Thematic Report Archives - Estyn

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


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Executive summary

This report focuses on improvement areas identified in Estyn’s initial monitoring visit report (Estyn, 2023) and in the Welsh Government’s formative evaluation of Jobs Growth Wales+ (Welsh Government, 2024). We evaluated:

  • the referral processes and participants’ experiences during this phase
  • how well curriculum delivery meets the diverse needs of participants and prepares them for progressing into further learning or employment

To gather evidence for this report, we visited all five lead contractors, including 21 sub-contractor partners, across a total of 49 Jobs Growth Wales+ (JGW+) delivery centres across Wales. We observed sessions; spoke with participants; undertook desk research to review referral processes; analysed key performance information across the contract and met employers and other stakeholders.

Since the initial monitoring visits, the referral process has been strengthened considerably through effective collaboration between lead contractors, Working Wales and the Welsh Government. Revised referral documentation has enhanced the capture of necessary detail around participants’ individual needs and helped place participants more accurately on the best strand of support. The process for sharing information about participants with additional learning needs (ALN) however has become less efficient, as the Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021 (Welsh Government, 2021) prevents Working Wales from sharing Individual Development Plans (IDPs) directly with contractors on referral into the programme.

The growing use of direct referrals has allowed providers to identify demand for the programme and to start participants more quickly. However, rising demand for places and participants remaining on programmes for longer have led to waiting lists in some regions, creating delays in participant start dates and increasing the risk of disengagement.

The majority of participants on the JGW+ programme were on the engagement strand, with many presenting significant barriers to progressing further such as mental health concerns and confidence issues. Providers offered strong well-being support, including sessions focused on anxiety management, healthy lifestyles, and personal development. Most providers employed support services such as resilience coaches and counsellors which participants valued and regularly accessed.

Providers generally encouraged participant progression through the programme strands and into employment or further education and training, with identified progression pathways and expected timelines. However, a few participants on the engagement strand were not making the progress they were capable of due to a reluctance to progress on to work placement opportunities, preferring to remain in-centre where they felt more secure around their friends, tutors and coaches.

On the advancement strand, the availability of sector-specific provision was too variable across different parts of Wales.  In some areas, participants had a wide range of choice of provision in sectors such as construction, care and retail, however in other areas, programmes were focussed on general employability qualifications. As a result, not all young people can access provision that is tailored to their individual preference. In a few cases, there was a lack of distinction between delivery on engagement and advancement which left a few participants unclear about their progression opportunities. Many participants on the advancement strand quickly accessed work placement opportunities, however, a few had to wait for placements due to challenges providers faced with accessing sufficient work placement opportunities across vocational areas. 

The employment strand continued to be underused with providers reporting overly bureaucratic funding requirements and being able to source alternative employment opportunities for those ready to progress into work. As a result, most providers prioritise their resource allocation into satisfying demand for other programme strands.

Most participants expressed positive experiences of the programme, appreciating the supportive learning environments and personalised attention from staff. They reported high levels of pastoral support and valued the range of enrichment activities providers offer which they say helps to build their confidence, social and team working skills.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


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Executive summary

This thematic report examines the teaching and learning of international languages in primary, secondary and all-age schools in Wales. It evaluates the progress made in implementing international languages within the Curriculum for Wales. It considers the quality of teaching and its impact on learning, and how leaders influence provision for international languages in their schools. The review also considers how schools promote language learning, pupils’ attitudes toward international languages, and the challenges that persist in encouraging pupils to study international languages at The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and beyond.

The report highlights examples of how primary schools have successfully developed international languages in the curriculum. There are examples of good quality teaching and learning in the primary, secondary and all-age schools we visited. However, in general, curriculum design and the quality of teaching remains inconsistent. As a result, the experiences and opportunities available to pupils in international languages are too variable. Transition arrangements between the primary and secondary phases are often weak and uptake at GCSE and A Level is low. Taking these issues into account, the future of international language education in Wales remains challenging.

