Implementation of education reforms

                                                                                                                                                                                                         Inquiry5

 

 

 

The Children, Young People and Education Committee monitored the implementation of two key education reforms as they were being rolled out throughout the Sixth Senedd.

 

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¬¬¬Report

 

Final Output – February 2026

On 11 February the Committee wrote (PDF 245KB) to the Cabinet Secretary with its final findings. The response will be published once received.

 

Interim Report – July 2024

In July following the third check-in the Committee decided to publish an interim report (PDF 1.6MB) on the findings to date.

 

On the 10 September 2024 the Committee received a response (PDF 160KB) to the interim report. There was a plenary debate on 16 October 2024.

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¬¬¬Background and Terms of reference

The Welsh Government is implementing two major education Acts passed in the last Senedd:

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>>>The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021

>>>The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018

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The new curriculum is a shift away from the heavily prescribed approach of the previous national curriculum. The Curriculum for Wales is intended to be purpose-led rather than content-based. Schools will have flexibility to design their own curricula, within a broad national framework.

 

The new curriculum is being introduced in primary schools in September 2022. By law it will be introduced in secondary schools no later than September 2023 for Year 7 and Year 8. However, secondary schools have the option to introduce it in Year 7 in September 2022 if they are ready to do so (nearly half of secondary schools will start teaching the new curriculum from September 2022). It will then be rolled out to an additional older year group, year by year, until it reaches Year 11 in 2026/27. Further information is available in this Senedd Research article.

 

The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) reforms affect around one in five pupils. The current Special Educational Needs (SEN) system was subject to review and proposed reform for over a decade until the 2018 Act. The current SEN system prescribed a three-tiered system. Under the 2018 Act, every learner with ALN will be given a statutory Individual Development Plan setting out their needs and what interventions they require.

The new arrangements are being phased in over a four year period from September 2021 to August 2025. Further information is available in this Senedd Research article.

 

Both the curriculum and ALN reforms are challenging, ambitious programmes for change for an education system that has faced the task of managing the pandemic for the past two years. The levels of funding available to schools and the scale of professional learning and training required by the workforce are issues that have consistently been identified as critical to successful implementation.

 

Terms of reference

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>>>Implementation of the Curriculum for Wales in early years settings, primary schools and secondary schools.

>>>The level of consistency and equity of learning opportunities for pupils across Wales, given the flexibility for schools to develop their own curricula within a national framework.

>>>The associated reform of qualifications to align with the Curriculum for Wales.

>>>Implementation of the new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system and the effective transfer of learners from the existing Special Educational Needs (SEN) system.

>>>The application of the definition of ALN, compared to presently for SEN, and whether there is any ‘raising of the bar’ on the ground for determining eligibility for provision.

>>>The professional learning and other support settings are receiving to ensure effective implementation of the Curriculum for Wales and the ALN system.

>>>Other factors potentially affecting implementation of the Curriculum for Wales and the ALN system, for example levels of funding and fall out from the pandemic.

>>>The particular challenges and opportunities facing different types of schools in varying circumstances (e.g. language medium, demographics and locality) in terms of implementing curriculum and ALN reform.

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¬¬¬Evidence gathering

The Committee carried out a series of short, focussed, thematic check-ins throughout the Sixth Senedd. Each check-in involved some engagement activities (e.g. visits to schools to talk to staff, pupils and parents) and scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary

 

The focus of each inquiry determined by a case-by-case basis. The focus of each check-in was shaped by:

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>>>the Welsh Government’s implementation plans and any other contextual information as highlighted by research staff and stakeholders;

>>>any learning from previous check-ins;

>>>any issues that have arisen from the open consultation; and

>>>any other concerns or areas of interest Members have at the time.

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Consultation

 

The Committee launched a consultation at the start of the inquiry; this closed on 17 October 2025. All responses received have been published. 

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¬¬¬ Fourth ‘check in’ – Autumn 2025

 

At the meeting on 25 June, the Committee agreed its approach to the final check-in. 

 

At the beginning of October Members visited a secondary school to discuss the implementation of these reforms.

 

The consultation closed on 17 October 2025, all responses are published on the consultation page consultation page.

 

The final evidence session took place on the 23 October 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Education attended committee to be scrutinised on the implementation of these reforms. Following the session the Cabinet Secretary agreed to provide some further information (PDF 163KB).

 

Correspondence

Following the scrutiny session of the Children’s Commissioners Annual report, we wrote (PDF 146KB) to the Cabinet Secretary regarding timelines for the forthcoming review into the ALN Act and Code. The Committee received (PDF 156KB) a response on 4 February 2025.

