Education Wales

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We’d like to congratulate Simon Roberts on receiving the ‘Exceptional Contribution to School Business Leadership’ award, at ISBL National Conference for School Business Leadership at the end of November

Earlier this year Welsh Government launched an exciting pilot project with the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL), facilitated by Simon Roberts, Director of Business Finance at Olchfa School in Swansea, who has 24 years’ experience  working in education, and 16 as a Senior Leader and School Business Leader.

Working with a cohort of 50 School Business Professionals (SBPs) across Wales, the pilot aims to assess and support the development needs of the profession, provide coaching and mentoring alongside professional accreditation, and support the creation of SBP Champions to provide peer review and system leadership.

Bethan Cullen, Deputy CEO of the ISBL stated: “Simon Roberts has played a pivotal role in shaping the pilot programme for Welsh school business professionals, an initiative that will significantly raise the profile of the profession in Wales. His leadership has strengthened the understanding and application of Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning (ICFP) metrics and empowered school leaders to more effectively evaluate and maximise the resources available to them.

Simon’s unwavering commitment, both through his advocacy for the profession and his impactful delivery of programme content, has been central to the success of this work. ISBL is proud to recognise Simon’s outstanding achievements and celebrate him as one of our Fellows.”

On winning the award, Simon said: ‘It’s a real honour and privilege for me, mostly because it is awarded by the Institute who represent my profession.  I would never have won the award without the support, trust and professional freedom I have been fortunate enough to get from all the Headteachers I have worked with in my career.  I have championed the SBL role in Wales for a number of years and was delighted to get the opportunity to work with Welsh Government recently on a project to amplify the role of School Business Leaders in Wales and generate the recognition the role deserves, which, without doubt, was a significant contributing factor in me being given this award, and I really appreciate having the opportunity to do so.

“This project is ongoing, but gaining rapid traction and buy-in from stakeholders across the education sector, which is fantastic, but must continue if schools in Wales are to become financially sustainable in the future – it is a real indication of progress for the role of SBLs in Wales and a significant sign of intent by Welsh Government that they are supporting it in the way they are.”

For further information on the project, please contact School Funding / Ariannu Ysgolion

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Food and Fun recently celebrated 10 years supporting families across Wales.

The Food and Fun programme started as a pilot by Cardiff Council to help children during school holidays. The programme now runs in schools across the whole country, delivered by the Welsh Local Government Association.

Winners of the awards were: 

• Council Co-ordinator: Paul Williams, Neath Port Talbot Youth Service 
• Co-ordinator award scheme: Sabrina Amor, Herbertt Thompson Primary School 
• Scheme Staff award: Luke Cross Ysgol Cwm Brombil 
• Catering award: Sarah Lever and Caroline Clatworthy, Bridgend Catering  
• Volunteer Award: Harri and Sion Colthard, Ysgol Calon y Cymoedd 
• Health Board Award: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board 
• Sports Coach Awards: MonLife 
• Working together award: Neyland Community Primary School 
• School Impact Award: Gemma Ness Ysgol Awel Y Mor 
• Outstanding Contribution award: Angharad Williams Ysgol y Gogarth, Chantelle Matthias Howardian Primary School
• Children’s Choice award: Justin Johnson Torfaen Play 

We asked Gemma Ness, Ysgol Awel y Môr, winner of the School Impact Award, to tell us about her journey.

“The anticipation began long before the event, it started with an unexpected email. Excitement, and a little nervous energy began to unfold.

The days before were filled with laughter and banter around potentially giving a speech. Although i was personally nominated it was for us. There’s no I in team.

The morning of the event was a steady one. The journey itself was a mix of reflection and excitement.  When I arrived, the atmosphere was calm. The room set up was fabulous! This felt official and special.

Then my name was called up for School Impact Winner in Wales. I was in genuine shock. As I proceeded to collect the award, I could hear the audience erupt.

When I returned home, I shared the news with my Family, my eldest child gave me a high five. I did not expect to see such beautiful comments all echoing the same “You deserve it”.

Sharing the achievement with everyone at Awel Y Môr Primary School was a proud unforgettable moment. This wasn’t just my achievement – it was ours.”

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Data is a powerful tool for shaping education. In Wales, we’re committed to using it to support evaluation, improvement, and accountability in ways that benefit learners. 

We’re reshaping how we communicate what’s happening in schools. Education is complex, and our understanding should reflect this broader picture—not just a handful of attainment measures. We’ve moved away from “high stakes” approaches where a few results defined performance, focusing instead on supporting individual learners and helping schools improve meaningfully. 

