General Teaching Council for Wales

Cyngor Addysgu Cyffredinol Cymru

ANNUAL REPORT

2013-2014

Contents

page

Foreword by the Chairperson

Executive summary

Introduction

Planning the Council’s activities

Objective 1: To maintain and promote the highest standards of professional conduct and practice

Objective 2: To provide an independent, representative and authoritative voice for the profession on teaching issues

Objective 3: To foster reflective practice and professional development in teaching

Objective 4: To communicate the positive contribution of the teaching profession to society

Objective 5: To provide efficient, effective and robust finance, personnel and administrative systems that support the delivery and communication of the Council’s objectives

Objective 6: To contribute to the arrangements to reconfigure the GTCW as a new professional body for the wider education workforce

Council membership and member attendance at Council and Committee Meetings

Summary Financial Statements

Notes to the accounts

Foreword by the Chairperson

Dear colleague,

This is the penultimate annual report of the General Teaching Council for Wales which I am very pleased to introduce.

The Council in its present form as the statutory professional regulatory body for school teachers will soon have an extended remit. From April 2015, we will be a reconfigured and renamed Council – the Education Workforce Council – which will also register and regulate teachers in Further Education, and, from the following year, learning support staff in schools and Further Education. The Council will then be responsible for some 70,000 education practitioners - almost double the current number of registrants. This development makes a great deal of sense in the context of the range of adults found supporting the work of teachers in schools and the learning pathways open to 14-19 year olds. In itself, the extension of professionally-led regulation to FE teachers will do much to raise the status of the teaching profession in that sector.

It was natural, therefore, that much of this past year was dominated by the Council’s engagement with the National Assembly’s legislative process, following the government’s introduction of the Education (Wales) Bill in July 2013. Council was active throughout the legislative stages in seeking to shape the detail of the Bill based on its fourteen years’ experience of professional regulation. The Education (Wales) Act received Royal Assent in May 2014. As a Council, we are delighted that our systems, processes and staff will continue into the new organisation because we will remain the same legal entity. This is testament to the quality of what we have put in place since our inception. We have already begun to prepare for the transition to our widened remit and I will say more about that in my final annual report next year.

Working within the above context, we have maintained a business-as-usual approach. We have ensured that our regulatory work – registration and professional standards casework - has continued to high quality and to timescale. Over 37,600 teachers were registered in the year with 53,000 on-line searches undertaken by LAs, schools, agencies and members of the public. The number of cases we dealt with increased again this year, including 52 professional standards cases and 58 applications for suitability cases. Under our equality scheme, for the first time our report gives various analyses including a breakdown of our professional standards and suitability casework by gender, age, ethnicity, language and disability. This demand-led work continues to have big financial implications for us as a Council as we are not in control of the level of our registration fee income.

During the year we responded on behalf of the profession to various Welsh Government and Estyn consultations and made submissions to the Tabberer and Hill reviews. We completed our involvement in the EU-funded project to develop a policy on educators’ professional portfolios and were able to use the Council’s earlier thinking on recording and self-reflection to help shape the project outcomes. We are pleased that the Welsh Government is currently actively considering a professional development portfolio.

Operationally, we have administered successfully the Welsh Government programmes to support 2,300 teachers through the induction and early professional development programmes. We took on an added role from the Welsh Government and I am pleased

to report that we succeeded in allocating a mentor to all eligible NQTs by the October 2013 half term. This was a major improvement on the first year’s arrangements. We also were asked to take on expanded roles in the second year of the Masters in Educational Practice programme.

In October, our tenth Wales Education Lecture was given by Professor Laura McAllister, Chair of Sports Wales. This now well-established event brought together educationalists and the sports community for an excellent evening on the role of schools in inspiring involvement in physical activity. Sadly, for financial reasons, we will not be able to hold a lecture in 2014.

We continued to maintain good working relationships with partner organisations and this will continue to be important as we transition to an expanded organisation with a wider range of stakeholders. We have increased our communication tools through the launch of a School Contact Person scheme and we have now approximately 100 school contacts receiving email updates in addition to our website and Twitter communications which we use regularly.

It is satisfying to know that, internally, we have run a tight ship. The Wales Audit Office gave an unqualified audit opinion on the 2012-13 accounts. Our internal controls have been verified by our internal audit contractors who have given us high levels of assurance about the quality of our systems. Our cycle of internal policy reviews has ensured that our approaches remain relevant. Council members testify to the high quality of support they receive from staff.

I wish to end my Foreword with an important comment about finances. Our full annual accounts document, describes the difficult position we find ourselves in at the end of the financial year. In planning for our final year as GTCW, we were not permitted by the Minister to increase our registration fee by £3. As a result Council entered a seventh year with the same level of income. We have made all the cuts it had been possible to make without eroding our core regulatory and advisory purposes, even to the point of allocating the anticipated remaining general reserve to balance the budget. This is clearly an unacceptable situation for an independent body, with a further consequence that the EWC will inherit no financial reserve from the GTCW. I cannot overstate how strongly the Council recommends that the Minister should set the Council in its reconfigured form free of government constraints over its registration fee income.

