school leaders and managers throughout the sector for their contributions. We all share the same ambition for our children and young people: an excellent education system. Therefore, it only remains for me to thank Meilyr Rowlands and his team for the work that has gone in to producing this annual report. Diolch yn fawr. 

Thank you. I have selected the amendment to the motion, and I call on Llyr Gruffydd to move amendment 1, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. 

Amendment 1. Rhun ap Iorwerth 

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the Chief Inspector notes in the report that 'improving the curriculum and the learning experiences of pupils goes hand in hand with improving the quality of teaching. Improving teaching requires better support, professional learning and staff development for current teachers as well as improved recruitment and initial education and training'.

Amendment 1 moved. 

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I move the amendment in the name of Plaid Cymru? And may I thank Her Majesty’s chief inspector for education and training in Wales—to give him his full title—for the annual report, which certainly makes a great contribution to our understanding of the situation? It is something that we place great importance on and appreciate very much. I also endorse the recognition of the Cabinet Secretary of the excellent work happening in the sector, in difficult circumstances—circumstances that are becoming more difficult because of the financial limitations that have become a reality in the budgets of many local authorities over the past few weeks. I think it’s important that we recognise that reality for those working on the coalface.

I think the Cabinet Secretary has given us a fair summary of the situation. There are positives, and she was right to refer to those, and particularly this focus on the culture that is developing now in terms of more emphasis on self-improvement and collaboration between schools. Although it is perhaps something that's at a very early stage, it is certainly taking us in the direction that we would wish to travel in.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

On the other hand, she’s also recognised there are less positive elements, and one of the most disappointing elements for me is—. Clearly, half of secondary schools and 70 per cent of primary schools are judged to be 'good' or 'excellent', but that, of course, means that half of the schools—as she recognised and acknowledged—are only 'adequate' or 'unsatisfactory'. And in that context, of course, Estyn reminds us that that is consistent with the results since 2010. So, although she said that it’s an improvement on last year, we haven’t seen the progress that many of us would have liked to have seen—over the longer term, anyway.

Variability, of course, is still a problem. It’s an issue that’s raised every year, nearly, when this report is published, and one does feel now that we should be seeing a little more improvement on that front.

Time is relatively short to deal with all of the issues, so I will just focus on a few specifics.

The comments on the foundation phase are ones that the Cabinet Secretary’s referred to. Everyone acknowledges the importance of high-quality early years education as a priority, and the impact that that has on the long-term achievement of pupils. Seeing statements in the annual report—. For example, the one that highlights the fact that in 75 per cent of schools heads don’t fully understand the principles and best-practice pedagogy of the foundation phase is quite frightening, as I’ve said. We need a greater focus on this, in my opinion, and we do need to tackle the issue, because the foundation phase has had difficulties in the past, as we know. But there’s also a reference in the report to the direct impact that some of the budget cuts are having in that area. For example, there is mention that there are fewer qualified teachers now working within the foundation phase because of some of the budgetary cuts, and that goes entirely contrary to the narrative that we heard and the narrative that many of us want to see delivered, in terms of creating the even more qualified workforce, so that that can have a positive impact on the educational attainment of pupils.

In that context, if I may just ask the Cabinet Secretary about the childcare offer. Now, I know it’s not directly a part of her portfolio, but the implications of the success or otherwise of that policy on the early years in education and in schools will have a direct impact. Clearly, we as a party want to see that as an offer extended to all, not just to working parents. The Cabinet Secretary for health and the Minister for children, in the children and young people committee, refused to share that ambition as a long-term aim. I would just want to know what your views are on that. Do you agree with the children’s commissioner, for example, and Save the Children in Wales, who all say that there is a very real risk that the attainment gap will have widened even further between the most disadvantaged children from homes where the parents don’t work, of course, unless they too have access to the childcare offer—perhaps not immediately, but certainly as a medium-term ambition?

I admit that the Plaid Cymru amendment is possibly one of the least contentious amendments this Assembly has seen for quite some time, but it does summarise for me one of the main aspects that gets to the very heart of the report. I know that the Cabinet Secretary has recognised that, to a certain extent, in her opening comments, namely the need to improve the support in terms of professional development, and also to improve recruitment and initial training for new teachers. There’s almost a list of examples of weaknesses in that area that are having an impact on, for example, numeracy—there’s mention of a lack of confidence among teachers, which is something that needs to be resolved; that teachers aren’t properly prepared with the skills they need to provide the range of information technology required in schools. I’ve already referred to some of the comments on the foundation phase, and also, of course, the lack of planning in Welsh-medium education, which is something that the Minister has referred to—the lack of recruitment of Welsh-medium teachers. 

