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A traffic light system used to rate school performances has been scrapped by the Welsh Government, having been paused during the pandemic.

The Welsh Government has published a new framework to measure the performance of schools, replacing the National Categorisation system.

Previously, schools were ranked as one of four colours – red, amber, yellow and green – to measure how well they were performing.

Wales’ Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the new system, which comes into force alongside the new curriculum in September, “sets out clear expectations so that every pupil is supported properly”.

According to the Welsh Government, the colour coding system will be replaced by a “robust” self-evaluation system, which will see schools create their own development plans.

These plans will have a focus on wellbeing and improvement, with input from local authorities.

The Welsh Government has also said the new system will allow parents to access more “up-to-date” and “detailed” information, with each school’s priorities and development plan being made public.

Schools inspectorate Estyn will also carry out more regular inspections from September 2024 as part of the changes.

In a statement, the Welsh Government said: “Assessment should be used in the best interest of pupils, enabling teachers to adjust teaching strategies to support their progress.”

Education Minister Mr Miles said: “By putting learner progression at the heart of our reforms, we will be supporting every learner to reach their full potential.

“By bringing national categorisation to an end we are doing two things. First, replacing it with a framework which sets out clear expectations so that every pupil is supported properly.

“And second, providing better, and more up to date information on each school’s improvement plans, so that the focus is on learner progression rather than on headline descriptions.”

Mr Miles said he was “confident that this framework will encourage more collaboration between schools, which will deliver high standards and aspirations for all our learners and support their wellbeing”.

Owen Evans, Chief Inspector at Estyn said, welcomed the changes and said: “We will continue to inspect schools and make judgements based on a wide range of evidence and information, covering the breadth of school activity.”

Mr Evans also said schools would be monitored if standards “aren’t high enough”.

However, South Wales East regional Senedd Member Laura Anne Jones, who is the Conservative Shadow Education Minister, said the changes were “fraught with risks”.

Ms Jones said: “A colour-coded system is straightforward, but each category should have had a much clearer explanation from the Welsh Government.

“Bringing in a ‘self-evaluation’ system is fraught with risks, and there needs to be rigorous oversight for it to work in the best interests of pupils.

“I don’t have much faith in Labour – under their watch, the Welsh education system is the worst-performing in the UK and is consistently underfunded.”