This report evaluates four key areas:

  • International languages in the primary phase: Since international languages became integrated into the Curriculum for Wales in the primary phase in September 2022, many of the primary and all-age schools we visited had made positive strides in embedding international language learning. Most of the schools focused appropriately on developing pupils’ listening and speaking skills and broadening pupils’ cultural understanding. However, overall, curriculum development remains inconsistent. A few schools struggled due to a lack of staff confidence, their perceptions of limited curriculum time and insufficient professional learning opportunities. In the most effective schools, language learning was embedded across the curriculum. In these schools, pupils were exposed to languages from an early age, fostering a multilingual ethos.
  • International languages in the secondary phase: While most secondary schools in our sample provided suitable opportunities for international language learning in Years 7-9, uptake at Key Stage 4 and post-16 remains low. Curriculum time constraints, the perception that languages are difficult and the pressures of the options process contributed to the decline. Where language provision was strong, teachers used authentic and creative resources, useful technology, and highly engaging teaching strategies to progress pupils’ knowledge and skills. However, in some cases, over-reliance on teacher support prevented pupils from developing as independent learners of languages. Schools with effective teaching and a rich curriculum had stronger pupil engagement, particularly at GCSE and GCE Advanced Levels (A levels).
  • Pupil attitudes and engagement: Many pupils in the schools we visited enjoyed learning international languages and recognised the benefits for travel, communication, and employment. However, as they progressed through school, their enthusiasm often declined due to a lack of perceived relevance of language learning and confidence in their ability to succeed. Some pupils believed that learning Welsh was sufficient, while others saw languages learning as challenging compared to other curriculum subjects. Parents and carers who responded to our survey generally valued language learning, but our survey identified a need for improved communication with parents and carers about its long-term benefits.
  • Leadership and support for international languages: It was clear from our evidence that strong leadership plays a crucial role in sustaining international language provision. In schools where leaders prioritised language learning, pupils had better access to high-quality teaching, clear progression routes, and enrichment opportunities. However, in many schools, senior leaders did not consider international languages as a strategic priority, often resulting in inconsistent or weaker provision. Collaboration between primary and secondary schools was often poor, affecting how well pupils made progress from the primary into the secondary phase. Those schools who engaged with school improvement services and external organisations told us that they valued their support, but access to professional learning and resources varied widely across Wales. Teacher recruitment for international languages remains a significant challenge, with declining numbers of student teachers entering the profession
  • The role of wider system support: While programmes, such as Global Futures, and support from local and regional school improvement services have influenced language provision positively, school leaders were concerned about long-term sustainability. Further education colleges offer limited international language pathways, and language provision within vocational programmes is too variable. Initial teacher education providers face recruitment difficulties, with low numbers of international language student teachers.

This report makes recommendations for schools, local authorities and school improvement services, and the Welsh Government. These recommendations focus primarily on improving teaching and learning, developing stronger curriculum arrangements at transition points to ensure progress and continuity in pupils’ learning, and supporting schools to maintain and improve provision for GCSE and A level international languages courses.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


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Executive Summary

This thematic report focuses on the quality of teaching, learning, and leadership in mathematics in schools across Wales. It outlines effective practice and areas for improvement in teaching, curriculum, leadership, and assessment. Whilst the report identifies aspects of effective practice, it is important to note that, overall, successful mathematics teaching and leadership combines many of the aspects of effective practice identified in this report.

We visited a cross-section of secondary, primary and all-age schools in autumn 2024. In each school, we visited mathematics lessons, spoke with senior leaders, leaders and teachers of mathematics and pupils, and scrutinised a range of documentation. We also drew on evidence from school inspections undertaken over the last three years and the results of two school surveys developed for this report. We surveyed a sample of local authorities and school improvement partners and met with a smaller sample of these to discuss some of the aspects in greater detail. The findings in the report are based on a combination of inspection evidence since February 2022, and the evidence gained on the thematic visits.

Whilst we observed aspects of effective teaching and leadership of mathematics, overall, we found that the quality of teaching of mathematics was too variable and pupils’ standards in mathematics were too low. We believe the variability in the quality of teaching of mathematics is partly linked to a reduction in subject-specific support across Wales. Our findings revealed that there is too little focus on the importance of teachers’ subject knowledge and subject pedagogy and, as a result, too often teachers have a limited understanding of the best ways to support pupils’ learning.

The report emphasises the importance of effective teaching methods, high-quality questioning, a supportive learning environment, professional learning, and parental involvement in enhancing mathematics education. These elements collectively contribute to improving pupil engagement, understanding, and outcomes in mathematics.

