Education

Free school meals opportunity for WG

Published

7 years ago

April 12, 2018

No reason to make Wales' poorest children pay: Bevan Foundation Director calls for investment

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has a unique opportunity to make sure that children from low-income families don’t go hungry, writes Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation.

Each year, around one in six of Wales’ school pupils claims a free school meal because their parents receive a benefit such as Employment and Support Allowance, Job Seekers’ Allowance or Income Support. At around £2.50 a go – £12.50 a week per child – this is quite a big help.

And the benefits of a nutritious midday meal are not just financial: a decent meal contributes to better concentration in the afternoon and ensures low income children have better diets too.

UNIVERSAL CREDIT CHANGES

The introduction of Universal Credit means that new rules about who can get a free school meal are needed. Universal Credit is set to be in place for new claimants in all parts of Wales by the end of 2018. The process of switching existing claimants to UC will take place gradually from 2019.

Universal Credit is paid to families where someone is working as well as families which are out-of-work. This means that the old rules for getting a free school meal can no longer be used.

In anticipation of this, the National Assembly for Wales passed the Free School Lunches and Milk (Universal Credit) (Wales) Order in 2013.

Put simply, this piece of secondary legislation enabled the children of all recipients of UC to receive a free school meal, irrespective of circumstances, while the benefit was being rolled out.

In practice, the numbers of children who benefited from the new rule were likely to be very small as the roll-out of UC doesn’t apply to claimants with children.

As Universal Credit is set to be rolled-out to all types of households, including those with children, the UK Government is cutting back on eligibility.

The plan is that children in families receiving UC which have an income from work of more than £7,400 will not be eligible for a free school meal.

The move has prompted a row in the House of Commons about the UK Government allegedly ‘taking away’ free meals from a million children, with equally furious counter claims.

It’s worth checking Channel 4’s Full Fact for the details, however.

CHANNEL 4 FULL FACT ANALYSIS

There’s some respectable maths behind Labour’s claim that a million children will lose out on free school meals after the government introduces a means test.

But they haven’t mentioned two key points:

No one who is currently eligible for free school meals under Universal Credit will lose their entitlement.
In fact, under Universal Credit, 50,000 more children will receive school meals by 2022 than would have done under the previous benefits system.

This is not a case of the government taking free school meals from a million children who are currently receiving them: it’s about comparing two future, hypothetical scenarios. Both of them are more generous than the old benefits system.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN WALES?

Universal Credit, as everyone knows, is not devolved. But free school meals are. It is for the Welsh Government to decide who can receive a free meal.

Provision is already less generous in England, where all infant pupils get a free meal regardless of their families’ income. The question is whether the Welsh Government will follow the same route as the UK Government for children in families receiving Universal Credit.

WHAT ABOUT THE COST?

Because the UK government has limited the eligibility for free meals in England there’s no Barnett consequential to help cover the cost of increasing eligibility in Wales.

But that is no reason to make Wales’ poorest children pay.

Aneurin Bevan famously said in 1949 ‘the language of priorities is the religion of Socialism‘. And on this he was right.

At the same time as Wales’ least well-off children have to pay £12.50 a week for a dinner, there’s free bus travel on the Traws Cymru service for anyone, a subsidised canteen for Assembly Members and government officials, and free swimming for over-60s.

If you had to choose who got the freebie, who would you select?

Any change to the rules will be via an order to be considered by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee.

If the Welsh Government is serious about the well-being of future generations, there is not better case for investing in the health and education of Wales’ children than this.

Education

New resource to support Welsh medium pupils

Published

3 days ago

January 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

EDUCATION researchers have published a special booklet to support pupils in Welsh medium schools from homes where the language is not spoken.

Entitled Partner, Promote and Provide, the booklet was co-created in workshops led by Aberystwyth University which brought together education partners from Ceredigion and Powys, with input from parents and pupils.

It builds on a series of research studies by the School of Education which began during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and which explored the impact of the pandemic on pupils along with the additional challenges facing Welsh-medium schools in extending support to children from non-Welsh-speaking homes.

Dr Siân Lloyd-Williams Director of Research at Aberystwyth University’s School of Education, said:

“Based on the studies we carried out between 2020 and 2024, it was clear we needed to continue the work so that we could evaluate, identify and measure the impact of our recommendations on supporting non-Welsh speaking families.

“We set out to organise a series of workshops, bringing together representatives from the local education authorities, teachers, parents and others to hear their experiences and gather evidence. As a result, we have co-created a special booklet that teachers can use to support pupils from non-Welsh-speaking homes who attend Welsh medium schools.”

Another member of the research team at Aberystwyth School of Education, Dr Rhodri Aled Evans, said:

“This is an example of effective and purposeful collaboration between academics and practitioners on the ground. We hope this booklet, together with the recommendations of our previous studies, will be a valuable resource for the education sector and beneficial for teachers, pupils and families alike.”

The Director of Education for Ceredigion County Council, Elen James, said:

“It has been extremely valuable to collaborate with the University’s researchers to create dedicated resources that offer practical help on how to further improve the experiences of Welsh-medium pupils from non-Welsh speaking homes. This work is important and an excellent starting point for further collaboration. We look forward to developing the project further in the future.”

The Partner, Promote and Provide booklet was launched at a training event for teachers held at the University on 16 January 2025 and can be downloaded from the University’s website as a PDF or hard copies can be sent on request.