Data use should be proportionate, balanced, and impactful, keeping each learner at the centre of improvement without creating extra burdens for teachers. By using a range of qualitative and quantitative insights, we can help every learner reach their potential whilst maintaining a clear national picture. 

Consultation: Shaping the future of data use 

Earlier this year, we launched a public consultation on how data should be used to support learning and improvement. We also proposed a 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework to replace existing Key Stage 4 indicators. 

The responses confirmed broad support for: 

• Information Ecosystem Principles – guiding responsible data use across the system 

• 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework – reporting on learners’ experiences and outcomes under the Curriculum for Wales 

Our published Decisions Report confirmed both will be implemented with refinements. 

What is the 14 to 16 Framework? 

The framework supports meaningful public communication about 14 to 16 learning, providing a balanced, holistic view beyond exam results—including wellbeing, learner effectiveness, and post-16 preparation. 

It includes: 

• Qualification-based indicators at individual qualification level—no complex composite measures 

• Contextualised and disaggregated data for meaningful, inclusive results 

• School-shared information alongside Welsh Government published data 

What’s next? 

We’re working with school leaders and practitioners representing a wide range of school characteristics through autumn/winter workshops to refine indicators, exploring options and gathering insight on alignment with improvement aims and impact. We’ll also be looking at clarity and guidance needed on information schools are expected to make available. 

We’re also exploring development of digital tools to support this work, including replacing or building on platforms like My Local School and the All-Wales Core Data Sets (AWCDS), offering smarter ways to access and interpret data. A key part of this discovery work will be speaking to a broad range of users of the AWCDS and My Local School. 

Timeline 

Spring 2026: Finalised 14 to 16 indicators confirmed

Summer 2027: New reporting arrangements go live with first Curriculum for Wales Year 11 cohort 

Supplier appointment to the discovery exercise to shape digital systems is expected January 2026. User engagement (schools, local authorities, public) will run January-March 2026. Email ims@gov.wales to register interest. 

Updates will appear on our Hwb pages as work progresses. 

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MFL Mentoring is a Welsh Government-funded project that’s been promoting multilingualism in secondary schools since 2015. The project connects university students from nine Welsh universities with secondary schools across Wales, creating meaningful mentoring relationships that inspire young people to engage with languages and cultures.

Exploring languages together

Learning a language opens doors to new cultures, perspectives and opportunities. Yet fewer than 12% of learners in Wales choose to study an International Language at GCSE level. That’s where MFL Mentoring comes in

A different approach to languages

This isn’t about memorising grammar rules or vocabulary lists. Instead, student mentors work with learners in Years 7 to 9 who are unsure about studying International Languages (French, Spanish or German) for GCSE. Together, they explore languages and cultures in an engaging, relevant way that extends far beyond the classroom.

The mentoring sessions help learners to reconsider their attitudes towards International Languages and discover how these skills connect to their future lives, careers and wellbeing.

Our mission

The project exists to:

• encourage learners to be curious about all languages and cultures
• challenge perspectives and assumptions about others
• promote a sense of global community
• celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity
• highlight how languages support careers and wellbeing

Why? So that our future generations have the skills they need to thrive in our globalised world.

Supporting the Curriculum for Wales

The work of MFL Mentoring also supports learners to progress towards the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, encouraging cross-curricular links and empowering learners to appreciate a wider global perspective.

Get involved

Interested in bringing MFL Mentoring to your school? Express your interest by completing our survey and a member of the team will be in touch to let you know when applications open, or suggest other ways you can engage with the project.

Find out more

Visit our website to learn more and sign up to our newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, X and LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with the project.

For any questions or queries, please contact me, Miss Glesni Owen, Operations Manager on owengh@cardiff.ac.uk

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Curriculum summaries are more than just a tick-box exercise. Done well, they can be powerful tools for communicating your school or setting’s ethos, curriculum thinking, and learner experience to a wide audience – from parents and carers to governors and community partners.

So, what does a good curriculum summary look like? And what should we steer clear of?

Characteristics of an effective curriculum summary

1. Clear, accessible and audience-focused

A good summary speaks to its audience. That means:

• Using plain language that’s free from jargon.
• Tailoring the language to suit parents, carers, and non-specialists.
• Being concise – it’s a summary, not a policy document.

