England can learn valuable lessons in the classroom from its Welsh neighbour, a leading professor said this week. David Hawker, professor at the College of Teachers and director of the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in Wales, launched an attack on England’s performance when it came to vocational learning and children’s rights. Professor Hawker said: “Far from being a slightly quaint offshoot of England, Wales is a vibrant and proud nation in its own right.” He added that Wales had “pretty much” got it right by scrapping Sats and introducing teacher assessment.