Where teaching was most effective and pupils made good progress, teachers:

  • had high expectations of what pupils could achieve and challenged all pupils well
  • made effective use of a range of teaching and assessment techniques and used their findings from assessments to guide their teaching, adjusting the pace and level of challenge responsively
  • ensured that pupils understood what they were learning rather than just following instructions to get the correct answer
  • questioned pupils effectively to deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts
  • skilfully exposed and addressed pupils’ misconceptions
  • ensured that pupils were constantly thinking and that the level of challenge was appropriate, stretching pupils without overwhelming them
  • helped pupils to make relevant connections to other areas of mathematics and, where appropriate, to everyday life

Where teaching was less effective and pupils did not make enough progress, teachers:

  • did not focus closely enough on what they wanted pupils to learn but instead planned tasks and activities that kept pupils busy
  • did not plan well enough to teach the understanding of mathematical concepts and identify and address misconceptions; they often taught procedural shortcuts rather than helping pupils understand mathematical concepts and make connections between topics
  • did not practice responsive teaching within mathematics classrooms, often due to a lack of confidence in their subject knowledge or pedagogy
  • did not question pupils well enough to encourage them to deepen their thinking or improve their understanding of aspects of mathematics
  • did not use questioning well enough to address pupils’ misconceptions, often because they did not have the subject knowledge to explore aspects around and within topics effectively
  • limited the opportunities for pupils to develop independent learning skills due to over-directed teaching, lack of challenge, or ineffective questioning
  • did not challenge pupils, particularly the most able and pupils at transition points well enough

We recognise the importance of designing a mathematics curriculum that is comprehensive and coherent. In schools that designed a successful mathematics curriculum they had a number of strong features, such as:

  • they were structured to build on pupils’ learning
  • appropriate time allocated for pupils to acquire mathematical knowledge, understanding, and skills
  • the provision of opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge in authentic contexts and develop their mathematical independence
  • high-quality teaching that involved a balance of explicit teaching and time for pupils to explore concepts, collaborate with others, and develop their mathematical independence
  • teachers collaborated in their topic planning and framed what effective progression looked like across the topic area, including identifying and addressing misconceptions; where pupils made the most progress, teachers anticipated what came later and taught the pupils accordingly

In general, there were common factors that limited the effectiveness of curriculum planning. These included:

  • a lack of understanding of Curriculum for Wales requirements and guidance; furthermore, teachers and leaders often did not know who to approach to clarify and support curriculum-related questions, and this added unhelpfully to teachers’ confusion and cognitive overload
  • an inconsistent understanding of the effective use of the mathematical proficiencies
  • a lack of clarity in national guidance to support teachers and leaders in understanding the minimum expectations of pupils’ understanding and progress in mathematics; often, this meant that teachers and leaders did not have high enough expectations of how pupils should progress in their mathematical understanding
  • limited support to improve the quality of mathematics teaching, which was focused enough on pedagogy or how teachers should use their subject knowledge effectively to help pupils learn
  • support and professional learning for teachers of mathematics that was too generic, not effective, or wide-ranging enough and many teachers were unaware of the professional learning opportunities available to them externally
  • too many teachers who relied heavily on bought-in schemes of work, using them without considering pupils’ needs well enough or without considering how to adapt and use a selection of resources to achieve the best learning outcomes

We make a number of recommendations to support the Welsh Government, local authorities and leaders and staff within schools to strengthen mathematics teaching across Wales.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


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Executive Summary

This report is an updated version of our previous thematic report published in January 2024 focusing on attendance in secondary schools. These updated findings are based on inspection evidence and engagement with the schools who had cameos in the previous report, as well as an additional five schools that have seen improvements in attendance over the past twelve months. It also includes analysis of the recently published national attendance data. Updates to this report will be in blue text to make it easy for readers to identify changes.

In the best cases, schools have maintained a strong focus on improving pupils’ attendance and have identified attendance as an important whole-school priority. In the updated cameos, we have identified a few new approaches schools have implemented that have had a positive impact on improving attendance.

Schools continue to have concerns about the challenges for those pupils who live within the three-mile radius of school and therefore do not get access to free school transport. Most leaders we talked to said that this remains a very important barrier to improving attendance. They also noted that this often impacts disproportionately on those pupils who are eligible for free school meals. An additional challenge identified by school leaders is Year 11 exams. Given that examinations take place early in May, it is challenging for schools to maintain Year 11 pupils’ attendance, when pupils are keen to stay at home to revise. All of the schools we talked to indicated that they see a notable decline in Year 11 attendance during this period, especially where schools have worked hard during the year to improve the attendance of this year group in particular.

Whilst local authorities have continued to prioritise improving attendance, in a minority of instances, this work has not had a sufficient impact. The support and challenge for improving attendance remains too variable across Wales. A few school leaders also noted a challenge where some local authorities will not issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and this is restricting their ability to challenge families to improve pupils’ attendance.