My thanks go to the staff of the GTCW for the professional way in which they have conducted themselves over recent years. It has been at times unsettling for them. It is, therefore, all the more pleasing that their futures and that of the Council as a whole are now secure as we move to become a professional regulatory body with an expanded remit.

Yours sincerely,

Angela Jardine Chairperson

Executive summary

Key Successes during 2013-2014

The General Teaching Council for Wales, in meeting its operational objectives, highlights the following key successes during the year 2013–2014:

To maintain and promote the highest standards of professional conduct and practice

 Registered over 37,500 teachers  Maintained public and professional confidence in teaching by effectively administering over 111 professional standards cases  Facilitated access to the Register, enabling over 50,000 online searches by the public, employers and members

To provide an independent, representative and authoritative voice for the profession on teaching issues

 Participated in national reviews into Initial Teacher Training and the Future Provision of Education Services  Hosted the Wales seminar of the BERA-RSA report ‘Research and the Teaching Profession’

To foster reflective practice and professional development in teaching

 Ensured some 2,300 teachers in the first three years of their careers were supported by efficiently administering funding for teachers’ Induction, Early Professional Development and the Masters in Educational Practice  Participated in an international EU funded project to develop a ‘Policy for Educator Evidence in Portfolio’

To communicate the positive contribution of the teaching profession to society

 Contributed to professional debate by successfully organising the tenth Wales Education Lecture as a high profile event  Successfully increased visitor numbers to our stand at the Urdd National Eisteddfod

To provide efficient, effective and robust finance, personnel and administrative systems that support the delivery and communication of the Council’s objectives

 Set a balanced budget for 2014-15 in the face of extreme financial constraints

 Planned the final year of operations of the GTCW prior to reconfiguration as the Education Workforce Council

To contribute to the arrangements to reconfigure the GTCW as a professional body for the wider education workforce

 Hosted a briefing for Assembly Members which helped to shape debate around extending professional regulation  Presented detailed analysis and evidence on the Education (Wales) Bill to the Children and Young People Committee of the National Assembly, and to the Minister and officials

Introduction

This Annual Report of the General Teaching Council for Wales covers the operational year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014.

The General Teaching Council for Wales is the self-regulating professional body for teachers in Wales and was established by the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act. The Council came into being on 1 September 2000. The 1998 Act was amended by the Education Act 2002.

General Teaching Councils also exist in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The GTCW has sought to co-operate with its sister Councils and to learn from their experiences.

The principal aims of the Council set out in the 1998 Act are:

 to contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning, and  to maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers, in the interests of the public.

The Council is responsible for:

 advising Welsh Ministers and other designated bodies on:

o standards of teaching; o standards of conduct for teachers; o the role of the teaching profession; o the training, career development and performance management of teachers; o recruitment to the teaching profession; o medical fitness to teach;

and, if required by Welsh Ministers, on any other matters relating to teaching;

 establishing and maintaining a Register of Qualified Teachers in Wales;

 providing a Professional Code for registered teachers;

 carrying out disciplinary functions relating to teachers accused of serious professional misconduct and / or incompetence.

At the request of the Welsh Government, the Council may undertake activities designed to promote recruitment to the teaching profession and the continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers.

The Council is funded by teacher registration fees for its regulatory and advisory work. The Council also received funding from the Welsh Government for administering the award of Qualified Teacher Status, administering funding for Induction, Early

Professional Development (EPD) and the Masters in Educational Practice (MEP), the hearing of Induction appeals and the issuing of Induction certificates. The Welsh Government also paid for the Disclosure and Barring Service checks for first time applicants for registration.

For the period covered by this Annual Report, the Chairperson of the Council was Angela Jardine. Sue Rivers was the Deputy Chairperson of Council. Senior staff were: Gary Brace (Chief Executive), Hayden Llewellyn (Deputy Chief Executive, Teachers’ Qualifications, Registration and Professional Standards), Julia Evans (Deputy Chief Executive Finance, Personnel and Corporate Services), Karen Evans (Policy and Planning Manager).

Planning the Council’s Activities

The Council’s activities for the period from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 were outlined in the Corporate Plan 2013-2015 and Operational Plan 2013-2014. The Council’s performance against the targets and measures in this Operational Plan provide the main focus for this Annual Report.

The Operational Plan focused on five objectives:

Objective 1: to maintain and promote the highest standards of professional conduct and practice;

Objective 2: to provide an independent, representative and authoritative voice for the profession on teaching issues;

Objective 3: to foster reflective practice and professional development in teaching

Objective 4: to communicate the positive contribution of the teaching profession to society;

Objective 5: to provide efficient, effective and robust finance, personnel and administrative systems that support the delivery and communication of the Council’s objectives; and

Objective 6: to contribute to the arrangements to reconfigure the GTCW as a professional body for the wider education workforce

Objective 1 To maintain and promote the highest standards of professional conduct and practice

The Council plays a key role in maintaining and promoting the highest standards of professional practice and conduct within the teaching profession in the interests of the public, teachers and pupils.

