Multi-million pound grant scheme fails Welsh schools

The Better Schools Fund provides Welsh local authorities with grants to help them share good practice and develop initiatives to improve teaching, learning and the breadth of the curriculum.

However, the report said: "Very few local authorities are able to show a clear link between the curriculum development initiatives undertaken using the Better Schools Fund and improvements in outcomes for learners."

One cluster of primary schools used their grant to invest in the teaching of modern foreign languages, yet the number of learners opting to study languages has continued to fall.

The report found the majority of the cash had been spent on staff training, but local authorities failed to gather evidence to show whether or not staff development improved outcomes for learners.

Estyn recommends reforming the way the fund is managed by targeting funding at the schools and pupils most in need of development and implementing better reporting systems to measure the impact of grants.

In response to the report, the Welsh Assembly Government is to publish guidance and information to help local authorities effectively plan, manage and evaluate Better Schools Fund grants.