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An overview of the Welsh education system

The education system in Wales used to resemble the structure set up in England , with maintained schools (most state schools) following the National Curriculum. However, from September 2022 a new curriculum will be introduced that has been created in Wales by teachers, partners, practitioners and businesses. The age of a child on 1 September determines when they need to start primary school.

From September 2022 , phases and key stages will be replaced with one continuum of learning from ages 3 to 16 in each of the new areas of learning. The areas are:

1. Expressive arts

2. Humanities

3. Health and wellbeing

4. Science and technology

5. Mathematics and numeracy

6. Languages, literacy and communication

In addition, literacy, numeracy and digital skills will be embedded throughout all curriculum areas.

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What about teaching in Welsh?

The Welsh Government wants to make sure that children can be educated in Welsh if there’s a need or demand for it, so Welsh is taught as a part of the curriculum in all schools up to the age of 16 . Schools have the option to teach lessons entirely or mostly in Welsh – this includes English-medium schools (schools where children are taught in English).

‘Welsh-medium’ schools are schools where children are taught in Welsh. Children going to these schools also get a good grounding in English language skills, but schools are not required by law to teach English in Years 1 and 2.

Does the curriculum in Wales have a Welsh slant?

Take the subject of history, for example. Welsh schools are given discretion on exactly what to teach in history within the curriculum. Although they’re encouraged to focus on historical figures and events from their local area and around Wales in the first instance, they’re also free to include topics involving Britain as a while.

What tests do pupils in Wales take?

Statutory teacher assessments are usually administered at the end of Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, as in England, but students do not take Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests (Standard Attainment Tests, or SATs) .

However, Key Stage 2 assessments will not continue from September 2022 and Key Stage 3 assessments are to end when the new curriculum rollout has been completed (by 2024).

Since May 2013, all children in Wales from Y2 to Y9 have taken National Reading and Numeracy Tests as part to a new National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF). These will continue with the new curriculum in 2022.

Students take General Certificate of Secondary Education exams (GCSEs) during year 11, and have the choice to continue on to Years 12 and 13 to sit A-level exams.

Please note: the table below is best viewed on a desktop (not mobile) screen.

When is the new curriculum for Wales being introduced?

The new curriculum for Wales will be introduced in school classrooms from nursery to Year 7 in 2022, rolling into Year 8 in 2023, Year 9 in 2024, Year 10 in 2025 and Year 11 in 2026. All schools will have access the final curriculum from 2020, to allow them to move towards full roll-out in 2022.

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More like this

The biggest change to Wales' education since 1988: Here's what you need to know

Welsh language
Friday 12 March 2021 at 11:23am

Watch the video report by ITV Wales Political Editor Adrian Masters

The way children are taught will change radically as new curriculum marks the biggest change in education in Wales in over 30 years.

The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill made history when it reached its final stage in the Senedd before being passed into law.

Members of the Senedd voted to pass the bill meaning a new curriculum will now be introduced in September 2022.

It will replace the national curriculum which was introduced in 1988 and has been previously described as “prescriptive, narrow and outdated" by the Welsh Government.

Six new Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs) will be introduced as boundaries between traditional subjects are abandoned.

But it will focus on three core areas, literacy, numeracy and digital competence.

It comes as the Welsh Government announced on Thursday an additional £30 million to develop new Welsh-medium education.

The funding is part of the Welsh Government's commitment to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, by supporting all learners to become Welsh speakers by the time they leave school.

Next year the new curriculum will roll out first to children in primary school, in year 5 or bellow and will eventually be taught to all pupils up to the age of 16.

Teachers won't have to follow a strict plan and will be given more freedom to decide what is taught depending on how the pupils develop.

The Welsh government said the new curriculum, which has taken years of consultation and preparation to develop, has been shaped by the best ideas from around the world.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said the reason for a difference in the curriculum when compared with England is to "drive forward a national mission where we want excellence for all.

She said: "We want to drive up standards, reduce the attainment gap and ensure we've got an education system here in Wales that is a source of national pride."

The Six areas of learning included in the new curriculum are:

Expressive Arts

Health and Well-being

Languages, Literacy and Communication

Mathematics and Numeracy

Science and Technology

Welsh-medium education

The new curriculum for Wales aims to build upon progression for first time welsh language learners. Bilingual schools will also teach more of the curriculum through Welsh.