The award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

The annual college exit process and dispatch of the QTS certificates were completed to deadline. This involved effective liaison with Initial Teacher Education and Training Institutions (ITET) in Wales in identifying students expected to complete their initial teacher training and the allocation of teacher reference numbers and the award of QTS to those deemed eligible. In total, the Council awarded QTS to 1,424 candidates.

In addition, the Council assessed 105 applications for QTS from teachers from other parts of the UK (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Guernsey) and the European Economic Area in accordance with both internal and European Community timelines, and awarded QTS to 73 of these applicants. The Council also awarded QTS to 50 individuals who qualified through the employment-based route of the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP).

Maintaining and developing the Register of Qualified Teachers

The Register of Qualified Teachers is a means of ensuring parents, the public and employers that teachers working in maintained schools are suitably qualified and continue to uphold high standards of professional conduct and competence.

The Council provided an efficient, secure and confidential information service from the Register of qualified teachers to members of the profession, employers and the public. The Council continued to maintain and improve the Register during the operational year, processing new applications for registration as appropriate and further populating existing records with new information, such as teachers’ qualifications.

The Council has maintained effective working relationships with employers in Wales, and has successfully secured a high level of compliance by employers in checking the Register to ensure only registered teachers are employed as qualified teachers in maintained schools. At 31 March 2014, 37,674 teachers were registered, of which 1,307 were Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs).

Over 53,000 online searches of the Register of Qualified Teachers were undertaken by Local Authorities, teacher supply agencies and members of the public during the 2013- 2014 operational year.

Providing information from the Register

The Council continued to use the information provided by the Register of Qualified Teachers to inform its advice, policy development, operations and procedures, and publications. Unique information from the Register was published in our annual Statistics Digest.

Information and data from the Register has continued to inform the Welsh Government’s development of the Teacher Planning and Supply Model for Wales.

Professional standards: maintaining standards of conduct and competence

The Council’s Disciplinary Function

The Council is responsible for investigating and, if necessary, hearing cases where it is alleged a registered teacher is guilty of unacceptable professional conduct, serious professional incompetence and/or a conviction for a relevant offence.

The Council has considered all cases referred to it in accordance with the timescales and standards set out in its Disciplinary Procedures and Rules.

During the reporting year, the Council concluded a total of 52 cases. The following tables provide a summary of this work.

Table 1: Cases concluded by the Council in the operational year 2013-2014

Council Actions Number of Cases

Cases concluded by an Investigating Committee or authorised 15 officers as no case to answer, no further action or case discontinued

Cases considered by a Professional Conduct or Competence 37 Committee, following referral by an Investigating Committee

Table 2: Outcomes of cases considered by a Professional Conduct Committee or Professional Competence Committee in the operational year 2013-2014

Type of Disciplinary Order Number of Cases

Prohibition Order 16

Suspension Order (without conditions) 2

Suspension Order (with conditions) 5

Conditional Registration Order 6

Reprimand 5

Facts proved, unacceptable professional conduct, serious 0 professional incompetence, and/or conviction of a relevant offence, but no order

Facts proved but not unacceptable professional conduct, serious 1 professional incompetence, and/or conviction of a relevant offence

Facts not proved 2

Table 3: Equality data – disciplinary cases concluded in the operational year 2013-2014

Gender Number of Cases

Male 32

Female 20

Age Number of Cases

21-30 8

31-40 12

41-50 14

51-60 12

61-70 6

Ethnicity Number of Cases

Black or Black British: 1 African

White: Any other white 3 background

White: British 34

Unknown (not recorded) 14

Language Number of Cases

Welsh 13

English 28

Unknown 11

Disability Number of Cases

*Declared disability 1

*Teachers are invited to tick a box on their application to register with the General Teaching Council for Wales if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities (Equality Act 2010). This information is used to estimate the number of registered teachers with disabilities as defined by legislation.

The Council’s Suitability Function

Since 2006, a person has not been eligible for registration with the Council unless it is satisfied that the applicant for registration is suitable to be a registered teacher.

The Council has considered all disclosures and declarations received in accordance with the timescales and standards set out in its Registration Rules.

The Council concluded a total of 58 applications for registration where current or pending criminal, disciplinary or regulatory action involving the applicant was disclosed. Seven applications were granted by a Suitability Committee, none were refused. No applicants withdrew their application for registration before the Council had concluded its assessment.

The following tables provide a summary of this work.

