The Leitch Review: challenges and implications for Wales

Steve Marshall

Director

Department of Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Welsh Assembly Government

Wales Review of Continuing Professional Development, Professional Standards and Performance Management

School Effectiveness Framework Conference - October 2009

Learning Improvement and Professional Development Division

Why the review?

The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers

The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction

High performance requires every child to succeed

McKinsey, 2007

Principles and Goals

A positive effect on learner outcomes and wellbeing

Fully inclusive – must cover all staff working in an educational setting

One integrated system with a common purpose

Must provide greater clarity and scope for all staff to broaden and deepen their knowledge and skills

Clearer career pathways for all staff

The McKinsey report: Questions asked of high performing school systems

Are there effective support programmes for NQTs?

Is effective professional support and coaching provided for teachers?

Are there formal opportunities provided for teachers to learn from each other?

Is CPD aligned with school priorities?

Are professional standards clear enough to enable teachers to be appraised against them, have training needs identified?

Do leaders have the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to be effective?

Where we are now? Where do we want to be?

A system A heap

Interconnecting parts functioning as a whole

A collection of parts

Changed if you take away pieces or add more pieces. If you cut the system in half you do not get two smaller systems, but a damaged system that will not properly function

Essential properties are unchanged whether you add or take away pieces. when you halve a heap, you get two smaller heaps

The arrangement of the pieces is crucial The arrangement of the pieces is irrelevant

The parts are connected and work together The parts are not connected and can function separately

Its behaviour depends on the total structure. Change the structure and the

behaviour changes

Its behaviour (if any) depends on its size or on the number of pieces in the heap.

O'Connor and McDermott (1997)

What do we want from you?

Are there other principles that should guide the review?

Have we got the standards right?

What are the priorities for CPD?

If/once the standards are right, how do we tie them into

performance management and CPD provision?