School category: Amber Schools at risk of causing concern Level of support Level of intervention Support Way forward Schools will be School improvement 15 support days, to Schools that are advised on key planning will be monitored include: unable to improve over priorities for to ensure that it identifies a reasonable period, the core improvement where actions and resources that or who fail to manage entitlement as they are not accurately will lead to improved their improvement outlined for green identified. standards. effectively, will by and yellow default become schools; and Schools submit SER, SEG and PDG funding follow-up support, schools causing SDP and other may be withheld until the challenge and concern. relevant documents to LA is satisfied that school intervention work which is focussed LA; improvement plans In such instances, the on improving identify actions and direct Director of Education Challenge adviser standards and /or resources appropriately. may consider issuing a the quality and reviews the statutory warning impact of documentation and Mid-cycle or leadership notice under the leadership and/or provides feedback to review may be required; provisions of the provision. the SLT and LA maintains the right to school’s School Standards and Chair of Governors as instigate a school review Organisation (Wales) appropriate. as required at any point in NOTE Act 2013. the inspection cycle. Improvement planning Where there is a Schools that have to include LA minimum An accelerated mis-match between been in the amber support and where improvement board may the first and second support category for necessary, additional be utilised to support the judgements over a year will be commissioned support pace of improvement in (standards and assessed carefully to from existing school the school capacity to improve understand how resource. respectively), the barriers to programme of improvement can be Dedicated leadership support must be removed. support and challenge planned according will be provided as to the main areas necessary. This is that need to be likely to include improved, i.e. the governors and wider weakest judgement. leadership group. Support and/or intervention to be provided for underperforming teachers.
School category: Amber Schools at risk of causing concern Level of support Level of intervention Support Way forward Schools will be advised on key priorities for improvement where they are not accurately identified. Schools submit SER, SDP and other relevant documents to LA; Challenge adviser reviews the documentation and provides feedback to the school’s SLT and Chair of Governors as appropriate. Improvement planning to include LA minimum support and where necessary, additional commissioned support from existing school resource. Dedicated leadership support and challenge will be provided as necessary. This is likely to include governors and wider leadership group. Support and/or intervention to be provided for underperforming teachers. School improvement planning will be monitored to ensure that it identifies actions and resources that will lead to improved standards. SEG and PDG funding may be withheld until the LA is satisfied that school improvement plans identify actions and direct resources appropriately. Mid-cycle or leadership review may be required; LA maintains the right to instigate a school review as required at any point in the inspection cycle. An accelerated improvement board may be utilised to support the pace of improvement in the school 15 support days, to include: the core entitlement as outlined for green and yellow schools; and follow-up support, challenge and intervention work which is focussed on improving standards and /or the quality and impact of leadership and/or provision. NOTE Where there is a mis-match between the first and second judgements (standards and capacity to improve respectively), the programme of support must be planned according to the main areas that need to be improved, i.e. the weakest judgement. Schools that are unable to improve over a reasonable period, or who fail to manage their improvement effectively, will by default become schools causing concern. In such instances, the Director of Education may consider issuing a statutory warning notice under the provisions of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013. Schools that have been in the amber support category for over a year will be assessed carefully to understand how barriers to improvement can be removed.