Table 1: Assessments concluded by the Council in the operational year 2013- 2014

Council action Number of assessments

Registration applications granted without a Suitability 51 Committee

Registration applications referred to a Suitability Committee 7

Table 2: Assessments withdrawn by applicants in the operational year 2013- 2014

Applicant action Number of assessments

Applications for registration withdrawn 0

Table 3: Outcomes of assessments considered by a Suitability Committee in the operational year 2013-2014

Applications granted or refused Number of assessments

Granted 7

Refused 0

Table 4: Equality data – suitability assessments concluded in the operational year 2013-2014

Gender Number of assessments

Male 34

Female 24

Age Number of assessments

21-30 29

31-40 13

41-50 9

51-60 7

Ethnicity Number of assessments

Asian or Asian British: 2 Indian

Mixed: Any other mixed 1 background

Mixed: White and Asian 1

Mixed: White and Black 1 African

White: British 52

Unknown (not recorded) 1

Language Number of Cases

Welsh 14

English 43

Unknown 1

Disability Number of Cases

*Declared disability 0

Induction Appeals

The Council has responsibility for hearing appeals from NQTs who fail assessment against the end of Induction standard, but are dissatisfied by such a decision.

During the reporting year, the Council heard one appeal.

Table 1: Outcomes of appeals heard by the Council in the operational year 2013- 2014

Council Decisions Number of Appeals

Appeal allowed 0

Appeal dismissed 0

Induction period extended 1 (2 terms)

A different period of extension substituted 0 (where the appellant has appealed against a decision to have an Induction period extended)

Table 2: Equality data – Induction Appeal concluded in the operational year 2013-2014

Gender Number of assessments

Male 0

Female 1

Age Number of assessments

21-30 1

Ethnicity Number of assessments

White: British 1

Language Number of Cases

Welsh 1

Disability Number of Cases

*Declared disability 0

Key successes

Objective 2 To provide an independent, representative and authoritative voice for the profession on teaching issues

The Council has a key role as an authoritative voice for the teaching profession. The Council is committed to furthering the influence of the profession on future developments in teaching and education.

Developing of advice and policy

During the year, Council members and officers liaised with its key stakeholders. Regular meetings were held with officers from the Department for Education and Skills, local authorities, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, heads of Initial Teacher Education and Training institutions in Wales, teacher and other unions.

The Council responded formally to a number of consultations including,

Welsh Government consultation on the interim report of the review on the Cwricwlwm Cymreig, history and story of Wales

The joint Welsh Government and Estyn consultation on proposed changes to Estyn inspection cycle and timings for post-inspection action plans

Welsh Government review of Welsh second language at key stage 3 and 4

Welsh Government consultation on Revised Guidance on Safeguarding Children In Education

The GTCW also submitted evidence to the Tabberer Review of Initial Teacher Training, the Hill review into the provision of education services, and the National Assembly inquiry into European funded projects.

Contribute to working groups on issues of relevance to teachers

Council members were represented on the following groups:

 European Network of Education Councils  Welsh Government Learning and Improvement and Professional Development Division Quality Assurance of Materials Task and Finish Group  Policy for Educators Evidence in Portfolios Group

Council officers were represented on the following groups:

 Teacher Support Cymru Advisory Group  Teacher Training & Education Recruitment Forum  Teacher Education Liaison Group  Estyn Stakeholder Forum

 General Teaching Councils’ Four Nations Group (Chairs and Chief Executives)  General Teaching Councils’ Four Nations Professional Standards Sub Group

Key successes

Objective 3 To develop a culture of professional development amongst teachers

The GTCW works to ensure that new teachers are able to access funding for their own individual development needs through effectively administering the funding for Induction, Early Professional Development and the Masters in Educational Practice.

Developing a reflective and confident profession in Wales

The GTCW has played an active role in an EU funded project to develop a policy on professional portfolios for educators. The policy and ePortfolio platform were piloted in Wales, as in the other partnership countries, and feedback was very positive.

Following its involvement in the PEEP project, GTCW continues to believe the introduction of an e-portfolio has considerable benefits in Wales, as previously outlined in our Professional Development Framework documents

Administering funding for Induction, Early Professional Development (EPD) and the Masters in Educational Practice (MEP)

The Council assumed responsibility for administering the funding of Induction and EPD on behalf of the Welsh Government in Wales in September 2006.

The Welsh Government revised the arrangements for Statutory Induction from 1st September 2012 and introduced a Masters in Educational Practice (MEP) for newly qualified teachers. As a consequence, the Council’s work in this area was both changed and expanded in the operational year.

In supporting newly qualified teachers in their Induction year, the Council provided payments for over 1,000 teachers, equating to over £2.3 million. In funding teachers’ EPD in years 2 and 3 of their careers, the Council administered payments of around £1.1 million, supporting over 1,300 teachers.

The Council established and has maintained a number of systems to record and track teachers’ progress through Induction, EPD and the MEP. This has included web based services for supply teachers to record sessions that can potentially be counted towards the Practising Teacher Standards, and for teachers, schools, Appropriate Bodies and Cardiff University to view relevant information.

During the reporting year, the GTCW took up responsibility for matching NQTs with their mentors. In addition, the GTCW also for administered mentor payments, this has involved; settling employed mentor payments of over £2.2 million, and consultant mentor payments of over £500,000; and Learning Day payments of over £35,000.

