Less well-off children in Wales are not getting all the support they need in schools, education minister Jeremy Miles will warn in a speech. Schools and local education authorities have not done enough to narrow the attainment gap between well-off and less-advantaged pupils, the minister will say as he sets out plans to narrow the stubborn divide.
His comments come as Estyn announced that from next term school inspections will include looking at progress of children disadvantaged by poverty. The Association of School and College Leaders Cymru said schools could not address this alone and funding was “totally inadequate” and said it is “the job of government at all levels” to improve the prospects of families in poverty.
In a hard-hitting speech to the Bevan Foundation Mr Miles will warn that progress shrinking the attainment gap in Wales has been too slow and “leaves us well behind where we want to be”. He will say there has been too little progress over the last decade and now the pandemic has made things worse for children living in poverty.