When we published this report in January 2024, we identified that the data Welsh Government publishes around attendance does not provide sufficient detail for schools to make important comparisons, for example between groups of pupils and year groups. The absence of a more detailed analysis continues to limit schools’ ability to fully evaluate the impact of their work, make comparisons and to identify important weaknesses in performance.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


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Executive Summary

This report explores approaches to promoting positive behaviour in secondary schools in Wales. It highlights the challenges that secondary schools face and includes spotlights of effective practice. The report draws on information from visits to 24 secondary and all-age schools, discussions with officers from 10 local authorities and findings from national surveys for headteachers, staff and pupils.

Positive behaviour underpins effective teaching and learning and supports academic progress. However, during inspection, school leaders and staff have reported a decline in the behaviour of a few of their pupils since the time of the pandemic. In addition, there has been a national increase in fixed-term and permanent exclusions. However, as there is currently no national system to collect data on incidences of poor behaviour in schools, understanding the full extent of the problem remains difficult.

The evidence we gathered for this thematic review suggests that there are many reasons why pupils may display challenging behaviour. These include family instability, socio-economic pressures, mental health problems and additional learning needs. Common behaviour issues identified by schools involve persistent low-level disruption, acts of defiance and, to a lesser extent, physical confrontations. External factors such as the influence of social media and community-related issues such as anti-social behaviour have led to more complicated behaviours seen in schools. Responses to our national surveys across staff and pupils [pages 33 to 58] revealed concerns about low level disruption in lessons, poor behaviour in corridors, mobile phone misuse, and increased anxiety among pupils. Leaders also highlighted difficulties in securing timely specialist support.

Schools that have difficultly managing pupils’ poor behaviour generally have inconsistent approaches or lack clear policies and processes. Budget constraints and insufficient external support may also be key factors. The most successful schools have high expectations of their pupils and staff. In these schools, leadership of well-being is strong and supported by effective behaviour policies. There is normally a consistency in behaviour management practice and regular professional learning for teachers. Effective schools may also implement trauma-informed approaches to support pupils’ emotional needs and carry out regular restorative practices. Engagement with parents and strong community partnerships are also key to sustaining a positive behaviour culture. These help foster a sense of belonging for pupils.

We surveyed pupils, staff, and headteachers. Findings from these surveys reveal differing perceptions of what constitutes poor behaviour and what support is needed. While most pupils describe behaviour in a positive manner, staff and headteachers express concerns about rising disruption and the limited support available. Pupils emphasise the need for mutual respect, calling for fair treatment and consistent approaches to discipline. Teachers highlight common issues such as defiance, verbal abuse, and corridor misbehaviour. Headteachers stress the need for clearer national policies, increased funding, and more specialist provisions. In the round, the survey responses highlight the importance of consistent policy enforcement, supportive relationships, and effective external support.

The report recommends that schools strengthen their behaviour management systems by involving all stakeholders, including feeder schools, parents and carers, governors and local authorities, in developing clear, consistent policy and processes. In addition, staff should receive specific training on managing disruptive behaviour, especially those of vulnerable learners. Local authority services should provide timely support, share relative information about pupils’ needs and experiences efficiently if pupils move within or beyond the local authority, and adopt a consistent approach to family engagement. The Welsh Government is urged to update national behaviour management guidelines and launch a national campaign on positive behaviour. Initial teacher education and induction programmes should also include a comprehensive behaviour management programme.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


Two learners sat working at a round table of a college in Wales
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Executive summary

This report examines learner behaviour within further education (FE) colleges across Wales. It focuses on the factors that influence positive and negative behaviours, as well as the variations in behaviour across different learner groups and learning programmes. The report considers how colleges promote positive behaviours and manage negative behaviours, alongside the support and guidance available to both learners and staff. It highlights ongoing challenges such as the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rise in social media misuse and vaping. We consider the environmental factors and institutional practices that influence these behaviours. Our findings are based on visits to seven colleges, national surveys of staff and learners, and consultations with key stakeholders, including union representatives. The report includes several spotlights of effective or interesting practice based on our visits.

During our visits, and from the surveys, we identified several recurring patterns and challenges within FE colleges. Many learners demonstrate positive behaviours, including respectful interactions with staff and peers, active engagement in lessons, and a commitment to maintaining clean and orderly campuses. These outcomes are supported by an environment that fosters independence and adopts an adult-oriented teaching approach, which plays a crucial role in shaping such constructive behaviour. However, negative behaviours are also prevalent. Lateness, absenteeism, inappropriate use of social media, and vaping are commonly reported issues. More concerning behaviours, although less frequent, include incidents of sexual harassment, substance misuse, and peer violence. Staff note that serious incidents often arise from external pressures or unresolved personal challenges affecting learners.