Key successes

Objective 4 To communicate the positive contribution of the teaching profession to society

The Council seeks to communicate the positive role and contribution of teachers to society. In so doing, the Council seeks to challenge negative images of the profession in the media and society at large and to highlight the successes of the profession in raising standards of achievement.

Highlighting the work of teachers

Developing a proactive press and media programme

The Council achieved widespread overall media coverage for teachers and teaching encompassing both English language and Welsh media, including national and regional newspapers and the broadcast media.

The Council is engaged in monitoring and evaluating its media profile and activities. Detailed analyses of media coverage are included in the Council’s quarterly reviews.

Promoting teaching as a high status profession

Promoting teaching as a career

The Council has continued to work closely with the Welsh Government, the Teacher Training and Education Recruitment Forum, and Initial Teacher Education and Training Institutions.

Events, exhibitions and presentations

The Council exhibited at teacher union conferences, the Urdd Eisteddfod and other events associated with education in Wales and beyond. We piloted a new approach to our offer at the Urdd Eisteddfod, working with partners and Council members: visitor numbers doubled as a result.

Members and officers have attended, spoken or participated at a variety of events, including:

o Urdd National Eisteddfod o ASCL Cymru conference o ATL conference o IPDA conference o NUT conference o NAHT (Wales) conference o Voice seminars o European Network of Education Councils seminars

GTCW officers also visited each of the Initial Teacher Education and Training institutions in Wales to make presentations to final-year students on qualifications and registration matters.

The Wales Education Lecture

The Wales Education Lecture 2013 was held on 21 October at the National Museum in Cardiff. The Lecture, entitled ‘From Playground to Podium: The role of schools in the delivery of a proud sporting nation’, was delivered by Professor Laura McAllister, Chair of Sports Wales. The lecture was very well received. Members of the teaching profession, Welsh Government officials, and representatives from other stakeholder organisations attended.

Networking

The Chairperson and senior officers have had three formal meetings with representatives of the teacher unions and associations during the reporting period. The Forum for union caseworkers also met..

Officers of the Council also met with representatives from the Welsh Government, ADEW, Estyn, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and representatives from Higher Education Institutions. A programme of meetings with organisations such as PTA UK and ASPECT continued throughout the year.

Additionally, members and officers have met regularly with colleagues from the other General Teaching Councils.

Key successes

Objective 5 To provide efficient, effective and robust finance, personnel and administrative systems that support the delivery and communication of the Council’s objectives

The Council is self-funding for its regulatory and advisory functions via teachers’ registration fees. The Council also received funding from the Welsh Government to administer funding for Induction, Early Professional Development, and the Masters in Educational Practice, the awarding of Qualified Teacher Status and the hearing of Induction appeals. Welsh Government also pays for the enhanced disclosure checks from the Disclosure and Barring Service for first time applicants for registration.

Internal control and value for money

The Council is committed to making maximum use of its resources through careful planning, monitoring and internal control.

Implementing a system to collect teachers’ registration fees

The Council collected annual registration fees successfully from all eligible teachers through the financial year.

Internal control

The Council’s internal auditors regularly monitor procedures to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Senior officers of the Council continued to undertake quarterly reviews of the Risk Register to ensure that the Council is ready to meet key risks. The annual disaster recovery scenario was enacted.

The Council received an unqualified audit opinion of its 2012-2013 accounts from the Wales Audit Office.

Planning and policy review and implementation

The Council’s planning process

The Council outlined its objectives for the period 2013–2015 in its Corporate Plan. A more detailed breakdown of the Council's activities and budgets including sub- objectives, targets and performance measures for the period from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 was included in the Operational Plan. The Council undertook quarterly reviews of progress against the targets and performance measures indicated in the Operational Plan 2013-2014. In addition, this Annual Report provides a summary of overall progress against that plan.

Implementing and reviewing policies

During the operational year, the GTCW monitored and reviewed its equality objectives, and reported on the implementation of its Welsh Language Scheme. Other internal

policies reviewed include, Adverse Weather, Alcohol and Drugs Misuse at Work, Whistleblowing, and IT Security..

The Personnel Forum and the Welsh Language Forum, have continued their work.

In order to better work towards its equalities objectives, an Equalities Team was established. Staff also received Deaf Awareness and Transgender awareness training.

Communicating with Stakeholders

During the year, the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and Chief Executive continued to meet with headteacher groups at local authority and cluster meetings.

Developing the Council’s website The Council’s website includes information about its registration, policy development, continuing professional development and professional standards work. The website is refreshed termly and updated regularly.

The GTCW presence on Twitter played an increasingly important part in communicating with stakeholders this year.

Council members

Support for Council members

Four Council meetings and a full programme of Committee meetings were held during the year (member attendance shown in Annex B). In order that the Council and its committees are able to continue to function effectively, the GTCW ensures that individual Council members, committees, sub committees and task groups have access to high quality, accurate and timely information which facilitates good practice and informed decision-making.

