Minutes of All Age Schools Forum Meeting
Tuesday, 9 February 2021
Attending
H. Lloyd, D. Pugh, A. Preston, G. Jones, C. Hart, G. Evans, D. Haynes, D, Short, Ll. Thomas, R. Rees, T. Edwards, M. Ford, R. Owen, Jano, D. Jones, E, Retallick, D. Hughes, J. Wyn, M. Echeverry, B. Jones, Rh. Phillips, S. Clarke, L. Davies
Agenda
- Development of the website
- Question for ESTYN
- AOB
Minutes
1. Due to COVID, progress has been slower than intended.
H.LL. presented the new website as it is currently. There are two tabs, Schools and Research. The website is bilingual.
Schools
There is a link to each AAS, Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw and Bishop Hedley School soon.
There is a live link to each school’s website, the questionnaire, and to Teaching and Learning, new aspects e.g. cross-phase, All Age curriculum, the structure of SLT, Wellbeing, ESTYN reports and staffing.
H.Ll. presented the questionnaire which was agreed upon by a small group before Christmas. WG has provided funding (£1,500) for each school that participates for three days of work for a member of SLT. It is hoped that there will be further funding. The information gathered will be an important resource for new AASs. H. Ll asked for as detailed answers as possible as there is a possibility that schools abroad will be interested in the outcomes.
Research
There is very little research available currently but there is a link to K. Napieralla and D. Reynold’s work.
Hughes thanked Huw for the work done so far as it would have been very useful in setting up the early AASs.
Action
- CH will send out the relevant information and resources to schools
- Questionnaires to be completed as fully as possible
- Schools to give permission for: links to each school’s website, using images from websites, links to ESTYN reports and the school prospectus
- Information to be gathered on SLT structure, policies and pupil wellbeing
- A short “bio” of the head teacher, e-mail address and phone number – important for international contacts
- Schools are asked to complete the questionnaire by the end of the Easter Term (26/03/21)
- Ll. asked if members were happy with partial bilingualism of site. Rh. Phillips asked that the whole website should be bilingual with Welsh before English and offered to help with the work. Extra funding may be needed.
Many schools contributed to research with Swansea University on setting up AASs. A resume of international research is available.
A meeting was planned next week to discuss the development of the website with the Education Minister but this will not be possible due to slower progress as a result of COVID
It is hoped that the website will be live after Easter
- Ll. Asked if there were any specific questions for ESTYN.
- AOB – none