The lasting effects of the pandemic continue to shape learner behaviour. Many young people exhibit developmental delays, particularly in social skills and resilience. Although the immediate impacts of the pandemic have lessened in the past year, the residual challenges are evident in learners’ engagement and their capacity to cope with academic pressures.

Behavioural patterns vary across different learner demographics and college programmes. Younger learners, including those on 14-16 programmes as well as recent school-leavers, and those enrolled in lower-level courses often exhibit more frequent behavioural disruptions. Neurodivergent learners face unique challenges, such as difficulties with emotional regulation and peer interactions. Learners from marginalised groups, including LGBTQ+ students, are disproportionately vulnerable to bullying and harassment, as their identities are sometimes negatively perceived by peers. Male learners, particularly those on vocational trade courses like construction, are more likely to display negative behaviours. These include the use of inappropriate language towards female learners, often driven by an effort to fit in or assert dominance in predominantly male environments.

Colleges generally provide professional learning opportunities in behaviour management and trauma-informed practices, offering staff strategies to support learners with behavioural challenges. However, some staff report feeling overwhelmed when dealing with these issues on a regular basis, which can affect their ability to manage behaviour effectively.

Colleges are at varying stages in embedding behaviour management practices. Some institutions have established effective systems with clear frameworks to promote positive behaviour and address challenges, while others are in the early stages of development and face issues with consistency and resource allocation. The stability and sustainability of behaviour management practices are further complicated by funding challenges. Colleges often rely on short-term funding streams, which hinder their ability to implement long-term support structures or retain skilled staff. This financial uncertainty undermines efforts to establish a consistent and sustained approach to managing learner behaviour, with implications for both the effectiveness of interventions and staff well-being.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


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Executive summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s training schemes to develop the Welsh language skills and bilingual pedagogy of practitioners in the further education and apprenticeships sector. These schemes are part of Coleg’s Gwreiddio Scheme and align with its vision of enabling all members of staff to develop their Welsh language skills and bilingual pedagogy, with the aim of increasing the number of students and apprentices who choose to study either partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh.

The Gwreiddio Scheme supports the objectives of the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers Welsh language strategy in the post-compulsory education sector.

In the report, we have focused on three types of provision:

  • E-learning sessions
  • Sgiliaith provision
  • The Work Welsh in Further Education scheme

On the whole, the schemes have a positive effect on the practitioners who take advantage of them. The number of practitioners who speak Welsh and are registered according to their ability to work through the medium of Welsh has increased in the further education and work-based learning sectors since 2020. However, there is no specific data that directly links this to the training.

The number of learning activities that include ‘a small amount of Welsh-medium learning’ has increased substantially during the past five years. However, learning activities in categories such as ‘a large proportion of Welsh-medium, bilingual and Welsh-only learning’ have not increased during the same period. This reflects the pattern of the training schemes that are more effective in terms of targeting staff with low level language skills and who are at the start of their journey along the language continuum.

In general, the figures align with the findings of this report, namely that there is very little effect on developing practitioners’ language skills beyond the initial levels. This limits opportunities for students and apprentices to use the Welsh language consistently in their learning.

We saw examples of good practice across the three types of provision. The impact of the work was at its best when:

  • Leaders at all levels are clear about the strategic importance of increasing the use of the Welsh language.
  • Training is targeted at staff who already have strong language skills.
  • Colleges provide appropriate time for staff to complete training as part of their 24 learning hours
  • Leaders recognise the Welsh language as a skill and, as a result, provide financial remuneration for practitioners who have advanced bilingual pedagogy skills
  • Staff’s efforts to develop their teaching practices as they move up the language pyramid or curriculum are recognised professionally.
  • There are clear guidelines for staff on how to increase their use of the Welsh language.
  • The provider’s own observation and quality assurance procedures are robust and focus on the Welsh language and bilingual pedagogy.
  • Provision and training are adapted in line with staff’s needs.

There are strong and supportive relationships between Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and individual colleges and providers. However, the Coleg does not have sufficiently robust procedures in place to ensure that arrangements for forward planning, quality assurance and monitoring the effect of training are consistent across individual providers and nationally.

