1. Signalling a shift in accountability procedures: an exploration of the implications for school leaders in Wales.
Matt Hutt
University of South Wales, Newport, UK
Teachmeet: The Impact of Policy on Leadership Practice
Newcastle University 2018
Who am I
What is my context

2. Key Welsh contextual information (1)
Over the last 20 years, following devolution, Welsh Government has pursued a policy aimed at developing public bodies which are distinctive (from the rest of the UK).
All state schools still linked to LAs, and through these to 4 regional school improvement consortia.
Different school inspection organisation/ arrangements. Different examination systems and statutory bodies. Different arrangements for QTS and career development. (Soon to be) different arrangements for pay and conditions for teachers. Different arrangements for evaluating and categorising school performance.

3. Key Welsh contextual information (2)
Widespread perception that Wales has performed poorly in PISA over the last few cycles, compared to the rest of the UK
Leading to a closer relationship with OECD over the last few years and membership of the Atlantic Rim Collabotory
Two key recent documents:
Successful Futures (2015) – a review of current curriculum arrangements, and a model for a new curriculum, conducted by Prof. G Donaldson
Our National Mission (2017) – a wide-ranging ‘blueprint’ for the future of Welsh education, covering key areas (professional learning, leadership, inclusive education, self-improving system)
Atlantic Rim
Scotland, Iceland,Ireland, Finland, Aruba, Sweden, Wales and the Canadian province of Ontario, the Office of the Secretary of Education in Vermont, and the California Board of Education. Andy Hargreaves and Pasi Sahlberg

4. Key event – Feb 2018
A national one day conference held in Cardiff, organised by WG
Led with the message that they wanted to minimise unintended consequences of evaluation structures
They wanted co-ownership of system change for the workforce in Wales
Quoted Campbell’s Law, critiquing quantitative social/ public sector indicators

5. Key quotes from this event – Feb 2018
Current arrangements promote ‘short-term reductionism’
Concerned that there may be an unjustified/ unwarranted ‘over- emphasis on reliability’ of school level data
Wanted to ‘create a narrative that goes beyond numbers’
Intend to create a system where ‘self-evaluation is for learning, not for looking good’

6. A significant change of policy direction?
Suggested removal of the current Key Performance Indicator (Level 2 Inc) with the tacit acceptance that this will make between school comparisons more difficult
Suggested removal of categorisation as a public facing RAG model
Bullet 1 - indicators that ‘celebrate all grades’ and ‘acknowledge the importance of well being’

7. What about Estyn (Welsh HMI)?
Recently published (June 2018) review of Estyn (again by Donaldson), considering how the ‘assurance function’ of HMI can exist without necessarily being translated into ‘high stakes accountability structures’.
Phase 1 – a pause on inspections for 2019 – 2020
Phase 2 – moving away from headline gradings in inspection reports
Phase 3 – instituting a system of ‘validated self-evaluation’

8. The Donaldson link?
Signalling an acceptance by the WG that schools will be unwilling to take the risks and experiments associated with the new curriculum unless these accountability policies are changed…
…WG taking a wager that real improvements in learning will occur without a detailed monitoring system.

9. Impact of policy on school/ education leaders?
Two sets of data:
Interviews with secondary head teachers – extremely positive
Interviews with consortia challenge advisors – much more circumspect
Estyn? (unknown)

10. From…? Looser Tighter WG Estyn HTs Consortia

11. To…? Looser Tighter WG Estyn HTs Consortia