Key successes

 Set a balanced budget for 2014-15 in the face of extreme financial constraints  Planned the final year of operations of the GTCW prior to reconfiguration as the Education Workforce Council

Objective 6 To contribute to the arrangements to reconfigure the GTCW as a professional body for the wider education workforce

During the year, the Welsh Government introduced the Education (Wales) Bill to extend professional regulation to Further Education (FE) teachers and learning support staff in both schools and FE. The Bill proposed that the GTCW would continue as the legal entity but would be reconfigured in its governance and renamed the Education Workforce Council.

As the body being reconfigured, the Council considered it paramount that it should use its 14 years of professional regulatory experience to contribute to its proposed expanded responsibilities.

Helping shape a new regulatory body for Wales

Prior to the introduction of the Bill, the Chairperson and Chief Executive held a briefing session for Assembly Members to highlight issues that the Council believed should be addressed in a Bill on extending professional regulation. This briefing helped AMs in the initial debate when the Bill was introduced in the Senedd on 2 July 2013.

At Stage 2 of the legislative process, Council submitted detailed analysis and evidence on the Bill to the Children & Young People Committee of the National Assembly. The Chair and Chief Executive gave oral evidence to that Committee.

During the subsequent passage of the Bill, the Council maintained contact with Assembly Members. Council’s inputs resulted in changes to the Bill’s clauses in areas including advice, professional development, staff in the independent sector and the use of the Assembly’s affirmative process,

The Bill received Royal Assent in May 2014.

Engaging with stakeholders

Thoughout the year, the Chairperson and senior officers met with a range of organisations that would be affected by the extension of professional regulation. These included Colegau Cymru, NTfW, and unions representing learning support staff and FE teachers.

Supporting GTCW staff through transition

Staff were kept informed of key developments through regular email updates and whole staff briefings. An extended staff meeting in November was dedicated to the implications of transition. During the year an Organisational Development Review conducted by PSMW gave assurance that the GTCW was able to deliver the requirements which would be expected from the reconfigured body.

Key successes

 Hosted a briefing for Assembly Members which helped to shape debate around extending professional regulation

 Presented detailed analysis and evidence on the Education (Wales) Bill to the Children and Young People Committee of the National Assembly, and to the Minister and officials

Council membership

Council membership and responsibilities

The Council currently has 21 members. Eleven members are directly elected by teachers. Seven members were appointed following nominations made by teacher unions and other specified bodies and three members were directly appointed by Welsh Ministers. There are currently four vacancies on Council.

For the operational year 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014, the Council members were:

Angela Jardine Teacher, Gabalfa Primary School, Cardiff (Chairperson)

Sue Rivers Former Deputy Headteacher, Bedwas High School, Caerphilly (Deputy Chairperson)

Siôn Amlyn Teacher, Ysgol Eifionydd, Porthmadog

Philip Bassett Lecturer, Dean of Teaching and Learning, Glyndŵr University

Celia Blomeley Former Assistant Headteacher, Holywell High School, Flintshire

Angela Butler Teacher, Newtown High School, Newtown

Irene Cameron MBE School Governor / Vice Chair, Newport Association of School Governors

Tim Cox National Negotiating Official, NASUWT

Mal Davies OBE Former Headteacher, Willows High School, Cardiff

Roberto De Benedictis Teacher, Llangatwg Comprehensive School, Neath

Sharon Freeguard Headteacher, Pennard Primary School, Swansea

John Griffiths Teacher, Milton Junior School, Newport

David Healey Deputy Headteacher, Ysgol Friars, Bangor

Alan Minton Deputy Headteacher, Parc Lewis Primary School, Pontypridd

Margaret Morris Former Headteacher, Rhosgoch School, Powys

Helen O’Sullivan Headteacher, Tonypandy Community College, RCT

Hugh Pattrick MBE Vice-Chair of Governors Wales

Jane Setchfield Teacher, Llanedeyrn High School, Cardiff

Bernadette Thomas Assistant Headteacher, Ysgol Bodafon, Llandudno

Adrian Williams OBE Former Headteacher, Penybryn and Maytree Residential Special School, Swansea

Cleo Wilson-Sollars Teacher, St Therese’s Primary School, Port Talbot

Review of Council’s effectiveness

Members’ attendance at meetings held during 2013-14 is detailed in the following table:

Council attendance Standing Committee attendance Member (total (total possible in brackets) possible in brackets) Executive Policy Registration Audit & Scrutiny

Angela Jardine 4 (4) 4 (4) 3 (3) Susan Rivers 4 (4) 4 (4) 3 (3) Siôn Amlyn 3 (4) 3 (4) Phil Bassett 3 (4) 2 (4) Celia Blomeley 4 (4) 4 (4) Angela Butler 2 (4) 2 (3) Irene Cameron 4 (4) 3 (4) Tim Cox 4 (4) 3 (4) Mal Davies 4 (4) 4 (4) Roberto De 4 (4) 3 (4) Benedictis Sharon Freeguard 2 (4) 3 (4) John Griffiths 4 (4) 3 (3) David Healey 4 (4) 4 (4) Alan Minton 4 (4) 2 (3) Margaret Morris 2 (4) 2 (4) Helen O’Sullivan 3 (4) 4 (4) Hugh Pattrick 3 (4) 3 (3) Jane Setchfield 4 (4) 4 (4) Bernadette Thomas 3 (4) 2 (4) Adrian Williams 4 (4) 2 (3) Cleo Wilson-Sollars 4 (4) 4 (4)

Charitable donations

During the year, the Council made £150 charitable donations in lieu of Christmas cards.

