That is the verdict of the 777 schools in 20 local authorities that participated in the Schools Survey 2007, conducted in Wales by the Audit Commission on behalf of the Wales Audit Office and Estyn. The survey captures schools’ views and perceptions of their council’s services. 

The most positively rated areas covered the support provided for most aspects of school improvement and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Schools were particularly positive about their councils’ support for literacy and numeracy; their challenge to schools to perform better; and their support for ICT. High ratings also went to the leadership provided by senior officers as well as the effectiveness of advice about child protection for designated members of staff and governors.

Schools rated 79 of the 80 survey items as satisfactory or better. However, many of the least positively rated items relate to councils’ allocation of resources and their planning and actions to improve the quality of school buildings.

The overall results mask large variations between the views of schools maintained by different councils. Furthermore, primary schools were slightly more positive in their responses than secondary schools – 51 per cent of questions received a higher rating from primary schools than from secondary schools.
The School Survey is a useful tool to highlight perceptions and shortcomings to help councils identify where they need to focus their resources. The results are also used to inform local education authority inspection and performance work conducted by the Wales Audit Office and Estyn.

Jeremy Colman, Auditor General for Wales, comments:

“I’m pleased that as many as 20 councils in Wales took part in the survey in 2007, with nearly half of schools in those councils responding.  Many factors will colour schools’ perceptions of their councils; the survey provides a good starting point for councils to find out what lies beneath those perceptions and to improve services where necessary.”

Notes to Editors:

• The Wales Audit Office is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure and some £30 billion worth of public assets. Its mission is to promote improvement, so that people in Wales benefit from accountable, well-managed public services that offer the best possible value for money. It is also committed to identify and spreading good practice across the Welsh public sector.
• The Wales Audit Office was created in April 2005 through the Public Audit (Wales) Act, 2004, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staffs from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.