More of the same problems have been highlighted in the report, truth be told, as we've heard in previous years. So, progress in these areas hasn't happened as swiftly as many of us would've liked. One recognises that the Cabinet Secretary is taking steps to address some of these issues, but the core message that I take from this report is, of course, that unless we truly tackle some of the fundamental problems, such as sufficient funding for schools in Wales, such as recruitment and retention of teachers more effectively within the sector, then the risk is that some of the improvements that we start to see emerge in the sector will be nothing more than building a house on sand.

Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for having this debate in the Chamber today? Indeed, I fully support the amendment that has been tabled by the Plaid Cymru group.

I always get concerned when I pick up an annual Estyn report and see a refrain of things that have been said in the past, because it suggests that insufficient progress is being made, and I know that that's a concern of the Cabinet Secretary and others in this Chamber. We must remind ourselves that, yes, we've had some improvements, but we must never forget the failures, really, of successive Labour Governments, in recent years, to get to grips with the problems in our education system across Wales.

We know that our PISA results, back in 2016, were worse than they were a decade before. We know that last year, we saw our worst GSCE results for a decade. We know that this Estyn report suggests that, when you compare the numbers in there, there were 160 fewer primary schools in Wales than there were back in January 2011—160 schools have closed, many of those were decent schools with very good standards. Now, of course, some schools, quite rightly, had to close because they were not meeting the needs of the local communities, but I've got some concerns about that. I'm also concerned that if we look at the schools that are in special measures in Wales, it would appear that the inspectorate, the regional consortia and local education authorities are failing to get those schools turned around quickly enough. We've got two schools, for example, in special measures in Wales at the moment—one of which is in the Cabinet Secretary's constituency—that have been in special measures since 2014. That's a long time for children to be in schools that are not performing satisfactorily. That's unacceptable. So, there's clearly a significant challenge that we have in Wales in getting to grips with these problems.

I know, Cabinet Secretary, that you have a review of Estyn, as an inspectorate, which is under way at the moment, and I'd be grateful if you could provide us an update on where that review is at, and when you expect to receive some recommendations from that review, so that we can make sure that Estyn is fit for purpose. I'm grateful to Estyn for the work that it does, I'm grateful for the interventions that it necessarily makes in our schools, but I do think that some of these issues, frankly, ought to have been dealt with by now with the support of Estyn. And, of course, as I say, I'm grateful that there is some progress being made in some areas, but it's not nearly rapid enough. It's not nearly rapid enough for those youngsters who are in our education system at the moment.

Now, part of that is, of course, as Llyr Huws Gruffydd quite rightly said, as a result of funding. We know that, for every £1 spent on the education system in England, £1.20 comes to Wales so that we have the opportunity to spend more on our children here. And yet, in spite of that, according to the unions, there's a spending gap of £678 per learner in Wales versus the investment that's made over the border in England. I think that that's partly why we've got such poor results here, frankly, in terms of the outcomes for our children. It's not good enough and we need to understand why education isn't getting the sort of priority from the Welsh Government that it needs to be getting in terms of the Welsh Government's cake being carved up when it comes to budgets.

I know that the Cabinet Secretary, just in this last week, has made an additional £14 million available to our schools, and that's a very welcome move, particularly given the £15 million cuts that are going to be made as a result of the change in the education improvement grants. But, again, I think, even with that, we still have this very wide gap per learner with England, and I think we need an explanation from the Government as to why that is the case.

Llyr Huws Griffiths has already made reference to a number of the points that I wanted to cover, but one of the startling ones, I think, that we need a great deal more focus on is adult learning and the further education sector. Now this, I think, is the one part of the education system in Wales that is leading the way, if you like, in terms of the quality of its leadership, in terms of the outcomes that it has for our learners, and I wonder, Cabinet Secretary, when you will harness the opportunity that there is to work with the FE sector to bring improvements and to drive improvements in our schools. We know that we have an industrial strategy here in Wales. That needs to be complemented by some of the work that goes on in our FE sector, and particularly when it comes to adult learning, I think we need to make sure that we are tracking people through the system to see how many youngsters are going through FE and getting into employment. This is information that isn't routinely collected by the Welsh Government, and, of course, Estyn have mentioned this in their report. I think it is something that we would like to see you reflecting on in the future.

