Ty Goddard, co-founder of the Education Foundation, said he sensed a real feeling of “renewed confidence” and a “palpable sense of progress, reflection and focus on practice” in Wales.
Writing ahead of the Education Foundation’s first conference in Wales, he highlighted the “sharper focus on school standards” under the School Challenge Cymru scheme. He stated: “It is obvious too that we also need to develop and support teachers and leaders, so they can properly support and inspire our children and young people.”
He stressed that as reforms take place, schools must keep parents and communities informed. “To truly build an education nation, changes across education need to be explained, understood and supported across our community,” he stated.
He said schools must not become pessimistic because of Wales’ disappointing results in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) tests of 2009 and 2015.
“PISA tests provide a useful view of where a country’s education system is and where it ought to go next,” he stated.
“PISA was always designed as an important snapshot not sacred text. It may not always be intended, but with PISA, the headline can too often become the message.
“The ‘shock to the system’ can become internalised and can gnaw away at self-confidence and belief.”
He highlighted the positive reaction to curriculum reform and to the support for a framework of digital skills in education – the Digital Competence Framework.
“This Welsh Digital Framework is important, forward-looking and distinctive,” he said. “From an independent ICT steering group report in 2013 had grown ideas for one of the biggest potential game-changers for education in Wales.
“Not boxing off ‘digital’ to a class a week or after-school club, but cultivating the ‘digital promise’ across the curriculum.”
Writing in the Western Mail ahead of the conference, which was to be attended by a number of headteachers and the Welsh government’s director of education, he added: “It is important to celebrate where we are on that education reform journey. Celebrate uniqueness, but bring coherence.
“Continue to support educators and invest in the infrastructure of useful accountability. And there’s always untapped resources willing to help. Always.”