As a result, we have included four recommendations for Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol:

  • Provide more challenge and guidance to colleges and apprenticeship providers when evaluating the effect of training on the workforce with purposeful forward planning to move teaching practices and the offer for students and apprentices up the language pyramid (from B3 to B2 and up). In general, although many institutions feel that they work well with Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, only a majority feel that they are accountable to the Coleg in terms of outputs. Many would welcome further scrutiny of their work as they plan and measure the effect of training on the linguistic ability and bilingual pedagogy of their staff. Overall, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol does not scrutinise targets and evidence in sufficient detail and there is not an appropriate culture of challenging and questioning the decisions of colleges and providers.
  • Work with relevant partners to extend the Sgiliaith offer to Welsh speakers by creating intensive bilingual pedagogy training which leads to a recognised professional qualification. Sgiliaith provision is effective in upskilling staff to teach increasingly bilingually. The type of provision available to Welsh-speaking practitioners, such as the current bilingual pedagogy course, needs to be extended to create an intensive course that leads to a recognised professional qualification. By doing this, there would be more confident linguistic practitioners available who would be able to offer increasingly bilingual or Welsh-medium provision.
  • Work strategically with colleges, apprenticeship providers and other relevant partners to mainstream innovative initiatives to recognise the value of the Welsh language as an additional skill that is recognised both practically and financially. In the report, we draw attention to innovative initiatives, such as the ‘Bilingual Educators’ Methodology’ scheme at Coleg Cambria. Coleg Cambria emphasises the strategic importance of the Welsh language strongly by offering financial incentives to practitioners, in addition to non-contact time from their teaching timetables during the training, for increasing the use of the Welsh language in their sessions. This is a notable example of linguistic planning through workforce planning.
  • Work with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to ensure that the offer for learners, standards of teaching and learning, quality assurance procedures and professional development for tutors are consistent with the Learn Welsh sector. The number of staff following Work Welsh courses has increased over the years and, in many lessons, they make sound progress. However, pedagogy in a few cases does not apply the successful approaches of the Learn Welsh sector which, in turn, has an effect on learners’ standards. There are also inconsistencies across colleges in terms of contact hours for learners on courses, quality assurance procedures and professional learning opportunities for tutors.

We have included two recommendations for further education colleges and apprenticeship providers:

  • Work with Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to ensure consistency in the way in which practitioners are allowed to attend training and language lessons with the aim of ensuring that they have non-contact time in their teaching timetables to undertake them without adding to their workload. The main barrier for staff who wish to attend training is the lack of time or time pressures. This is particularly true for courses on the Work Welsh programme. Line managers are not always willing to release staff. In most cases, staff also have to attend courses on top of their teaching hours or other normal duties, which affects their ability to join and complete courses.
  • Continue to refine their professional development offer for practitioners to increase their Welsh language skills and bilingual pedagogy with the strategic aim of moving staff and students/apprentices along the language continuum purposefully. With the exception of a very few institutions, colleges and apprenticeship providers need to extend the good work they have undertaken in terms of increasing the use of ‘a small amount of Welsh-medium learning’ in learning activities to aim for higher levels of the language pyramid or continuum to realise the aims of policies such as Cymraeg 2050.

We have included one recommendation for the Welsh Government and Medr, namely:

  • Work with the further education and apprenticeships sectors to ensure consistency in the use of language provision categories and to consider the need to make changes to the categories to facilitate this. There is still a lack of consistency in the way in which colleges and providers record the linguistic categories of their provision. Many practitioners are also of the professional opinion that the definitions of these categories need to be revisited to facilitate the journey of practitioners, in addition to students and apprentices, up the pyramid or along the language continuum.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


A person with a hearing aid is having a conversation with a young child seated across the table, in a room with warm lighting.
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Executive summary

This report considers how well the funded non-maintained settings, maintained primary, secondary and all-age schools that participated in the review are implementing and embedding aspects of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (ALNET) and the accompanying Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Code. It also considers how well local authorities have supported schools. This report builds on our findings from the first thematic review The new additional learning needs system (Estyn, 2023) and identifies effective practice to support inclusive education which includes developing strategies to support pupils with ALN, enhancing Welsh-medium support and strengthening professional learning, quality assurance and the roles of the Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ALNCo) and Early Years Additional Learning Needs Officer (EYALNLO) .   

Our findings are based on engagement with a sample of eight funded non-maintained settings,11 primary schools, seven secondary schools and two all-age schools. Of these, nine were conducted through the medium of Welsh. Eight of the schools, including one Welsh-medium school, host local authority specialist class provision for pupils with ALN. We also drew on evidence from our ongoing inspection activity and from discussions between our local authority link inspectors and local authority officers. Further, the report draws on evidence from discussion with a focus group of Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officers (EY ALNLOs). We also canvassed the views of parents and carers in relation to their experiences. 