2. Visually appealing and well-presented

First impressions matter. A well-designed summary:

• Uses layout and branding that reflect the school or setting’s identity.
• Incorporates photos, colours, and even video to bring the curriculum to life.
• Is easy to navigate, with clear headings and structure.

3. Bespoke and reflective of your school or setting

Avoid generic content. Instead:

• Showcase your school or setting’s unique ethos, vision, and values.
• Include authentic examples of learning and pupil experiences.
• Demonstrate the thinking behind your curriculum decisions.

4. Useful and linked to key information

Make it practical:

• Include links to statutory frameworks and curriculum guidance where appropriate.
• Allow those that want to  delve deeper into aspects they’re interested in.
• Highlight connections to wellbeing, pastoral care, and community involvement.

5. Up-to-date and transparent

Trust is built through transparency:

• Clearly state when the summary was first published and last updated.
• Ensure links and references are current.
• Show how staff and stakeholders have contributed to its development.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Even with the best intentions, some summaries miss the mark. Here’s what to watch out for:

1. Jargon overload

• Avoid unexplained acronyms and technical language.
• Don’t assume your audience has a background in education.

2. Content copied from elsewhere

• Resist the temptation to lift text directly from the Curriculum for Wales framework guidance.
• Generic summaries that could belong to any school lack authenticity.

3. Too much detail

• Keep it focused – this isn’t the place for full schemes of work.
• Overly long documents can overwhelm and disengage readers.

4. Outdated or vague information

• Make sure your summary is regularly reviewed and updated.
• Avoid references to old documents or resources that no longer reflect current practice.

5. Disconnected presentation

• Ensure the summary reflects your whole school or setting, not just an individual class or certain subject areas.
• Avoid promotional content that doesn’t explain curriculum progression or intent.

Examples

Thank you to the schools, PRUs and nursery settings below for letting us share their published curriculum summaries:

Primary schools:

Gelliswick VC School Pembrokeshire

Llangan Primary School Vale of Glamorgan

St David’s RC primary school Swansea

Y Gynradd Gymraeg Gellionnen Swansea

Ysgol Bodhyfryd Wrexham

Ysgol Gellifor Denbighshire

Ysgol Glan Aber Flintshire

Ysgol Iolo Morganwg Vale of Glamorgan

Ysgol Maes y Coed Neath Port Talbot

Ysgol Pen Rhos Carmarthenshire

Ysgol Raglan VC Primary school Monmouthshire

Ysgol Santes Dwynwen Isle of Anglesey

All-through schools:

Abertillery Learning Community Blaenau Gwent

Ysgol Bro Pedr Ceredigion

Ysgol Nantgwyn Rhondda Cynon Taf

Special schools:

Crownbridge Special School Torfaen

Ysgol Robert Owen Powys

PRUs:

Y Deryn Family of Schools Cardiff

New Start Centre Powys

Secondary:

Chepstow School Monmouthshire

Corpus Christi Catholic High School Cardiff

Llanwern High School Newport

Risca Community Comprehensive School Caerphilly

Ysgol Aberconwy Conwy

Ysgol Glan y Môr Carmarthenshire

Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd Bridgend

Ysgol Pen y Dre Merthyr Tydfil

Non-maintained nursery settings:

Cylch Meithrin Ruthin Denbighshire

Sticky Fingers Nursery Monmouthshire

Final Thoughts

A curriculum summary should be a window into your learning journey – clear, engaging, and rooted in your values. By focusing on clarity, authenticity, and accessibility, you can create a summary that not only informs but inspires.

The summary of legislation section on Hwb sets out the requirements for publishing a curriculum summary.

The statutory guidance notes that the published summaries should include:

• information on how practitioners, learners, parents, carers and the wider community are being engaged to inform the curriculum’s ongoing development
• how the curriculum meets the required elements set out in this Framework, starting from the four purposes
• information on how the school is approaching learning progression and its arrangements for assessment
• how the curriculum is being kept under review, including the process for feedback and ongoing refinement

and  should be published before the start of each academic year.

Practical support for curriculum and assessment design is available on Hwb.

There is no duty on non-maintained nursery settings to design a curriculum; Welsh Ministers are required to provide this for settings. These are the curriculum and assessment arrangements for those settings.  Like schools and PRUs, settings need to publish a summary of their curriculum. Guidance for settings on publishing a summary can be found within the engagement toolkit.

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The Cabinet Secretary for Education announced  as part of her oral statement on the progress of additional learning needs (ALN) reforms in Wales, a suite of actions to support ALN reform. This follows a comprehensive review of the ALN legislative framework and includes a significant £8.2 million investment, directly allocated to local authorities, education settings and colleges to improve delivery of ALN reforms.

