Estyn by Dr Russell Grigg

Our guest speaker this week was Dr Russell Grigg. Dr Grigg is head of South West Wales centre of teacher education. Dr Grigg spoke to us about ESTYN. ESTYN is responsible for inspecting quality and standards within education in Wales.

ESTYN inspect a considerable amount of educational facilities such as nurseries, primary, secondary, independent, adult community learning, local authority services for children and young people, teacher education and training, work based learning, career companies and offender learning. ESTYN also inspects higher education for instance Universities and colleges. (ESTYN)

Furthermore ESTYN ‘provide advice to the Welsh Assembly Government on quality and standards in education and training in Wales and promote the spread of good practice in education and training.’ (ESTYN)

The role of ESTYN is to write reports on the schools they have inspected in order for the schools to make progress and improve on their standards. The ESTYN report framework covers areas such as standards, well-being, learning experiences, teaching, care, support and guidance, learning environment, leadership, improving quality, partnership working and resource management.

The reports are accommodating for parents who want to see how their child’s school is performing. Also it is helpful for the community, parliament to know the educational establishments that are performing well and those that are not in order for them to be worked on so they have improved quality and standards. The inspection reports likewise help schools as it informs them on what they are doing well and what aspects of the school need to be improved on. ESTYN states that ‘The purpose of inspection is to identify good features and shortcomings so that education and training providers can improve the quality of education they offer and raise the standards achieved by their learners’

References
ESTYN http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/about-us/role-and-remit/. Retrieved 16th April 2012