When it comes to initial teacher education and training, perhaps you can give us an update on where things are at with the accreditation of the new courses, as well, in our universities. I know that this is something that the Education Workforce Council has been looking at at the moment, and, very clearly, we need to turn around the reputation of our initial teacher training in Wales. I wonder if you could tell us how confident you are that the new courses that are being accredited are going to help get us out of this problem that we've got with recruitment, because we're not able to attract the people into the profession that we need to in the future.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on Estyn's annual report. It is important that the Assembly has the opportunity to scrutinise the work of the chief inspector, both in this annual debate and in committee. The Children, Young People and Education Committee is itself taking evidence from the chief inspector on the annual report next week, and I'm sure that what has been said in the debate today will give the committee much food for thought ahead of that session.

This annual report has been written at the end of Estyn's seven-year reporting cycle and reflects on that period. As the report sets out, a lot has changed in education over that time. However, as we are all aware, some of the most significant changes are yet to come. One of the key messages in the report, which has been highlighted in the Plaid Cymru amendment, is that ensuring the quality of teaching is crucial as we move forward with curriculum reform. Estyn's report also states that

'Improving teaching requires better support, professional learning and staff development'.

The preparedness of the teaching profession for curriculum reform was one of the main concerns raised by the Children, Young People and Education Committee during its recent inquiry into teachers' professional learning and education. The committee's report makes a number of recommendations to help ensure that the teaching profession is prepared for the forthcoming changes. Our report also contains some key recommendations about improvements that could be made to the delivery of professional learning and development for the education workforce, all of which we believe will help ensure better quality of teaching and a better learning experience for children and young people. It is clear that urgent action is required to give our teaching professionals every opportunity to thrive through their careers, creating cultures of personal development and returning esteem to a profession that so vitally needs it.

On 14 March, the committee will hold its Plenary debate on our report into teachers' professional learning and education. I look forward to working with the Cabinet Secretary to help deliver the improvements needed in teachers' professional learning, a concern that is clearly shared by Estyn.

I'm grateful to Estyn for their substantive annual report. Reading through it, I wasn't always clear whether Estyn is a mechanism through which Welsh Government seeks to secure its policy objectives, or whether it's more of a law unto itself, its degree of autonomy and independence, and the extent to which it may be judging the implications of its own assessment criteria. So, for instance, the assessment and how Estyn assesses schools is of huge significance in terms of what teachers do and how schools prioritise different objectives. I just wonder the extent to which those objectives are those of the Welsh Government, or whether Estyn, at least in some areas, ploughs its own furrow. I hope this review that we are having will clarify some of those issues—whether there's the right degree of autonomy or independence for Estyn, whether there is an argument for, Cabinet Secretary, you having more powers subject to this Assembly to set down what the priorities should be for Estyn, and I think, in some areas at least, there may be some sense to that.

If I may just take an example—it's an area where I think my view and perhaps the view of many, at least in the Conservative group, may be different from yours, Cabinet Secretary, and from the Labour Government, but it's about accountability for schools and transparency over how they are doing. We have Estyn's own assessment and the rating it gives. We then have this red, amber and green, which I think comes from Welsh Government. And the messages coming from those two measures—at least for some schools—I find sometimes contradictory. Then, there is the harder evidence of what schools are getting in terms of their results. At least relative to England, there is less transparency about what those results are. There seems to be this huge fear of there being league tables whereas, to me, it is obvious that, if you are transparent and if you are accountable, and if you are open with information rather than suppressing it and hiding it from parents, then that is likely to assist your school system in becoming better. I speak with a certain degree of frustration, as a parent myself, in seeking to compare schools.

But what I don't understand is the sort of mixed system that we've ended up with where, since 2014, Estyn has changed its approach and, in its inspection reports on individual schools, has become more transparent in how much it tells parents and others about what results those schools are getting. Before 2014, there were very vague comparisons of key stage 2 results. It was a family of schools, and it wasn't clear how it went to the nation as a whole, and it didn't tell you actually what the results were for a particular school. Since 2014, that policy has changed, but I'm just a little puzzled by it because I don't see any evidence of the approach of Welsh Government particularly having changed or our having won the argument in Wales that schools should be more transparent and we should be open about this data. It just seems that Estyn took a decision. Perhaps this was approved by Welsh Government. Perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can tell me, but since 2014, you do have this information on individual schools, but then if you try and compare it to other schools, the information is taken at different dates, making those comparisons less reliable for parents. I just don't understand what is the purpose of that or how that helps anyone.