General Teaching Council for Wales

Summary Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2014

Summary Financial Statements

This Financial Statement provides a summary of the accounts of the General Teaching Council for Wales for the financial year ending 31 March 2014 derived from the full Annual Accounts and the Remuneration Report. It does not contain sufficient information to allow for a full understanding of the results and state of affairs of the General Teaching Council for Wales. For further information the full annual accounts and the auditor’s report on those accounts should be consulted. A copy of the audited accounts, which contain the detailed information required by law and under best practice guidelines, can be obtained, free of charge, from the Deputy Chief Executive (Finance, Personnel and Corporate Services) at 9th floor, Eastgate House, 35-43 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0AB.

Statutory background

The General Teaching Council for Wales was established under the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 and came into existence on 1 September 2000. The Council’s remit and functions were amended by the Education Act, 2002.

The Cabinet Office has designated the Council as a professional self-regulating body. During the year of account, the Council has been self-financing from teachers’ registration fees, except for those aspects of work which are funded by means of Welsh Government (WG) grant. The Welsh Government issues a grant offer letter to the Council setting out the conditions to be complied with in respect of the specific aspects of work that it funds. The Council sets out its financial procedures and rules in its Standing Orders and Finance Manual.

Under Paragraph 14 of Schedule 1 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act, the Council is required to prepare in respect of each financial year, a statement of accounts. These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Accounts Direction issued by the Welsh Government dated 19 April 2011. A copy of the Accounts Direction is available from the Council on request.

Review of the year and future developments

For the financial year ending 31 March 2014, the Council reported a deficit of £173,000 (£67,000 deficit in 2012-13) and total net assets of £233,000 (£460,000 at 31st March 2013). In planning for the 2013-14 year, Council’s budgeting had shown that a fee increase of £2 was needed to maintain GTCW’s level of activity and enable the GTCW to ‘break- even’ at the end of the financial year. However, Council was sensitive to increasing the registration fee in the light of the prevailing economic climate, and, therefore, had proposed that the registration fee should be maintained at £45 for the financial year.

In seeking the Minister’s agreement for that fee, the Council stated that this was the sixth year that GTCW had managed to retain the fee at the same level and that this had only been made possible in previous years by reducing planned activity. As Council had no 35

further scope to reduce activity other than in ways which would affect GTCW’s core regulatory, registration and advisory functions, it drew on its General Reserve to fund its work and retain the fee at the same level.

The General Reserve had already been used to fund a very significant increase above budget in professional standards casework referrals during the previous year. Council recognised that funding a shortfall from the General Reserve was not a sustainable solution and was only satisfied to recommend this course of action to the Minister, exceptionally on a short term basis, taking account of the Welsh Government’s intention to reconfigure the GTCW and the opportunity that this would provide to establish an appropriate level of fee income commensurate with the reconfigured body’s functions and scope.

The Minister was content to agree the registration fee at £45 given the economic climate and stated that the fee level beyond 2013-14 would need to be kept under review and considered again in the autumn 2013.

During the year, Council continued to administer the Welsh Government professional development funding programme for teachers in the first three years of their careers. Although the budget allocated was insufficient, the Welsh Government held a balance to cover all teachers entitled to Induction and Early Professional Development support. The Council was involved in the first year of administration of the new Masters in Educational Practice programme for newly qualified teachers.

 Future developments

Following earlier consultations, the Welsh Government introduced the Education (Wales) Bill to the National Assembly in July 2013. This Bill proposed the extension of professional regulation to Further Education (FE) teachers and learning support staff in schools and FE; and the reconfiguration of the GTCW to become the Education Workforce Council (EWC).

Under the Act which was given Royal Assent in May 2014, the corporate body of the GTCW will remain the legal entity but it will be renamed and reconfigured in governance. The part-elected and part-appointed GTCW will be replaced by a 14-member appointed EWC. The staff, assets and debts of the GTCW will become those of the EWC.

It is expected that the EWC will come into being from April 2015. The current Council will maintain its governance responsibilities until the EWC is in place.

The 2014-15 year will, therefore, become one of transition during which the Welsh Government will need to appoint members of the new EWC and preparations to register FE teachers on 1 April 2015 will need to be implemented.

Future transition costs in 2014-15 in respect of preparations for the reconfiguration of the Council will need to be met from extra-budgetary resources provided by the Welsh Government.

