Reports published today by the Wales Audit Office and Estyn have found that arrangements for covering teachers' absence in Welsh schools do not support learners' progress sufficiently nor provide the best use of resources.

A team from Estyn and the Wales Audit Office (WAO) visited 23 primary and secondary schools, meeting with learners, head teachers and supply teachers.
They also carried out surveys, interviews and data analysis. 

Auditors are continuing to find common and fundamental issues of weak financial management and governance across a large number of Community and Town Councils in Wales.

A report by the Auditor General for Wales, published today, says local accounts are often not submitted for audit on time and many are of poor quality.

In recent years there has been a general deterioration in performance against key service targets, although the most recent data shows some encouraging improvements, which now need to be sustained. Those are the conclusions of a report published today by the Auditor General for Wales.

The Auditor General for Wales has today published his Annual Improvement Report on Caerphilly County Borough Council, and said: "Whilst there are weaknesses in its self-evaluation arrangements, and the pace of improvement is slow in some key priority areas, the Council has made some service improvements.