Two areas I just want to comment on, briefly, about the report is the increased emphasis that Estyn seems to be putting on the need to give better support to able and talented students, and particularly the absence of this at primary level in many schools, and particularly those schools that are performing particularly poorly. To some extent, it may be understandable, if a school is doing very badly in terms of its results, that it focuses on lifting the floor or trying to get perhaps the average of those results up, but if at the time, through doing that, that perhaps a number of children who are able and talented in that school really aren't getting support and aren't having their particular needs met, I think that is a concern, and if you are able and talented and are in a school that is doing poorly, things are going to be so much worse because of that lack of focus. I hope Estyn will also look at how it can, at the secondary level, link in support for able and talented students with the Seren network, and ensure that schools engage with that properly and actually push and encourage their pupils to link into Seren on a more consistent basis.

Finally—and excuse my cough, Llywydd; I think others may be suffering from that too—just looking at the career and the future educational advice that children get, Estyn seems to be relatively satisfied with what's happening in year 9, but there are some more criticisms of what happens in year 11. While Welsh Government seems to be sort of pushing against school sixth forms and encouraging mergers and amalgamations and a focus on further education colleges for A-levels to a degree—I may perhaps just be talking about some local examples in my south-east region—Estyn as a whole seem to be suggesting that schools are biased, or some schools at least, to pushing children to go to their own sixth form. Of course, I understand why a school would want to promote its own sixth form, but we also need to ensure that young people are getting proper advice and an ability to consider other options on a fair basis. I would welcome, Cabinet Secretary, if you could say a few words on perhaps what more we could do to ensure that young people do get that.

I was very proud to read in the annual report that the Bryngwyn and Glan y môr confederation in my constituency in Llanelli and Burry Port has been cited for its good practice on leadership; the Cabinet Secretary's own old primary school, Ysgol y Bynea, highlighted; and the Heol Goffa special school was also singled out for special mention. We do have some excellent leadership and practice in Llanelli and across Wales.

But I'd like to focus on the significant areas of concern in this report, and in particular around digital. I think, as Darren Millar implied earlier, there's no point us soft-soaping this debate; we need to be rigorous and unforgiving in looking at the weaknesses, and I am frankly alarmed by what this report says yet again around digital learning.

In just under two thirds of primary schools there are, I quote, 'important shortcomings' in the standards of ICT. Two thirds of primary schools—important shortcomings in ICT. This is what Estyn says: 'In these schools'—and in many secondary schools—'teachers lack knowledge and confidence.' There is

'a lack of a clear vision about ICT from senior leaders.'

Pupils are not being given the chance to apply skills in relevant contexts. It goes on: across Welsh schools as a whole, pupils' progress in ICT has not kept up with advancements in technology, and 

'pupils do not apply their...skills well across the curriculum and their ICT skills are often limited to a narrow range of applications.'

It also says schools are not auditing the digital competence of their staff to allow them to train and upskill teachers, and nor do initial teacher training centres equip trainee teachers with the skills they need.

We should let that sink in, Llywydd. In two thirds of primary schools there are important shortcomings and in many secondary schools teachers lack knowledge and confidence. This is alarming. Any one of those sentences should, in any normal news day, grab the headlines as being a massive cause for concern, especially given what we know about how vital digital skills already are, and are becoming more so by the month. This is a deeply worrying account of the way our schools are teaching young people. I really do think this is a stop-the-clocks moment, Llywydd. We talk of a self-improving system, but there is little sign of improvement when it comes to digital skills. Last year's report said much the same.

Now, there is criticism due to the Welsh Government here, and I'll come to that in a moment, but most of all there's culpability on the whole school system for its failure to rise to this challenge: on the consortia; on governors; on heads; on individual professionals. This is not good enough.

I've raised this with the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary—the need to equip pupils with coding skills—on a number of occasions, and this criticism goes way beyond coding; it goes across the whole digital spectrum. Coding is just an important subset. Last June, the Welsh Government launched 'Cracking the code' with £1.3 million spread over the whole Assembly term to help develop these skills before the new curriculum is brought in, and a further £930,000 for the technocamps—together, just over £2 million for the whole of Wales over the next three years. They're also piloting Minecraft for Education to inspire first-time coders with Minecraft code builder, and given the enthusiasm my own kids have for Minecraft, I think this is an excellent initiative, just the sort of thing we should be doing. But it's being run in 10 schools. Ten schools. There are more than 1,600 schools in Wales, and we are running this coding project in 10 of them. Again, this is not good enough.

