Scheme aims to raise standards in Gwent schools (From Campaign Series)

Scheme aims to raise standards in Gwent schools

5:10pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in News

A NEW scheme launched to raise education standards in Gwent will help pupils reach their potential, its director says.

Steve Davies, who will lead the Education Achievement Service (EAS), said the service will improve the area’s lowest ranked schools by 2015 and cut the gap between free school meal and nonfree meal pupils’ performance.

It also plans to ensure every child has basic reading and maths skills by the time they leave primary school.

The project – a collaboration between Newport, Bleanau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Monmouthshire councils – will employ ‘system leaders’ to help school staff and governors improve performance.

Mr Davies, said: “Taking this bold move to establish this new service is only a first step towards achieving our objectives.”

South east Wales has the highest proportion of schools in lower-ranked schools compared with other regions across Wales and the service hopes to improve this.

Aformer chief inspector of school, Mr Davies, who has held school improvement roles in Cumbria and West Sussex, will be responsible for the transition of services and resources from the five host councils into one new organisation.