Implementing and embedding ALN reform has been a significant undertaking for local authorities, schools and settings. During our visits and in our meetings with stakeholders, the inspection team consistently noted the strong commitment and resilience demonstrated by staff in local authorities, schools and settings. Staff were working diligently to support children and young people with ALN within the context of ongoing challenges. These included the lasting impact of the pandemic on well-being, challenges with attendance, the reported but unverified increase in children and young people with complex needs as well as budgetary and workforce pressures. Overall, the requirements of ALN reform were starting to ensure improvements in provision for pupils with ALN across the country. As a result, where ALN reform had been implemented successfully, many pupils made suitable progress from their initial starting points. However, the implementation of ALN reform was not consistent and, as a result, pupils’ additional learning needs were not always supported well enough. Further, the majority of schools and local authorities in the sample had begun to strengthen the quality assurance of ALN processes and provision. Many leaders expressed concerns about their ability to continue to deliver the necessary ALN services, once additional funding comes to an end.   

Our findings show that leaders and staff at many schools and settings had started to develop inclusive culture and practice. These schools and settings focused well on the learning and well-being of all pupils. However, in a minority of cases, inclusive vision and purposeful teaching and learning aimed at meeting the needs of all pupils were not effective enough. Based on our discussions with school leaders, as part of this review, local authority guidance for improving the quality of inclusive teaching and learning was variable across Wales. Even in the most effective cases, schools acknowledged that this support and guidance was at an early stage of development. 

Overall, the number of pupils identified with ALN or special educational needs (SEN) on schools’ registers had continued to reduce. However, the number of pupils whose additional learning provision (ALP) / special educational provision (SEP) was identified in a statutory plan, either through an individual development plan (IDP) or a statement of SEN, had continued to increase. In addition, there was a significant increase in the number of individual development plans (IDPs) that were maintained by schools. Across local authorities, inconsistencies remained in the interpretation of the ALN Code and in the subsequent approaches to school maintained and local authority maintained IDPs.  

Overall, participating schools and settings had a secure understanding of the provision that they make for pupils with ALN. However, it remained the case that the extent to which the provision is classed as ALP was unclear. Most schools and local authorities agreed that it would be beneficial for ALP to be clarified at a national level. 

Most schools that participated in this review recognised the enhanced and specialist role of the ALNCo under the Act and welcomed the increased accountability and strategic responsibility of the role. Where the role of the ALNCo was most effective, they were part of the senior leadership team, and they made a significant contribution to the provision for and outcomes of pupils with ALN. However, in a minority of schools, ALNCos were not fully involved in influencing the strategic direction and decision-making of the school.  

This is the first time that we have reviewed the progress of funded non-maintained settings and the role of the Early Years Additional Learning Needs Officer (EYALNLO) in relation to ALN reform. Many of the funded non-maintained settings that we visited as part of this review provided effective learning experiences for children with ALN. Overall, they planned carefully to tailor learning experiences to meet the individual requirements of each child including those with ALN. Further, the role of the EY ALNLO was well established across Wales. Overall, these officers worked effectively to support parents and early years settings to ensure beneficial and timely support for younger children with emerging or identified ALN.  

The extent to which local authorities, schools and settings planned and provided equitable support for Welsh-medium ALN provision remained underdeveloped. This has been recognised by the Welsh Government and local authorities, but significant challenges remained in relation to Welsh-medium recruitment and retention as well as the provision of Welsh-medium standardised assessments and resources.  

Our report identifies a range of effective practice, including in areas that remained challenging such as Welsh-medium delivery. We also make some recommendations. 

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Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


A child in a red jumper is climbing a wooden climbing wall in a backyard.

Executive Summary

This report considers how effective the support and provision provided by early years education providers is at addressing the adverse effects of poverty and disadvantage on early years children.

It focuses on how well local authorities and school improvement services support these providers in early years pedagogical approaches and how best to support children adversely impacted by poverty and disadvantage. It also considers how well funded non-maintained settings and schools use their Early Years Pupil Development Grant (EYPDG)1 funding on sustainable interventions to improve the attainment of children adversely affected by poverty and disadvantage. Finally, the report considers how well the provision for play and learning in settings and schools supports children in their development and the transition between settings and schools. It is based on engagement with a sample of 31 non-maintained settings, nursery, primary and all-age schools. We also considered evidence from 15 local authorities.

We found that there is a variation in how early education is accessed across Wales, depending on how local authorities provide nursery education. This variation results in an inequitable provision across Wales. In practice, this means that parents often have little to no choice of where they can access nursery provision for their child.

There was a variation in the accessibility of early years professional learning for the sector, with non-maintained leaders more likely to have accessed high quality early years professional learning from their local authorities and umbrella organisations than practitioners in schools. However, many school leaders reported that there was limited professional learning to support effective early years pedagogy offered by local authorities and school improvement services.

