Guest Lecture - Dr Russell Grigg - Estyn

Dr Grigg’s lecture told us about an overview of Estyn, Estyn inspects the quality and standards in education and training providers in Wales. These settings could be in such places such as nursery, primary, secondary, independent and special school. Estyn also inspects further education facilities, teacher education and training and mainly any work based learning places. I found the information that Dr Grigg provided us about Estyn interesting because it showed how Estyn go about inspecting educational facilities. He said that the school’s are given a warning beforehand about when the inspecting is going to take place which is something I didn’t know.

Grigg (2012) then described what other services Estyn provide, these services were Estyn provides advice t

o the Welsh Assembly Government on quality and standards in education and training in Wales. This is vital information for Government because it may show them where there’s the need in extra funding to improve the less quality school and also if there’s need be to close a school which standards are below what is needed and expected. So this may imply that the school gets closed or temporary closed until they make the improvements are made to the facility good enough. This is a crucial factor because without these standards being met the Government can decide if the facility in question deserves the funding that it has been getting anymore, and this funding could go towards a facility which needs it more.

One other service that Estyn provides is promoting the spread of good practice in education and training. In other words it shows the general public its reports about the facilities that Estyn has inspected. This is very important for the general public because it provides them with the information of which facilities have high standards and which have low standards. This may effect a parents crucial decision of where they would send their child, clearly the higher standard facility would get the bigger number of students which would benefit the facility because it would gain more funding because the higher numbers. These reports state to the parents where their child will gain the best education which would enhance their chances of a better career opportunity. That point proves why what Estyn does is so important and that its vital they provide the information that they give.

Grigg (2012) also told us that Estyn’s key policy is that they listen to the learners. This indicates that Estyn inspectors ask the students of the education facility what their opinion is on the place that they are learning in. Again this is very important because it provides the service of if the students feel they’re benefiting from the education they’re getting and if they’re improving their own general knowledge and skills from being in this place.

You can find more information on Estyn on their website http://www.estyn.gov.uk/. This website gives you information about what Estyn does and you can also look at annual reports on inspections which estyn have done in different establishments.

In conclusion the information that Dr Russell Grigg had given us had proven that the work that Estyn does is crucial in very different ways and that its impeccable that they carry on the work that they are doing.