Ms Williams said: “Providing first-class schools for children in Welsh-medium education is a key driver for Cymraeg 2050. Attending a Welsh-medium school ensures children become at least bilingual.

“We also need to increase the number of learners in English-medium and bilingual schools who are learning Welsh successfully. I want to ensure more bilingual schools introduce a greater proportion of the new curriculum in Welsh, to give learners a strong linguistic foundation."

Welsh will be a mandatory subject along with:

Literacy, numeracy, and digital competence

Religion, values, and ethics

Relationships and sexuality education

What about GCSE's?

The Welsh Government said It is likely that GCSEs will still exist but they will need to adapt over time to reflect the changing curriculum.

It will improve advice and support for all pupils as they prepare for their future careers as consultation led by Qualification Wales is currently underway to decide what exams of the future look like for young people in Wales.

Professional teacher training is taking place and a number of schools have been trailing the new curriculum since 2015.

Ultimately, the aim of a school’s curriculum will be to support its learners to become:

ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives

enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work

ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world

healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

At Ysgol Y Ddraig Primary school in Llantwit major, the older pupils were optimistic about the prospect of learning subjects in a combined way.

One child said: ''It would be quite hard but it would be quite fun.''

A teacher from the primary school also remained positive and told ITV Wales that the curriculum change had come at a "really good time".

Nicole Cogbill, a teacher at Ysgol Y Ddraig, said: "We've taken time to take a step back and think about what we need and I think it's a positive change to be able to move forward now because we're in a good position."

Unions want to postpone the changes

Due to Covid disruption teaching unions say schools aren't ready for the major change.

NASUWT said giving schools more responsibility "if implemented, risk significant increases in workload and would be likely to distract teachers and school leaders from their core responsibilities for teaching and leading teaching and learning."

Neil Butler, Wales national officer for the NASUWT, told ITV Wales that the changes should be delayed by at least a year.

"This was going to be the year in terms of building up towards the new curriculum.

"Estyn had suspended their expectations, Estyn was going to offer support to schools in terms of working on the new curriculum. This was going to be that year," said Neil.

David Evans, Wales secretary of the National Education Union Cymru said: "Our members welcome the principles behind the curriculum.

"It is critical now that education professionals have the time and space to digest these new documents and plan how they can make the curriculum suitable for learners in their school.

"Critical too, is that the WG considers the impact on education professionals in terms of their wellbeing. We need to ensure there is a thorough impact assessment of workload related to the curriculum"

Welsh becomes fastest growing language in the UK after rise in learners during pandemic

Welsh education minister announces £72m funding ahead of wider school return

Major challenges for education in Wales

Luke Sibieta

Published on 21 March 2024

This report examines the major challenges for education in Wales, including low outcomes across a range of measures and high levels of inequality.

Education and skills
Poverty, inequality and social mobility
Education spending
Human capital

Download the report

PDF | 583.29 KB

The author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Economic and Social Research Council via the ESRC Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy. This report also draws heavily on analysis and knowledge gained by the author in his work as a Research Fellow at the Education Policy Institute.

Executive summary

Last December, the OECD published the latest round of PISA tests in reading, maths and science skills. These international comparisons always prompt public debate. Most countries saw declining scores, reflecting the effects of the pandemic. In Wales, the declines were particularly large, erasing all the progress seen since 2012. This report argues that low scores in Wales are a major concern and challenge for the new First Minister. Low educational outcomes are not likely to be a reflection of higher poverty in Wales, a different ethnic mix of pupils, statistical biases or differences in resources. They are more likely to reflect differences in policy and approach. We recommend that policymakers and educators in Wales pause, and in some cases rethink, past and ongoing reforms in the following areas:

The new Curriculum for Wales should place greater emphasis on specific knowledge.
Reforms to GCSEs should be delayed to give proper time to consider their effects on long-term outcomes, teacher workload and inequalities.
More data on pupil skill levels and the degree of inequality in attainment are needed and should be published regularly.
A move towards school report cards, alongside existing school inspections, could be an effective way to provide greater information for parents without a return to league tables.

1. Introduction

In December 2023, the OECD published the latest round of PISA scores (OECD, 2023). These international comparisons of reading, maths and science skills always prompt significant public debate, particularly in countries seeing declining scores. The latest tests were taken in 2022. Most countries saw declining scores, reflecting the effects of school closures during the pandemic.