Over four years, the Welsh Government has invested over £150 million revenue and £170 million capital funding to support the delivery of the ALN system

From September 2025, the Additional Learning Needs Education and Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, together with the Additional Learning Needs code for Wales and associated regulations, creates the statutory system for supporting learners with ALN in Wales.

Building on investment achievements

This latest announcement represents continued commitment to improving ALN provision. Over the past four years, more than £80 million in capital funding has already supported improvements in 249 schools across Wales contributing to the transformation of learning spaces.  This is in addition to the £750 million Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme over nine years creating new specialist provision.

Celebrating achievements

Through the dedication of education practitioners, local authorities, health and social care partners, learners and families, more than 32,000 statutory individual development plans (IDPs). These plans have been developed through person-centred processes that place the learner’s needs and voice at the core, enhancing access to specialist resources and building on collaborative partnerships.

What’s working well

This announcement is grounded in evidence from a four-year formative evaluation of the ALN implementation, parent and carer survey insights from over 1,600 families, ALN legislative framework review findings and the Estyn thematic reviews recognising school agility and creative interventions.

The comprehensive evaluation reveals positive progress, schools are creating transformational learning environments  where children thrive. Children report having access to assistive technology and quiet spaces that remove barriers to their learning.Parents report positive experiences of individual development plan process, valuing clear timeframes and opportunities to discuss their child’s needs.

Practitioner support

Parents praise Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinators and school staff for their exceptional work in recognising children’s needs and providing the right level of support.  Schools are successfully implementing smaller group provision, nurture groups, and specialist teaching facilities. Children are benefiting from flexible timetables, reduced class sizes, and emotional wellbeing support through programmes like ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant).

Parents report improvements in early identification processes particularly for pre-school children, with the system’s strength in not requiring medical diagnoses before providing support, helping children access help more quickly.

Looking forward

Enhanced national support to schools, colleges, and local authorities will work to increase consistency of delivery, ensuring  equitable support regardless of location.

Working with the sector, the Welsh Government is taking action to reduce waiting times for children’s neurodivergence assessments and strengthen collaboration between education, health and social care services so that families receive the support they need.

A consultation is also currently underway on ALN data changes, covering individual learner data, provision delivery, and workforce information. Consultation closes on 3 December 2025.

Recognising the need for improved information, parents and carers will shortly be able to access updated information through a parent and carer toolkit, developed with families and the launching in November to provide  clear, accessible information to  navigate the ALN system.

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‘Taking part in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ Project has been a deeply transformative experience for me. It has reshaped how I view history, humanity, and the way we relate to each other in the present day.’ – student participant, Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, Cardiff.

This reflection captures the impact of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, delivered by the Holocaust Educational Trust. The project is designed to help young people develop a profound understanding of the Holocaust and its continuing relevance today.

In February 2025, more than 150 young people from across Wales experienced this transformative programme through a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland. The project is now open for applications for the 2025–26 academic year and welcomes all maintained schools with post-16 provision and further education colleges in Wales. Students can be studying any subject.

The programme includes four key elements:

• An Orientation seminar which takes place in Cardiff where students learn about the Holocaust and Jewish life in Europe before the war; meet and hear from a Holocaust survivor and prepare for the visit to Poland.

• A one-day visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, including guided tours of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II (Birkenau).  Whilst on the visit, students will consider and reflect on the lasting impact that the Holocaust had on the lives of Jewish individuals and communities across Europe.

• A Follow-up seminar held online where students discuss their reflections of the visit to Poland and consider the ongoing relevance of the Holocaust in the context of antisemitism and racism today. Students also start planning for the final stage of the programme, their ‘Next Steps’.

• The final stage where students as part of their ‘Next Steps’ share what they have learned with others in their school, college or community. Students choose how they may wish to do this but they could for example lead assemblies, organise exhibitions or write blogs or articles.

The project encourages students to reflect on the past and think critically about how they can contribute to a more inclusive and respectful society, creating lasting change that extends well beyond their educational experience.

The Lessons from Auschwitz Project is supported by the Welsh Government, making the cost just £59 per student. Schools and colleges can apply for two student places, with priority given to institutions that have not previously participated. Travel subsidies are also available to ensure accessibility.

For more information and to secure your places, visit the Holocaust Educational Trust’s website.