Council’s two-year Corporate Plan and financial projections (for 2013-14 and 2014-15) cover the period through to the anticipated reconfiguration of the Council. Taken together with the plan for 2013-14, which assures the Council can continue to exist and will have access to sufficient funding for at least 12 months after the Accounts are signed, and the future income of the new body, these Accounts have been prepared on a ‘going concern’ basis.

In December 2013, the Council wrote to the Minister in respect of its 2014-15 budget and the required registration fee for the final year of the Council before its reconfiguration as the Education Workforce Council.

‘Demand led’ professional standards case hearings had continued to grow in volume and complexity during the 2013-14 year and so Council budgeted for 40 hearings and meetings in 2014-15. This added significantly to budgeted expenditure.

To seek to set a ‘break-even’ budget, Council imposed further stringent cuts and savings, raising significant risks to the operation of the Council’s functions. These risks were summarised in the letter to the Minister.

Within the responsibilities that members have for the proper financial governance of the Council, a recommendation was, therefore, made to the Minister for a registration fee increase of £3. The Minister refused, leaving the Council with an unchanged fee income for a seventh year. This necessitated some final cuts, and the decision to allocate all its financial reserves at the end of the year in order to offset the projected shortfall budget. This will also mean that the GTCW will have no reserve to hand over to the EWC.

No GTCW budget was allocated to expenditure on activities relating to the EWC that are the responsibilities of the Welsh Government.

Council members

The General Teaching Council for Wales members who served in the year are listed in the Annual Report. A Register of Members' Interests is available for public inspection.

Report of the Auditor General for Wales to the National Assembly for Wales on the Summary Financial Statements I have examined the summary financial statements contained in the Annual Report of the General Teaching Council for Wales’ statutory financial statements set out on pages 5 to 7.

Respective responsibilities of the Chief Executive and auditor The Accounting Officer is responsible for preparing the Annual Report. My responsibility is to report my opinion on the consistency of the summary financial statements with the statutory financial statements, the Directors’ Report, Executive Summary and the Remuneration Report. I also read the other information contained in the Annual Report and consider the implications for my report if I become aware of any misstatements or material inconsistencies with the summary financial statements.

Basis of opinion I conducted my work in accordance with Bulletin 2008/3 ‘The auditor’s statement on the summary financial statements’ issued by the Auditing Practices Board for use in the United Kingdom.

Opinion In my opinion the summary financial statements are consistent with the statutory financial statements, the Directors’ Report, Executive Summary and the Remuneration Report of the General Teaching Council for Wales for the year ended 31st March 2014 on which I have issued an unqualified opinion. I have not considered the effects of any events between the dates on which I signed my report on the full financial statements, 5th August 2014 and the date of this statement.

Huw Vaughan Thomas Wales Audit Office Auditor General for Wales 24 Cathedral Road Date: Cardiff

Summary Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ending 31 March 2014

2013-14 2012-13

£000’s £000’s Income Grant from Welsh Government 7,089 6,403

Registration fees 1,701 1,706 Payments from teacher registrations for CRB disclosure checks 40 44 Release from reserves 60 - Release of unused provision - 18 Other income 11 5 8,901 8,176 Expenditure

Staff costs 1,211 1,171 Direct programme costs 704 603 Induction & EPD programme costs 6,590 5,985 Other operating costs 569 484 9,074 8,243

Surplus on ordinary activities (173) (67)

Interest receivable 6 16

Surplus for the year transferred to reserves (167) (51)

Appropriations Reimbursement of costs - Chairperson: Angela Jardine 24 26

Chief Executive’s remuneration: Gary Brace 85 89

Remuneration of other senior staff 139 136

All Council-funded activities are continuing.

Summary Statement of Financial Position as at 31 March 2014

2014 2013

£000 £000

Non-current assets 128 150

Current assets 2,138 2,999 TOTAL ASSETS 2,266 3,149

Trade and other payables (1,988) (2,620)

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES (1,988) (2,620)

LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Deferred creditor (21) (30) Deferred grant income (24) (39)

ASSETS LESS LIABILITIES 233 460

FINANCED BY Reserves 233 460 TOTAL RESERVES 233 460

Summary Statement of Cash Flows for the year ending 31 March 2014

2013-14 2012-13

£000 £000

Net cash inflow/ (outflow) from operating activities (1,137) 1,541 Cash flows from investing activities Interest received 6 16

Capital expenditure Payments to acquire non-current assets (62) (111)

Increase/ (Decrease) in cash (1,193) 1,446

Summary Statement of Changes in Taxpayers’ Equity for the year ending 31 March 2014

Changes in taxpayers’ equity 2013-14 2012-13

£000 £000

Balance at 1 April 460 511 (Deficit)/ Surplus for the year (167) (51) Transfers (from)/ to designated reserves (60) -

Closing balance at 31 March 233 460

Gary Brace Chief Executive 17th July 2014

NOTE 1. This summary financial statement has been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, having regard to the Companies (Summary Financial Statement) Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/ 374) as far as is relevant.

NOTE 2. Full declaration of Related Party Transactions has been made in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 8, and is detailed in the full financial statements which are available on request.