Schools Views of Their LEA 2003: The National School Survey (Audit Commission)

The Audit Commission, Ofsted, Estyn and 150 local authorities across England and Wales collaborated to carry out the second annual national survey of schools’ views in the summer term of 2003.

The survey was an opportunity for schools to give their views of their LEA’s services and to influence the LEA inspection process.  The aim of the project is for the online survey to combine the pre-LEA inspection Audit Commission and locally-run LEA surveys into one national survey conducted at one point every year which could be used both for LEA self-evaluation and for inspection.

In total, 150 LEAs took part in the 2003 survey – 128 in England (85 per cent of all English LEAs) and 22 in Wales (100 per cent of Welsh LEAs). 

The response of schools against each of the 73 categories evaluated by the survey, the Audit Commission recorded that Merthyr Tydfil appeared in the top ten for England and Wales on 32 separate occasions.  This established Merthyr Tydfil as the fifth most popular local authority of the 150 assessed.  Outlined below are the areas where the schools of the County Borough deemed the LEA to be most effective.  Further information on the outcome of the survey is to be found on  www.schoolssurvey.audit-commission.gov.uk.