Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

The item started at 16.45

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5228 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that future support for school standards in Wales must focus on allowing every pupil to reach their full potential and give schools the power to drive standards up.

2. Notes that analysis by the Institute of Welsh Affairs highlights that where schools focus on the trajectory of its pupils as much as on their absolute standard of attainment, with the appropriate use of internal evaluation and monitoring, standards can be raised in schools on an individual pupil basis.

3. Welcomes the commitment by the Welsh Government to ensure that Estyn reports on how effectively the Pupil Deprivation Grant is being used by schools to narrow the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) develop an individual pupil monitoring programme to measure pupils’ progress, allowing schools to target efforts at those pupils who are not meeting their potential

b) substantially increase funding for the Pupil Deprivation Grant and ensure that schools publicise how this funding has been spent, to encourage accountability, effective targeting and the sharing of best practice; and

c) reform the school banding system to ensure that it measures school performance with regard to individual pupil performance, including re-structuring the system to demonstrate how well schools are achieving in supporting pupils to meet their own potential.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
4	0	44	48

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

In point 1, after ‘pupil’ insert ‘, regardless of background or ability,’

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	0	50

Amendment 1 was agreed.

Amendment 2 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

In point 1 add ‘and educational bodies’ after ‘give schools’

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
50	0	0	50

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Delete point 3.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	0	38	50

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 - Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete point 4.

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
26	0	24	50

Amendment 4 was agreed.

As amendment 4 was agreed, amendments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 were de-selected.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM5228 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Believes that future support for school standards in Wales must focus on allowing every pupil, regardless of background or ability, to reach their full potential and give schools and educational bodies the power to drive standards up.

2. Notes that analysis by the Institute of Welsh Affairs highlights that where schools focus on the trajectory of its pupils as much as on their absolute standard of attainment, with the appropriate use of internal evaluation and monitoring, standards can be raised in schools on an individual pupil basis.

3. Welcomes the commitment by the Welsh Government to ensure that Estyn reports on how effectively the Pupil Deprivation Grant is being used by schools to narrow the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
46	4	0	50

The motion as amended was agreed.