Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 2:29 pm on 25 April 2018.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 2:29, 25 April 2018

Well, I would be delighted to recognise the success of that school, building on what Estyn did in 2016, where it recognised that what happens at West Monmouth School provides fantastic opportunities for young people and children from the Gypsy/Traveller community. They are keeping those children in school, and they're going on to achieve really well, and they have focused very much on building really strong links with families and parents in that community. I am aware of the importance of allowing some schools, where there are Gypsy/Traveller children, to have early entry, especially in the autumn series of exams, because we do recognise that that may be the only opportunity that those children have to take a public examination. That's one of the reasons that was at the forefront of my thinking last year when we made our decisions about early entry, and why we did not ban early entry outright, because to do so would have been to deprive those schools, and those children, of the opportunities of sitting their formal examinations. It is perfectly appropriate, in those cases, that children are entered early, and that's why we still allow schools to have that option, where they can allow children to enter exams early when it is in the best interests of the children, and West Monmouth School have shown they certainly have the best interests of these children at heart.