During our visits, leaders from non-maintained settings and schools reported on how many families were experiencing the negative impact of poverty and disadvantage at a level far worse than previously seen. As a result, a large proportion of their time and resources was spent trying to address these needs. In nearly all cases, settings and schools took time to get to know the children and their families well. They spent time forging supportive and trusting relationships. Although leaders had not received specific training or information from local authorities on how to best meet the social,
emotional and developmental needs of early years children adversely impacted by poverty and disadvantage, they knew and understood the importance of supporting families and the difference this was making to their lives. This often took the form of practical support such as collaborating with the third sector to provide food items, toys, uniform and practical support with issues such as housing.

The EYPDG provides funding to schools and settings to support children aged three to four years with their communication, well-being and physical development needs. Our review found that, due to the complexities of funding formulas and difficulty of gathering data on this age group, there was an inequity of funding across the non-maintained sectors in Wales. This resulted in local authorities who do not fund early education in the non-maintained sector receiving funding and local authorities with high levels of deprivation receiving limited funding.

Most non-maintained settings receiving delegated EYPDG funding made good use of this money to purchase resources that helped to develop children’s communication and well-being needs, such as outdoor equipment and speech and language resources. They attended beneficial training that supported them in their roles, particularly in supporting children’s communication skills. In addition, they enriched children’s experiences through a range of visits as well as inviting visitors to the setting. However, in those local authorities where the grant money was held centrally, they did not always target training well enough on tackling disadvantage or target the most disadvantaged settings well enough.

In most schools, leaders often used this funding to sustain existing provision. For example, they employed additional adults to provide a suitable adult/pupil ratio in early years classes. In a few examples, these practitioners delivered speech and language and emotional health and well-being interventions. In a minority of schools, leaders were unable to disaggregate their EYPDG funding from their wider PDG funding and therefore could not allocate their funding in a targeted way well enough.

Many leaders provide children and their families with beneficial opportunities to get to know practitioners and the setting or school prior to starting. This includes when children transition from home to a setting or school or between a setting and school.

Improvement Resource Type: Thematic Report


During the spring and summer term 2024 an Estyn inspector with experience in supporting learners with additional learning needs (ALN) joined link inspector visits to all further education (FE) colleges across Wales. During each visit, they met with key staff to discuss ALN reform1 and how implementation was progressing in each college. The findings of these visits informed this report.

The ALN Act and wider ALN Transformation Programme aims to transform the separate systems for special educational needs (SEN) in schools or pupil referral units (PRUs) and learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) in further education to create a unified system for supporting learners from 0 to 25 with ALN.

Overall, colleges reported that they are at varying stages in implementation of the ALN act. Further, each college was supporting different cohorts with a varying range of additional learning needs. For example, most colleges supported learners with more complex additional learning needs on independent living skills courses and a minority had an established strong relationship with an independent specialist college to enhance provision in partnership.

Nearly all the colleges we visited reported an increase in learners with ALN as well as mental health and anxiety-based difficulties since the pandemic. In addition, a few colleges reported an increase in learners joining who were previously home-educated and so there is limited information available about any additional learning needs.

Many of these colleges ran multiple types of provision which were impacted by the ALN reforms where learners are on the roll of the college. These included Jobs Growth Wales+, youth employability programmes and junior apprenticeships2. In a few instances, provision for more complex learners, typically registered as independent specialist colleges, was initially delivered through a mainstream college before the subsidiary institution registers with the Welsh Government.

These arrangements were further complicated by the geography of Wales. Nearly all colleges needed to build relationships and develop information sharing with more than one local authority. A very few also developed information sharing arrangements with English local authorities. Colleges also reported variability in their relationships with local secondary schools based on whether they were the main provider of tertiary education in that area.

We completed our first thematic report of ALN reforms in September 2023, which focused on implementation of the ALNET Act in schools and local authorities. While the focus of the review did not include post-16 settings, we did leave one recommendation for local authorities in relation to post-16: to develop and publish their strategy for post-16 learners with ALN.

Within the 2023 ALN thematic report, we found that local authority strategies for post-16 ALN provision are at a very early stage of development. Those local authorities that had appointed dedicated post-16 officers reported that they were developing stronger strategic partnerships with further education providers. The knowledge that local authorities had of independent specialist colleges was less secure, and consequently their engagement with them was more limited. As a result, local authorities were not able to make informed decisions about the full range of additional learning provision across the post-16 sectors.