 

On 2nd October, the Committee visited a secondary school. Following the visit Members agreed to write to Qualifications Wales and the WJEC to raise issues they had heard regarding GCSE specifications:

 

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>>>Letter to Qualifications Wales regarding GCSE Geography  (PDF 78KB)

Response from Qualifications Wales  (PDF 229KB)

>>>Letter to the WJEC regarding GCSE Geography (PDF 79KB)

Response from WJEC (PDF 162KB)

>>>Letter to the WJEC regarding ‘Made for Wales’ Music GCSE(PDF 103KB)

Response from WJEC (PDF 161KB)

 

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On 19 November 2025, the Welsh Government developed an Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Toolkit for Parents. Members thought it would be useful to seek views from the original Online Advisory Group for the Committee’s report into disabled children’s access to education and childcare. The Citizen Engagement Team interviewed four members of the original advisory group. A summary of findings has been published (PDF 131KB).

 

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¬¬¬ Third ‘check in’ – April/May 2024

 

At the meeting on 14 December 2023, the Committee agreed its approach to its third check in. The Committee agreed to focus primarily on the implementation of the ALN reforms.

 

As part of the third check-in, the Committee took formal oral evidence from Estyn and the President of the Education Tribunal for Wales. The Committee subsequently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on 23 April 2024 (PDF158KB) to highlight some of the key concerns raised by the President.

 

The Committee received a total of 20 additional written consultation responses in the build up to this check-in.

 

The Committee visited 4 schools to speak directly to school leaders, staff, governors and pupils. A report summarising the findings of those visits has been published (PDF 400KB).

 

For this check-in, the Committee has drawn heavily on the evidence it gathered as part of its work looking at disabled access to education and childcare. On the 14 March 2024, the online advisory group for that inquiry meet to discuss these reforms. A note from the session is available (PDF 162KB). Data from family interviews that took place during the summer of 2023, were reanalysed, and any data that was relevant to this inquiry was extracted and published in a summary report (PDF174KB).

 

All the evidence gathered helped inform the session with the Cabinet Secretary which took place on the 8 May 2024. Following that session, the Committee agreed to publish an interim report, setting out conclusions and recommendations drawn from the three check-ins. To inform that report, the Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on 10 May 2024 (PDF 381KB) with some additional questions. The Cabinet Secretary responded on 18 June 2024 (PDF 222KB).

 

In July 2024 following the third check-in the Committee decided to publish an interim report (PDF 1.6MB) on the findings to date.

On the 10 September 2024 the Committee received a response (PDF 160KB) to the interim report. There will be a plenary debate on 16 October 2024.

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¬¬¬ Second ‘check in’ – April/May 2023

 

The Committee undertook a second check in at the start of the 2023 summer term. The focus of this check in was the rollout of the ALN reforms in secondary schools and the rollout of the new curriculum for secondary schools that adopted it for year 7 pupils for the 2022-2023 academic year.

 

The Committee visited schools and held a scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language. The Senedd’s Citizen Engagement Team undertook engagement work with school staff, a report summarising these sessions has been published (PDF 243KB).

Following the Ministerial scrutiny session the Committee wrote to the Welsh Government (PDF 241KB), the Welsh Local Government Association (PDF 158KB), and the Welsh NHS Confederation (PDF158KB). We have received a response from the Welsh Government (PDF 335KB) and Welsh NHS Confederation (PDF 282KB) and the Welsh Local Government Association (PDF 251KB).

 

Correspondence

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>>>Letter from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language to the Children’s Commissioner for Wales - 31 July 2023 (PDF 213KB)

>>>Letter from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language and the Deputy Minister for Social Services - 30 June 2023 (PDF 408KB)

>>>Letter from the Chief Executive of Qualifications Wales - 28 June 2023   (PDF 217KB)

>>>Letter from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language - 13 June 2023 (PDF 147KB)

>>>Letter from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language - 27 April 2023 (PDF 663KB)

>>>Letter from the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to Qualifications Wales – 23 March 2023 (PDF 140KB)

>>>Letter from the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to HE sectors across the UK - 22 March 2023 (PDF 158KB)

>>>Letter from the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to Universities Wales - 22 March 2023 (PDF 153KB)

>>>Letter from the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to National Training Federation Wales - 22 March 2023 (PDF 153KB)

>>>Letter from the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee to Colegau Cymru – 22 March 2023 (PDF 153KB)

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¬¬¬ First ‘check in’ – July/September 2022

 

The Committee undertook its first ‘check in’ during the summer, including visits to schools and a scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language. This culminated in a letter (PDF 168KB) to the Minister regarding the numbers of learners currently deemed as having Special Educational Needs (SEN) who are identified as having ALN and transferred to the new ALN system. The Welsh Government responded (PDF 180KB), confirming that the definition of ALN is now being more rigorously applied than previously with SEN.

 

This Senedd Research article summarises the correspondence and the issues raised.

 

Correspondence

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>>>Letter from the National Deaf Children's Society Cymru - September 2022 (PDF 260KB)

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