School Improvement
What support does the EAS provide?
Regional Model for School Improvement
During each academic year, the LA and EAS will participate in a professional discussion with schools to consider their identified priorities for improvement and to reflect on the progress they are making towards meeting these.
This process has been developed over recent years, following discussions with the regional headteacher stakeholder group. It is intended to be a cyclical process which supports schools to determine and/ or review the priorities arising from their self-evaluation processes.
It is also an opportunity for schools to demonstrate that these processes are accurate and effective in identifying priorities for improvement. The discussion also helps to determine the ongoing support needs of the school from both the LA and EAS and identify where practice is worth sharing.
This model reflects the current Welsh Government guidance in relation to collaboration as part of school evaluation and improvement guidance. For more information, visit School improvement guidance: framework for evaluation, improvement and accountability - Hwb (gov.wales).
NB: If the discussion is not scheduled at the start of the School Development Planning cycle, the School Improvement Partner (SIP) will have already engaged in dialogue with the Headteacher about priorities for improvement, grant plans and support. The professional discussion process should therefore be flexible to reflect the stage of the planning cycle when the professional discussion takes place, for example, during the spring or summer term.
A national pilot is now underway of the National Resource: Evaluation and Improvement. The Resource has been designed to provide schools with a means to evaluate and improve performance over time, in harmony with curriculum reform and Estyn’s evolving approach to inspection.
