On the Money? Targeted Funding to Improve Educational Outcomes

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On the Money? Targeted Funding to Improve Educational Outcomes National Assembly for Wales Children, Young People and Education Committee On the Money? Targeted funding to improve educational outcomes June 2018 www.assembly.wales The National Assembly for Wales is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account. An electronic copy of this document can be found on the National Assembly website: www.assembly.wales/SeneddCYPE Copies of this document can also be obtained in accessible formats including Braille, large print, audio or hard copy from: Children, Young People and Education Committee National Assembly for Wales Cardiff Bay CF99 1NA Tel: 0300 200 6565 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @SeneddCYPE © National Assembly for Wales Commission Copyright 2018 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the National Assembly for Wales Commission and the title of the document specified. National Assembly for Wales Children, Young People and Education Committee On the Money? Targeted funding to improve educational outcomes June 2018 www.assembly.wales About the Committee The Committee was established on 28 June 2016 to examine legislation and hold the Welsh Government to account by scrutinising its expenditure, administration and policy matters, encompassing (but not restricted to): the education, health and well-being of the children and young people of Wales, including their social care. Committee Chair: Lynne Neagle AM Welsh Labour Torfaen Current Committee membership: Michelle Brown AM Hefin David AM UKIP Wales Welsh Labour North Wales Caerphilly John Griffiths AM Llyr Gruffydd AM Welsh Labour Plaid Cymru Newport East North Wales Darren Millar AM Julie Morgan AM Welsh Conservatives Welsh Labour Clwyd West Cardiff North Mark Reckless AM Welsh Conservative Group South Wales East On the Money? Targeted funding to improve educational outcomes Contents Chair’s foreword ..................................................................................................... 5 Recommendations ................................................................................................ 7 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 12 1. 1. Why look at this subject ............................................................................................................................. 12 1. 2. Terms of Reference ....................................................................................................................................... 13 1. 3. Evidence gathering ....................................................................................................................................... 14 2. Policy context .................................................................................................... 16 2. 1. Tackling the impact of deprivation on attainment: the Pupil Development Grant ............................................................................................................................................... 16 2. 2. Improving pupils’ outcomes in underperforming schools: Schools Challenge Cymru ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 3. The principle of targeted funding and the Welsh Government’s approach ................................................................................................................. 23 3. 1. Ensuring value for money and improving pupil outcomes ....................................25 3. 2. Coherence of the Welsh Government’s approach to targeting funding .. 26 4. Targeting of the eFSM Pupil Development Grant .............................. 28 4. 1. Blurring disadvantage with low attainment? ..................................................................... 28 4. 2. The impact of school accountability arrangements on the way the PDG is targeted ............................................................................................................................................................................ 32 4. 3. Extending the FSM eligibility timeframe for PDG eligibility ................................. 33 5. Practical uses of the eFSM Pupil Development Grant ...................... 39 5. 1. Effectiveness of the use of PDG funds ....................................................................................... 39 5. 2. Use of evidence and expertise .......................................................................................................... 42 5. 3. Use of the PDG for tracking pupils’ progress ....................................................................... 47 6. Impact of the PDG on eFSM pupils’ attendance and engagement .......................................................................................................... 49 6. 1. Attendance ........................................................................................................................................................ 49 6. 2. Exclusions ........................................................................................................................................................... 53 On the Money? Targeted funding to improve educational outcomes 7. Impact of the PDG on eFSM pupils’ attainment ................................. 56 7. 1. Attainment up to 2016 ............................................................................................................................. 67 7. 2. Attainment in 2017 ..................................................................................................................................... 68 7. 3. Key Stage 4 performance measures .......................................................................................... 69 8. The PDG for Looked After Children .......................................................... 72 8. 1. Evaluation and a strategic approach .......................................................................................... 72 8. 2. Engagement and attainment of Looked After Children .......................................... 77 8. 3. Extending the PDG to children who have ever been looked after ................. 81 9. The PDG for adopted children ................................................................... 83 9. 1. Identifying and targeting the PDG at adopted children .......................................... 85 9. 2. PDG funding for adopted children ............................................................................................. 86 10. Impact of the Schools Challenge Cymru programme on attainment ............................................................................................................. 88 11. Discontinuation of Schools Challenge Cymru and learning lessons from the programme ....................................................................... 100 11. 1. Discontinuation of the programme ......................................................................................... 100 11. 2. Learning lessons from the programme and applying them to school improvement more generally ................................................................................................................... 105 12. The role of the regional consortia in taking forward the legacy of Schools Challenge Cymru ............................................................................... 110 12. 1. Relationship between Schools Challenge Cymru and regional consortia ........................................................................................................................................................................ 110 12. 2. The role of regional consortia and local authorities in driving school improvement.............................................................................................................................................................. 115 13. Wider context of school budgets and funding for school improvement ....................................................................................................... 119 13. 1. Sufficiency of school budgets ......................................................................................................... 119 13. 2. Loss of Schools Challenge Cymru budget from the Education MEG ........ 124 Annex A: Schedule of oral evidence ........................................................... 127 Annex B: Written evidence ............................................................................. 129 On the Money? Targeted funding to improve educational outcomes Chair’s foreword In recent years, the Welsh Government has targeted additional resources at particular groups of pupils. This funding has been allocated in recognition of the fact that some of the disadvantages faced by particular groups of pupils can inhibit them reaching their full potential. The impact of this targeted approach has been the focus of our inquiry. The negative correlation between deprivation and attainment is well established. Breaking this link has been a priority for the Welsh Government for many years. Of course, many pupils from deprived backgrounds do very well and flourish academically, but we know that many more do not. Pupils who
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