In Wales, scores declined significantly, with the lowest test scores across the four nations of the UK. This erased all the increases seen in Wales since 2012 , when low PISA test scores last prompted soul-searching in the Welsh education system. This time, concern about low scores within Wales has been relatively brief, with the Minister emphasising ongoing reforms (Miles, 2023). This contrasts with the picture elsewhere in the UK. In Scotland , low and declining scores have prompted significant public debate and have led the Minister to promise improvements to the system (Gilruth, 2023). In England , ministers have claimed credit for relatively high scores and an improvement in relative scores compared with other countries. There were also declines in Northern Ireland, though public debate has been mostly focused on the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive.

This short report argues that low education outcomes, high levels of inequality and their consequences for children’s life chances represent a major challenge for the new First Minister of Wales. Improving this situation should be an urgent priority for his new government.

2. Overall performance and inequalities in Wales

This section sets out the overall performance of pupils in Wales in PISA tests over time, overall levels of inequality and how this compares with the rest of the UK.

Large declines in reading, maths and science skills in Wales

Starting with the overall picture, Figure 1 shows that PISA test scores in Wales fell significantly in maths, reading and science in 2022. To some extent, this matches the decline seen across other OECD countries following the global pandemic. However, there was a steeper fall in Wales in reading and science. Scores in Wales are also now lower than in any previous PISA cycle. The declines in Wales represented about 20 PISA points, on average. This is equivalent to about 20% of a standard deviation, which is a substantial decline.

Figure 1. PISA scores across UK nations over time

Source: Based on figures 7.13–7.15 in Sizmur et al. (2019); OECD (2023).

We also saw large falls over time in maths and science in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Across both nations, there were smaller falls in reading scores, which remain above the OECD average.

In England, we see a different picture. Reading and maths skills were increasing gradually between 2006 and 2018. There was then a relatively small decline in both reading and maths scores in 2022, taking them back to the same levels as around 2012/2015. Given the scale of disruption to education during the pandemic and the declines seen across other OECD countries, a small decline and general stable pattern over the last 10 years is likely to be a positive sign of resilience in England.

Whilst there were declines in science scores in England in 2022, Jerrim (2024) argues that this decline is seen across most OECD countries and may reflect methodological changes in the survey over time. Science scores in England also remain well above the OECD average.

Larger inequalities in Wales

Equally concerning are the level of performance of disadvantaged pupils and the state of educational inequalities in Wales, which are visible in both PISA and GCSE results. Figure 2 shows the mean PISA scores in each nation and subject for those in the most and least disadvantaged groups (bottom and top quartiles of the OECD’s index of economic, social and cultural status, ESCS), together with the mean scores for all children, in 2022.

Figure 2. Average PISA scores for most disadvantaged, least disadvantaged and all by nation and subject area in 2022

Source: Department for Education, 2023.

The gaps in performance between the most and least disadvantaged groups are broadly similar across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and are perhaps a little larger for Scotland in reading and maths. However, the difference in levels between England and other nations of the UK by level of disadvantage is very stark. For the least disadvantaged group, we see that scores in England are about 25–30 PISA points higher than in the other nations of the UK, on average. Some of this is likely to be explained by higher incomes at the top end of the spectrum in England. However, it is notable that scores for the least disadvantaged 25% of children in Wales are only barely above the average for all children in England.

At the other end of the distribution, disadvantaged children in Wales have the lowest scores across all four nations for reading and science (and the second-lowest for maths, just above the very low maths scores for disadvantaged children in Scotland). Disadvantaged children in England score about 30 points higher, on average, than disadvantaged children in Wales. This is a large gap and equivalent to about 30% of a standard deviation. Indeed, the performance of disadvantaged children in England is either above or similar to the average for all children in Wales.

Why we should care about the reasons for low PISA scores

Before thinking about the factors driving low PISA scores in Wales and policy implications, it is important to ask whether PISA scores actually matter. There are no prizes for a high PISA ranking, except kudos, and there are no immediate consequences, except pressure on policymakers. It is also important to focus on the actual scores, rather than rankings or relative performance. Education is not a zero-sum game. If all countries saw an equally large rise in scores, we are all likely to be better off.

