COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN

Main Tel: 01685 725000 www.merthyr.gov.uk

SCRUTINY REPORT

Date Written 20 th January 2014 Report Author Lorraine Buck Service Area Schools Department th Committee Date 27 January 2014

To: Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen

Report on the position of secondary schools within Welsh Government Performance Bands 2013

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

To update members on the current position of secondary schools within Welsh Government Bands

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

1.1 The Welsh Government introduced a banding system for secondary schools in 2011. Schools are placed into one of five bands based on performance at KS4. Band 1 schools are those whose data show good overall performance and progress, band 5 schools are those where performance and progress are weak relative to other schools.

1.2 The secondary model uses four groups of data: i level 2 threshold including English/Welsh and mathematics ii capped points score iii attendance iv English/Welsh and mathematics average points scores.

1.3 Within each data group, relative performance is measured to take account of a selection of: i actual performance ii progress over time and, iii performance relative to context and cohort.

1.4 Each of the data groups is given a score, these scores are then combined for all four data groups to give each school a total score. These scores are then assigned to bands as follows:

Band Score Range 1 11.0 to 17.6 2 17.6 to 24.2 3 24.2 to 30.8 4 30.8 to 37.4 5 37.4 to 44.0

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2.0 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.5 The scores and bands for Merthyr Tydfil CBC Schools for the last 3 years were as follows:

School 2013 2013 2012 2012 2011 2011 Band Score Band Score Band Score Afon Taf High School 4 34.0 4 37.0 5 39 Bishop Hedley High School 4 33.0 4 32.5 4 32 High School 4 35.0 3 28.5 2 20 Pen-y-dre High School 3 27.0 5 39.5 2 23

1.6 Pen-y-dre High school were the only school to improve their banding position, Bishop Hedley High school and Afon taf high school stayed in band 4 and Cyfarthfa High school moved from band 3 to band 4. 75% of schools in Merthyr Tydfil CBC were in the bottom 2 bands in 2013.

1.7 The Minister has made clear his expectation that local authorities should participate in consortia arrangements to raise standards and performance across the board. Merthyr Tydfil CBC is within the South Central consortium and is working in partnership with, Rhondda Cynon Taff, , Bridgend and the Vale of to provide School Improvement services.

1.8 Banding summary by consortia

1.9 A comparison of the five consortia across shows that the south central and south east consortia have considerably more schools in bands 4 and 5 than the other 2 consortia.

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1.10 Merthyr Tydfil CBC has the highest proportion of schools in bands 4 and 5 within the South Central consortium and is the only local authority in the south central consortium with no schools in bands 1 or 2.

1.11 In 2013 Merthyr Tydfil CBC has no schools in Band 5 with 3 schools in band 4

2011 2012 2013 School LA Band Band Band Archbishop McGrath Catholic School Bridgend Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 Brynteg School Bridgend Band 5 Band 4 Band 2 Bryntirion Comprehensive. Bridgend Band 5 Band 4 Band 3 Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen Bridgend . Band 4 Band 5 Cynffig Comprehensive Bridgend Band 2 Band 2 Band 4 Maesteg Comprehensive School Bridgend Band 3 Band 2 Band 3 Ogmore School Bridgend Band 5 . . Pencoed Comprehensive Bridgend Band 5 Band 3 Band 2 Porthcawl Comprehensive School Bridgend Band 1 Band 2 Band 3 Ynysawdre Comprehensive School Bridgend Band 3 . . Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd Bridgend . . . Barry Comprehensive School The Band 4 Band 3 Band 5 Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School The Vale of Glamorgan Band 2 Band 3 Band 3 Cowbridge Comprehensive School The Vale of Glamorgan Band 2 Band 2 Band 2 Llantwit Major School The Vale of Glamorgan Band 4 Band 4 Band 4 St Cyres School The Vale of Glamorgan Band 3 Band 3 Band 4 St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School The Vale of Glamorgan Band 3 Band 1 Band 3 The Vale of Glamorgan Band 2 Band 1 Band 1 3

2011 2012 2013 School LA Band Band Band Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg The Vale of Glamorgan Band 1 Band 4 Band 1 Girls' School Band 1 Band 3 Band 4 Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 5 Band 3 Blaengwawr Comprehensive Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 4 Band 3 Bryncelynnog Comprehensive School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 3 Band 4 Band 4 Cardinal Newman R.C. Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 2 Band 2 Band 2 Ferndale Community School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 5 Band 1 Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 4 Band 3 Mountain Ash Comprehensive School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 2 Band 3 Band 2 County Community Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 5 Band 5 St.John Baptist High School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 3 Band 3 Band 2 The High School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 5 Band 5 Band 4 Community College Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 4 Band 4 School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 5 Band 4 Band 5 Comprehensive School Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 1 Band 3 Band 2 Y Pant Comprehensive Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 2 Band 1 Band 1 Ysgol Gyfun Cymer Rhondda Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 5 Band 3 Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 5 Band 4 Band 4 Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 4 Band 5 Rhondda Cynon Taf Band 4 Band 5 Band 3 Afon Taf High School Merthyr Tydfil Band 5 Band 4 Band 4 Bishop Hedley High School Merthyr Tydfil Band 4 Band 4 Band 4 Cyfarthfa High School Merthyr Tydfil Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 Pen-y-Dre High School Merthyr Tydfil Band 2 Band 5 Band 3 Cardiff Band 5 Band 4 Band 3 Cardiff Band 2 Band 2 Band 2 Cathays High School Cardiff Band 3 Band 3 Band 4 Corpus Christi Catholic High School Cardiff Band 3 Band 4 Band 3 Cardiff Band 2 Band 2 Band 3 Glyn Derw High School Cardiff Band 5 Band 3 Band 4 Llanedeyrn High Cardiff Band 3 Band 4 Band 4 Llanishen Cardiff Band 2 Band 3 Band 4 High School Cardiff Band 5 Band 5 Band 5 Mary Immaculate High School Cardiff Band 1 Band 1 Band 3 Michaelston Community College Cardiff Band 4 Band 4 Band 5 Comprehensive School Cardiff Band 3 Band 3 Band 3 Cardiff Band 4 Band 4 Band 5 St Teilo's C-in-W High School Cardiff Band 4 Band 3 Band 2 St. Illtyd's Catholic High School Cardiff Band 3 Band 5 Band 5 The Bishop of Llandaff Cardiff Band 1 Band 3 Band 4 Cardiff Band 3 Band 3 Band 4 Cardiff Band 5 Band 4 Band 3 Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf Cardiff Band 2 Band 3 Band 2 Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr Cardiff Band 2 Band 3 Band 3 4

3.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1 There are no additional financial implications beyond support commissioned from the CSCJES

4.0 RECOMMENDATION(S) that

4.1 The Schools’ Department updates the Scrutiny Committee regularly on the progress against targets set in individual school Accelerated Improvement Plans which address attainment and progress against the metrics used by WG to calculate banding positions.

BACKGROUND PAPERS Title of Document(s) Document(s) Date Document Location Improving the Quality and 29 th Jan 2014 Schools’ Department Performance of Local Authority Education Services for Children and Young People

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