Education special measures lifted at Torfaen council

Special measures have been lifted at a south Wales council after "sufficient progress" was made in schools.

Torfaen council's education department was put under supervision in February 2013 by education watchdog Estyn.

This was due to a lack of progress following an inspection in 2011 where serious failings were highlighted and a rating of unsatisfactory was given.

Subsequent checks were made and the necessary steps were taken to allow measures to be lifted on Friday.

When it was subjected to those conditions in 2013, Torfaen became the sixth Welsh council to be placed in special measures.

It followed Anglesey, Blaenau Gwent, Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire and Merthyr Tydfil. Of these, only Merthyr Tydfil remains in special measures.

Education Minister Huw Lewis said: "I am heartened at the good progress we are seeing with local authorities being removed from special measures and I hope this will provide a springboard for further success in the future."

In a letter to Torfaen's chief executive Alison Ward, Clive Phillips, an assistant director at Estyn, said inspectors looked at seven recommendations made from inspections in 2011 and 2013.

These said the council needed to raise standards in secondary schools and do more for school leavers who do not go on to find jobs or training.

The authority also came in for criticism for standards at GCSE level.

A report said over half of schools were in the bottom quarter for performance in the core subjects of English or Welsh, maths and science.

No school was above average on the proportion of pupils achieving the equivalent of five GCSEs at grade A* to C.

After it was placed in special measures, the Welsh government ordered the creation of a recovery board to support and scrutinise the council as it sought to rectify the problems.

Mr Phillips's letter said the council, elected members and the recovery board had "worked well together" to improve these areas.

It added: "As a result, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales considers that the authority no longer requires special measures and is removing it from further follow-up activity."

Torfaen council's executive member for education David Yeowell said: "We are delighted with this news that reflects well on the combined efforts of colleagues both in our schools and the education service."