Just as oil fueled the industrial age, data and digital are fuelling advances in the artificial intelligence age. There is a reason why China is teaching artificial intelligence and deep learning in their middle schools. We are hugely disadvantaging young people by not giving them the skills and confidence to thrive in this world.

And we are missing a trick also, Cabinet Secretary, by not harnessing advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning in the way we teach. So-called edtech innovations offer the promise of relieving teachers from the tyranny of marking, data tracking and developing differentiated teaching strategies for individual learners. Edtech can do all of this. Teachers can be freed from all this to do what they came to do—to teach. We should be all over this like a rash, but, as Estyn’s quite frankly terrifying findings yet again this year show, we are not.

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. 

I call on the Cabinet Secretary to reply to the debate—Kirsty Williams.

Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Could I thank everybody for their contributions this afternoon? 

We're both struggling.

Yes. [Interruption.] I'll try to get through as many of them as I—

The Cabinet Secretary is struggling with her voice, as I am. If you're quiet, I'm sure we can hear her.

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 stand in this position and berate, as some have done in the past, or you stand in this position and you try and cajole and persuade and support, the system has to want this for itself. The thing that gives me hope that things are improving is that I believe the system does want this for itself, and there is a renewed sense of optimism, commitment and professionalism to drive change forward. For me, that's the bit that I see recognised by Estyn, and that's absolutely crucial to go forward.

Now, the foundation phase findings are really worrying to me. Where people get it, it's delivering really well and making a fantastic difference for those children, but there is still a tendency in too many schools to formalise learning too soon in year 1 and year 2 and go back to old ways of delivering education. That's why I, last year, before I'd even seen this evidence, recognised there was more to do in the foundation phase, and we are setting up our national network of excellence in this particular sector. That was due to be formally launched at a school last Friday, which, of course, formally we weren't able to do, but that doesn't mean that there isn't significant work going on to build that network, and we will do a formal launch later on this month.

Again, with the Welsh in education strategic plans, this is something that the Welsh Government is alive to and alert to, and that's why early in this Government Aled Roberts was asked to come in to independently review the robustness of the WESP plans, and there is action in that area.

There are improvements that are recognised in the inspector's reports, in terms of the quality of our initial teacher education, but there is a way to go—that's, again, why we've established the new panel and why we have new recruitment incentives, especially for those teaching through the medium of Welsh. We continue to look to see what we can do to make the profession as attractive as it possibly can be.

Darren, you talked about the review into Estyn. It's not my review into Estyn—it's Estyn's review into Estyn, although I welcome very much that they had the foresight to ask Graham Donaldson to look at whether the current regime is fit for purpose as we go forward. I understand that Graham Donaldson will be reporting later on this springtime. Obviously, the recommendations he made will be a matter for Estyn, but, obviously, I'm keeping a close watch on this whole circumstance. 

Now, I don't shy away from the fact that there are challenging financial circumstances facing our schools system, but I think it is fair to say that it is not possible to make direct comparisons. I know, because that used to be my favourite trick when I used to sit over there and I would regularly ask the First Minister about this issue. But when there was then a publication by the chief statistician, independent of Government, that said, 'Actually, you can't do this any more on a fair basis', even I had to leave that one alone. But I recognise that these are challenging circumstances for our schools, and that's why I use every opportunity to get money to the front line. That's why we have made the £14 million available to local authorities to get to their schools to address issues around repairs and costs and small-scale maintenance, because I don't want that money being spent on that when it could be spent on teaching and learning. 

I recognise that there are challenges around the education improvement grant, and that's why, in the new financial year, following discussions with the finance Secretary, we recognise that some of the changes will have particularly disadvantaged certain local authorities, and that's why we will make an additional £5 million available for that too. I will take every opportunity to get money to the front line, as the finance Minister knows all too well.  

With regard to ITE, I have visited all ITE providers since Christmas to see first hand what they're doing at the moment and to challenge them on their preparedness for the new regime. That process is ongoing and I'm not involved in that process at this date; that has to be independent of me. But let me tell you: my challenge to universities delivering ITE is that it's not just about the accreditation of their course; it is about sustained investment in their education faculties. Too often, that is seen as a workhorse of universities. It's not the glory department. It's not the likes of the other high-profile subjects. I want education faculties to be the glory departments in our universities if they're delivering ITE. I want to see more universities in Wales in this area submitting research, for instance, and applying for grants so that we build up the capacity of education research in Wales. That's my challenge when I go around them. It's not just about accreditation; it is improving the strength of our universities in this sector that is also really important. 

