Head teachers and practitioners in Wales have serious reservations over the long term success of the biggest education reform in decades, a snapshot survey commissioned by the NAHT Cymru indicates. 
As the non-statutory School Effectiveness Framework (SEF) was officially launched across Wales last month, half of heads questioned said they didn’t think the reform was workable.
More than 50 per cent of school leaders said there was not enough time in the school day - or school funding - for the Framework to succeed.
An overwhelming 90% of heads questioned fear escalating paperwork under SEF.
The same per centage are also worried how they are going to meet the cost of staff travelling out of county to other schools along with the cost of classroom cover while they are gone.
The survey also exposed widespread confusion – mostly by teachers - over the policy.
Officials want to kick start a system change in the way schools operate based on collaboration - not self interest - under SEF.
But half of teachers questioned hadn’t a clue what SEF was aimed at, and the rest reckoned the Framework was nothing more than “continuing professional development (CPD) on the cheap”.
Three-quarters of teachers were also suspicious that SEF was simply “an indirect way of cutting frontline services”.
On a more positive note, all but one head questioned agreed with the theory behind SEF, but didn’t see the Framework working in practice.
Tegwen Ellis, Head of Ysgol Cynwyd Sant in Maesteg, Bridgend, says she has struggled to implement SEF.
“We were keen to pilot SEF – it was exciting and looked good on paper – but the support just wasn’t there,” said Ms Ellis, who is also a Welsh Assembly Government Pedagogy Champion.
“We have tried hard to implement SEF in our School Development Plan, but it wasn’t easy in practice.”
But Wales's Education Minister Leighton Andrews dismissed the findings of the snapshot survey today, calling the findings "baloney". A load of baloney?
Read the full article written by Education Reporter for the NAHT Cymru.