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We want to hear your views

We are developing a Strategic Education Workforce Plan which will set out how we will support teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and professionals supporting learners in our schools in the coming years. The Cabinet Secretary for Education has set out that the plan will focus on four key areas:

• Supporting our workforce to deliver quality teaching and learning to improve outcomes for learners
• Addressing workload issues
• Responding to new challenges for the school workforce and ensuring access to support through a specialist workforce
• Ensuring that teaching, leadership and supporting teaching remains an attractive career pathway.

The well-being of staff will be a key consideration across all four areas.

You can read more here: Written Statement: Strategic Education Workforce Plan (3 September 2025) | GOV.WALES

Here’s your opportunity to discuss your priorities and the challenges that you face in your day-to-day work as practitioners to help us to shape the actions we will take with our key partners.

You can register to attend one of the online sessions here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/5EQQ01/

If you cannot attend an online session, we still want to hear from you.

We will share a short survey after half term, which asks about your views on your wellbeing, workload, the support available to you and your thoughts on what could change. Please revisit this page, subscribe to Dysg or follow our social media channels.

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As one of the mandatory Principles of Progression, increasing learner effectiveness is critical to unlocking the potential of the Curriculum for Wales; it plays a central role in the 14 to 16 learning guidance. When we teach young people how to learn more effectively, we can unleash their ability to learn, progress and achieve their full potential.

With thanks to the staff at Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, Ysgol Caer Elen and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd who gave their time and commitment to allow us to develop these case studies and share their valued experience of embedding learner effectiveness.

Take a look at how these three secondary schools across Wales are developing a whole school approach to embedding learner effectiveness in their schools:

The schools talk about:

• their vision, why they chose the learner effectiveness approach, and why it is a priority for them.

• their focus on the professional learning of those involved in the implementation, which helped them to understand their journey, any challenges they faced, and the resulting benefits.

• how they have approached timetabling to accommodate these sessions.

• how they are communicating learner effectiveness to parents and carers and how it is a valued part of what is taught.

If you are feeling inspired by these examples, we have recently shared a trial set of materials to embed and teach learner effectiveness in schools across Wales.

Created by Dr James Mannion, these materials are free to use and test in schools however you wish. The link to these materials can be resent by contacting dysgu.14-16.learning@gov.wales.

We will be reaching out to participating schools in the Autumn to find out how they have been getting on with the materials, helping to inform the design and publication of the final versions.

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We’re pleased to announce an important new research project evaluating the policies that support Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Wales. This evaluation will examine how effectively our current policies are supporting teacher training across the country, recognising ITE’s crucial role as the first step in every Welsh teacher’s professional learning journey.

Alma Economics are the successful bidder, and work has already begun to scope out this significant research project.

What this research will aim to examine

The evaluation will focus on Wales’ policies and legislation supporting our ITE system, and provide evidence that will assist the Welsh Government in understanding more about the following:

• How ITE policy reforms have improved teacher training provision
• The impact of wider education reforms on teacher education
• The effectiveness of incentive schemes in recruiting student teachers
• Identifying what’s working well in the ITE sector
• Understanding barriers to improvement
• Developing recommendations for enhancing teacher education

The research will not evaluate specific ITE programmes or partnerships but instead look at the system-wide policy framework.

Why this matters now

It’s been 10 years since Professor Furlong’s influential “Teaching Tomorrow’s Teachers” report was published. Since then, Wales has implemented numerous education reforms including the Curriculum for Wales, the ALN Act, and Cymraeg 2050.

Following the pandemic, completed accreditation rounds, and ongoing monitoring, now is the perfect time to assess our progress and identify necessary improvements to ensure our ITE system provides the best possible foundation for Wales’ teachers.

Who’s involved

The research has been guided by a stakeholder steering group with representatives from:

• Education Workforce Council
• Estyn
• ITE Partnerships
• The Teacher Education Accreditation Board
• Welsh Government
• Welsh Local Government Association

This group will work with Alma Economics throughout the research process to ensure it delivers valuable insights for the sector.

Get involved

If your school is involved in ITE, you may be approached to participate in this research. Even schools not currently involved in ITE will be invited to share their perspectives on Wales’ teacher training system.

We’ll provide regular updates on this research through Dysg.

The final report is expected in Summer 2026.

Supporting Wales’ education future

High-quality Initial Teacher Education is fundamental to ensuring excellent education for all children and young people in Wales. This research will help us understand how our policies can better support the recruitment, development and ongoing support of student teachers as they begin their professional journey.