We are going to introduce, as part of our accountability regime for post-16 work, tracking mechanisms. We need to know where those children go, and that'll be part of the work that we're doing to have an increased focus, actually, on outcomes at post-16 level, something that has not been particularly strong in the past. In the past, people, for instance, who did A-levels were seen perhaps as a minority and they could look after themselves. With so many children now doing A-levels, that's not good enough. We have to have a much greater focus. 

Lynne, any education system cannot surpass the quality of the teachers that work within it, therefore continual professional learning is absolutely key. And I recognise that the inspector said that some improvement has been made, but there is more to do. 

And, Mark Reckless, Estyn is independent of me, as we would expect it to be. They don't pull any punches, as we've seen; where we do well, they tell us, where we're not doing well, they don't, and, how they judge their regime, they consult us on it, but it is a matter for them. I do not subscribe to the fact that publishing league tables will help our education system improve. This report says it's all about collaborative and supporting school-to-school working. You're not going to have that where schools are competing against one another. It undermines that ethos that we're trying to build in our education system of the self-improving, collaborative system.  

Will the Cabinet Secretary give way? 

Yes, of course. 

Rather than that able principle, where I don't think we'll reach agreement, what is the point of this middle way where Estyn tells you what the results are if the inspection was after 2014 but not before, and how does that help anyone if parents are comparing schools on less than accurate or up-to-date data?   

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 does tell us we need are better accountability measures. The inspector talks at great length about the accountability measures that we've had in the past, determined by external examinations, that have led to teaching to test, narrowing of the curriculum and not giving kids what they need. And the challenge to us is to find an accountability regime that aligns Welsh Government accountability with Estyn and our regional consortia, and I'd be very happy to talk to headteachers at their conference tomorrow about how we're developing that. 

MAT—I will refer you to the statement I made last week. There is more we need to do on more able and talented, that's why I announced the investment in that. Let me be absolutely clear: I'm not on a mission to close sixth forms. I believe in a mixed economy of post-16 provisions. For some places and some pupils sixth forms are fine, in other places, local determination has said something different—but I am not about closing sixth forms; I'm about a mixed economy. What I am about is, wherever that child studies, it has to be high quality and children have to get the right kind of advice so they can make positive choices about their future and not be railroaded into the FE sector or staying on to the sixth form. There is more work that we can do to ensure that children and parents have a wide variety of access to information about what is best for their child. But please don't say that I'm about closing sixth forms; we're about a mixed economy in this Government.

Lee, you are absolutely right: there is so much more we need to do about digital. That's why the digital competence framework was the first part of our curriculum reform that was published. I met last week with our National Digital Learning Council to look at restyling their remit and their function so that we can drive improvements in this area because, clearly, what we see at the moment is not good enough. That's why we've established the national network of excellence for STEM as well, because I recognise there is so much more we need to do and we will not serve our children well unless they are literate, numerate and digitally competent. That's what we need for their futures. 

Vikki Howells, you're absolutely right: we can have the best school buildings in the world, we can have the best teachers, the best curriculum, but, if we don't address children's well-being, they're not in a position to make the most of those opportunities. I am glad that Estyn recognises that, actually, we've got a good story to tell on well-being, but there's always more that we can do. 

Presiding Officer, I will close there in saying that I agree with the chief inspector's comment that there is much to be proud of in the Welsh education system. However, I also recognise that there is still much more for me and this Government to do. We must continue the momentum behind our national mission to raise standards, to reduce the attainment gap, and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and enjoys public confidence, Mark. The Estyn annual report will play a key role in helping us on that journey and informing us of where we've made progress. Thank you.

The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? Amendment 1 is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The proposal is to agree the motion as amended. 

Motion NDM6675 as amended

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Notes the annual report for 2016-17 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales.

Notes that the Chief Inspector notes in the report that 'improving the curriculum and the learning experiences of pupils goes hand in hand with improving the quality of teaching. Improving teaching requires better support, professional learning and staff development for current teachers as well as improved recruitment and initial education and training'.

Does any Member object? The motion as amended is therefore agreed.

Motion NDM6675 as amended agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The next item is the motion under Standing Order 26.95 that the Bill to be known as the Law Derived from the European Union (Wales) Bill be treated as a Government emergency Bill, and a motion under Standing Order 26.98(ii) to agree a timetable for the Bill to be known as the Law Derived from the European Union (Wales) Bill. In accordance with Standing Order 12.24, I propose that the following two motions under items 9 and 10 be grouped for debate. Does any Member object? No.