Colleges Achieve Way Above Target

Responding to the launch of Estyn’s Annual Report on educational standards in Wales, Chief Executive of ColegauCymru, John Graystone, said: “I am delighted that Estyn has provided independent evidence that further education colleges are continuing to achieve well above the quality targets the Government has set for colleges and that, in addition, they offer good value for money.”   

91% of FE programmes were judged to be good or outstanding compared to the national target of 65%.

In addition, key strengths identified in the report are colleges’ involvement in networks of professional practice, continuous benchmarking against each other to secure further improvements, and a positive response to transforming the post-16 education sector. Improvements have also been noted in Welsh-medium and bilingual provision.  

When it comes to partnerships with a range of other education providers, however, Estyn reports a more patchy picture.  

Colleges accept Estyn’s analysis that:         

• Partnerships with the schools sector to offer more vocational choices to the 14-19 cohort have not been as successful, and that         
• There is more work to do in further education colleges to develop Welsh-medium and bilingual provision in partnership with schools.  

Over the last year, colleges have been raising concerns that a larger-than-expected proportion of learners arrive at college with basic skills deficits. It is even more concerning that this proportion includes learners who have attained good passes at GCSE level. ColegauCymru is pleased to note that Estyn identifies a need for an all-Wales and all-sector approach to basic skills testing.  

John Graystone concluded: “Clearly, Estyn’s Annual Report has applauded the incredible amount of positive work that FE colleges have achieved over the last few years, increasing quality whilst also dealing with funding challenges. But it is not good enough to have outstanding individual colleges in our midst. A postcode lottery in post-16 learning across Wales cannot be acceptable.  

“ColegauCymru supports the call by Estyn for all sections of the education and skills sector, including the Welsh Assembly Government itself, to join forces to improve basic skills provision, widen opportunities for Welsh-speaking learners particularly in vocational subjects, and to develop more effective partnerships to deliver a wider choice of learning options more efficiently. Colleges have a clear track record of innovation and are ready to rise to the challenges identified by Estyn today in partnership with the whole of the education sector across Wales.”

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Cyswllt: Sylvia Davies ar 029 2052 8384 neu 07968 771913.

Nodiadau i olygyddion:

1. Elusen addysgiadol genedlaethol yw ColegauCymru sy’n cynrychioli pob un o’r 21 o golegau a sefydliadau addysg bellach (AB) yng Nghymru. Ei genhadaeth yw i godi proffil addysg bellach ymysg y rhai sy’n gwneud penderfyniadau allweddol ac i wella cyfleoedd i ddysgwyr yng Nghymru. Am ragor o wybodaeth ar ColegauCymru a’r colegau mae’n eu cynrychioli, gweler www.colegaucymru.ac.uk
2. Cyhoeddwyd Adroddiad Blynyddol Estyn 2009-10 ar 25 Ionawr 2011. Mae e ar gael o: 
   http://www.estyn.gov.uk/cymraeg/adroddiad-blynyddol/adroddiad-blynddol-2009-2010/