Capacity is the new c-word threatening education reform in Wales.

Just when you thought “Covid” was going to cripple schools’ ability to embark on Wales’ ambitious reform agenda, “capacity” rears its head.

It has been no secret that the Welsh government has been relentless in its pursuit of a better, broader, more inclusive education system as its national mission.

The ambition of successive governments have sought to harness the innovation of great practitioners both in and outside of Wales, bringing to schools an enhanced and more fulfilling learner experience, delving into not simply what we teach, but how we teach and crucially, why we teach it.

No one has been more enthused, inspired and driven to make this mission a living and breathing reality for learners than our school leaders.

But when the wheels were set in motion on this, no one expected such disruption to hit us at the hands of the pandemic.

The impact that Covid has had on schools is well-rehearsed and there is no desire to relive the turmoil of the last 18 months again.

An ever-growing to-do list

We should however take this opportunity to celebrate the innovation of schools, the creativity and the determination all staff showed in making sure learners suffered the least.

Alongside the government’s Recruit, Recover, Raise Standards (RRRS) programme that sought to support learners in the wake of the pandemic, schools have had to get on with the day job of teaching and learning.

They have been expected to continue with plans for curriculum development and staff training.

They have had new additional learning needs legislation put in place that, of course, is welcomed by the profession - anything that seeks to support learners of all abilities to flourish and reach their full potential is exactly what school leaders come into this role to do.

They are being asked to release teachers out of the classroom to support the development of new qualification arrangements.

They have been asked to volunteer to take part in the piloting of new Estyn inspection arrangements.

And, as of just a couple of weeks ago, under the umbrella of the Labour and Plaid Cymru co-operation agreement, they have been asked to engage in a review of the school day and school year to the extent that the government has asked for schools to “test” providing additional hours per week for a 10-week study - starting this month.

A tall order without the pandemic, I’m sure you would agree.

Running on empty 

Since the start of the autumn term, schools have been hit by the highest levels of staff absence during the whole of the pandemic.

Whether it be Covid itself, time off to care for dependents or a myriad of other illnesses that have all come to a head at once, schools are struggling to stay open.

The “business as usual” approach to the September return, that the government has since admitted was premature and has removed from its guidance documents, has left schools vulnerable.

Gone were the host of mitigation measures, like staggering session times to minimise contact between learners and grouping children for the purpose of moving around the school. 

Because the rest of society is “free” to come and go as they please, there is the belief that schools should follow suit.

Let’s be absolutely clear - no one wants more stringent mitigation measures in schools than is elsewhere in society. But, the evidence speaks for itself.

Schools may appear to be open and running as usual, but there is a hidden side to the new normal that is being ignored.

Schools are functioning largely on a shoestring staffing compliment and are reliant on the goodwill of their remaining team members to keep the doors open.

Wellbeing issues on the up

No one is reporting how schools are being staffed by supply teachers, if you can get them, of teaching assistants stepping up to fill in or school leaders stepping back into the classroom to cover.

No one is recording staff absence in schools and the impact this is having on the delivery of education.

No one is looking at the wellbeing of all school staff who are at their lowest ebb, exhausted and frustrated by the situation.

And worst of all, the reform juggernaut just keeps coming.

Our focus must be, above all else, building capacity in schools.

Well-meaning schemes from the government to put newly qualified teachers into schools for a term have been extended and welcomed by those who were lucky enough to benefit.

But that does not even begin to scratch the surface of the problem.

When a school receives £3,000 under RRRS in order to “build capacity”, that is not enough to do more than add a few hours to an existing member of staff.

That does not plug the gaps, that does not relieve the pressure and it is not a long-term strategy.

Before we go down the school day reform rabbit hole, we need to get the basics in schools right.

If there are no teachers to stand at the front of the class, if there are no teaching assistants to support those learners and if their school leaders are too exhausted holding things together with nothing more than a few thousand-pound grant that they have to jump through a million hoops to satisfy, we are not going to get anywhere.

Prioritise building capacity in schools, help build a resilient workforce and then we can talk about what comes next.

Laura Doel is director of NAHT Cymru