£20m Schools Challenge Cymru launched

Schools Challenge Cymru – the Welsh Labour Government’s £20 million a year package of support to boost the performance of up to 40 of Wales’ underperforming secondary schools has been announced by First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones and Education and Skills Minister Huw Lewis.

Schools Challenge Cymru will inject extra cash into some of Wales’ poorest performing schools, providing specifically targeted support to help them to make improvements in their pupils’ levels of attainment. It will deliver a relentless focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning through professional development, promoting leadership by developing leaders for now and the future underpinned by an unflinching belief that all children can achieve with high aspirations for all.

The programme will also build on the elements proven to work in the successful London and Manchester challenges, adapting them to a Welsh context, bringing in expertise from all over the UK. Some of Wales’ finest and highest performing schools will also be involved, sharing expertise and leadership, supporting teachers in Challenge Cymru schools to achieve the improvements needed.

The Challenge is set to begin in September 2014 and details of criteria for involvement and which schools have been selected will be announced in due course. The participating schools will be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that the support delivers real improvements.