Pictured: L to R: Susan Ferguson (Research Impact and Knowledge Officer, Aberystwyth University), Prysor Davies (Interim Head of the School of Education, Aberystwyth University), Dr Rhodri Evans (Lecturer in Education, Aberystwyth University), Rhiannon Salisbury (teacher), Alwyn Ward (Ceredigion County Council)

Education

Excellent inspection for Tenby Church in Wales Primary School

Published

3 days ago

January 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE GOVERNORS and staff at Tenby Church in Wales Primary School are delighted to have received their Estyn inspection report today, Friday 10th January, following full inspection early in November 2024. The glowing report praises the school for its care and support for pupils.

It states: “Tenby Church in Wales School is a happy, nurturing and inclusive school where a focus on values underpins its work. Leaders place a high importance on pupils’ wellbeing. Pupils are well cared for and feel safe. Pupils behave very well and there is a calm atmosphere in the school.”

The inspectors noted the high standards and strong progress that pupils of all abilities make. Support for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) gained particular praise.

“Most pupils make strong progress in their learning as they move through the school. They have positive attitudes to learning and reflect purposefully on their work to bring about improvements. The provision for pupils with ALN is a strength of the school and supports these pupils to make good progress towards their individual targets.”

Governors and staff are pleased that the leadership and effectiveness of the whole staff team has been recognised as a strength.

“The Headteacher provides strong leadership. He has built an effective staff team who share his vision. Governors are well informed about the school’s strengths and areas for development and offer suitable challenge.

“Across the school, there is a culture of improving teaching and learning. Senior leaders work effectively to promote this and to provide support and professional learning for all staff. Leaders manage change exceptionally well and this has helped the school to maintain its track record of bringing about improvement.”

There are two ‘spotlights’ for good practice identified within the school’s inspection report; one for ‘an inspiring curriculum’ (the school’s curriculum offer to children) and another for ‘managing change’ (leaders managing change to ensure quality).

The report made one recommendation to help the school continue to improve: to enhance pupil leadership and pupil voice in the strategic development of the school. The school will now produce an action plan to address this recommendation.

John Palmer, Headteacher at Tenby Primary, said: “On behalf of our school community I feel incredibly proud to have received such an excellent inspection report. It rightly highlights the hard work and successes of staff, children, parents and governors and we feel it captures our school and its vision and values perfectly.”

Mrs Anne Ponisch, Chair of Governors, said: “It is a joy to see the hard work and dedication of all who work at the school recognised and applauded in this excellent report. It reflects the very positive collaboration that exists between our local community, parents, staff, governors and children. It describes so well the happy and innovative school that we all feel privileged to love and be a part of.”

Cllr Guy Woodham, Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh language, said: “I offer my congratulations to Tenby Church in Wales Primary School for achieving this outstanding report.
“Inspection reports like this do not come about by chance, they are the result of dedication and hard work and support from the whole school community.”

The full inspection report can be found on the Estyn website by using the following link: Tenby Church In Wales Voluntary Controlled School – Estyn

Education

Estyn to review the use of Generative AI in schools

Published

6 days ago

January 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

ESTYN, the education and training inspectorate for Wales, is set to lead a comprehensive review into how Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is being utilised in schools across Wales.

The review aims to assess the current applications of Gen AI tools, explore their potential benefits, and identify any challenges they may present to educators and learners.

Survey and engagement process

The review’s first phase involves a survey for schools and pupil referral units, inviting feedback and insights into their experiences with AI. This will be followed by in-depth engagement with teachers to gather detailed perspectives. The findings are expected to be published in the summer.

Support and guidance for schools

To help schools considering or beginning to use Generative AI, new guidance has been published. This guidance is part of a broader support package available on Hwb, developed with input from leading online safety organisations such as the UK Safer Internet Centre, Common Sense Education, Praesidio Safeguarding, and Internet Matters.

Statements from key figures

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, commented: “Artificial Intelligence presents a huge potential for schools; the technology is evolving quickly, and it is vital that schools are supported to navigate change.

“By getting an understanding of the good practice already being used, we can help schools to embrace the opportunities AI could bring responsibly, while continuing to prioritise the safety and well-being of staff and learners.

“Estyn are well placed to undertake this review, given their deep understanding of the education sector in Wales. As a government, we continue to work with partners, including local authorities, and engage with leading online safety organisations to ensure schools are guided by the best expert advice.”

Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector at Estyn, said: “We are very pleased to be launching this important call to gather views from education professionals to better understand how both teachers and pupils are already using generative AI in schools and pupil referral units across Wales.

“Generative AI has the potential to transform education if used responsibly, and its use amongst educators and learners is accelerating at a rapid rate. Having a clearer understanding of the integration of AI in schools at a national level will enable Government to better support and guide the education community in the use of this powerful technology.

“We would encourage school leaders, teachers, and support staff to share their experiences and engage with the survey, which is now live. We look forward to meeting with providers over the coming months to speak in more detail about their work in applying AI within their settings.”

AI subgroup and sector collaboration

In tandem with the review, an AI subgroup under Digital Learning Cymru has been established. This group ensures sector-wide input and brings together a network of experts from education, industry, and the third sector. The collaboration is intended to address both the opportunities and challenges associated with AI in education.

Estyn’s review is a pivotal step in helping schools across Wales navigate the evolving landscape of AI and harness its potential to enhance teaching and learning responsibly.