PISA scores matter because they are a valuable and comparable indicator of young people’s skills in reading, numeracy and science. These are fundamental skills for accessing the rest of the curriculum and for achieving education qualifications. There is an enormous body of evidence that shows how skills and educational qualifications lead to greater chances of employment, higher earnings, higher productivity, improved health outcomes, lower crime, and the list goes on as evidence improves (Hanushek et al., 2015; Psacharopoulos and Patrinos, 2018).

Furthermore, there is a great deal of evidence showing that Welsh young people experience worse educational and labour market outcomes after leaving school than young people in the rest of the UK. A recent EPI/SKOPE report shows that young people in Wales have the lowest participation in higher education across the UK, with Welsh boys seeing particularly poor trends over the last 15 years (Robson et al., 2024). We also see that the share of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) is higher in Wales than in the rest of the UK. In 2022–23 , 11% of 16- to 18-year-olds in Wales were NEET, as compared with 5–9% across the rest of the UK. A similar picture emerges for 19- to 24-year-olds. In the labour market, we also see that Welsh young people from working-class backgrounds have lower earnings and lower employment levels than working-class young people from other UK nations.

The inescapable truth is that disadvantaged pupils in Wales have low skill levels and low levels of educational attainment. This drives a high disadvantage gap, reduces opportunities in the labour market and perpetuates inequalities. This will act as a drag on growth and living standards.

3. Explanations for lower performance in Wales

In this section, we gradually examine the potential explanations for lower levels of educational performance in Wales, including the statistical biases and the roles of poverty, ethnic mix, resources, the curriculum, accountability and assessments.

Statistical concerns and biases

To what extent do lower PISA scores in Wales reflect statistical concerns and biases? Some caution is always needed when interpreting exact changes across countries over time, particularly as PISA scores are based on a sample of children in each nation across each cycle. There are also sources of potential bias specific to the UK and Wales, with the OECD warning that low response rates could be creating biases within the UK this year. Jerrim (2023) has written about the curious issue of the implausibly low scores of pupils taking the test in Welsh, which could be biasing Welsh scores downwards. However, such biases are likely to be modest (less than 10 points) and have been known to affect previous years (Jerrim, Lopez-Agudo and Marcenaro-Gutierrez, 2022).

In general, one should focus on the general trends and levels over time. For Wales, this is a picture of low test scores across all three subject areas, below the OECD average and lower than the rest of the UK. Furthermore, as shown below, the fact that we see higher GCSE inequalities and worse post-16 educational and labour market outcomes in Wales strongly suggests that PISA is capturing a real issue in the Welsh education system.

Higher poverty is not the explanation

There will be differences between disadvantaged children in Wales and England that explain some of these differences in skill levels. However, there is likely to be a high degree of socio-economic similarity between the disadvantaged groups across England and Wales (we look at differences by ethnic background below). These groups are mainly made up of families reliant on means-tested benefits or on minimum wage levels, which will be very similar across the two nations. As of January 2019, the share of children eligible for free school meals was about 18% in Wales , which is only slightly larger than the 15% in England . Furthermore, about 8–9% of pupils were persistently eligible for free school meals (FSM) across both nations, suggesting similar levels of persistent poverty (Cardim-Dias and Sibieta, 2022). Transitional protections under universal credit make it difficult to present more recent statistics in a comparable way.

Differences in GCSE specifications between England and Wales make it difficult to compare absolute or raw results. However, Cardim-Dias and Sibieta (2022) show that one can produce reliable comparisons of inequalities in GCSE results, and the gap in performance between disadvantaged and other pupils. This analysis presents the disadvantage gap in terms of months of educational progress, where 11 months would be the expected difference in performance between a child born in September and one born in August.

As shown in Figure 3, Cardim-Dias and Sibieta (2022) show higher inequalities in GCSE results in Wales than in England. Before the pandemic, disadvantaged pupils in Wales were the equivalent of 22–23 months of educational progress behind their peers, compared with a gap of 18 months in England.

Figure 3.Disadvantage gap in GCSE results in Wales and England over time (months of educational progress; disadvantaged defined as ever eligible for FSM in past six years)

Note: Core subjects are English/Welsh, maths and science.

Source: Reproduced from Cardim-Dias and Sibieta (2022) with kind permission.

The results are even more stark at a local level, as shown in Figure 4. Across England and Wales, the local authorities with the worst performance for disadvantaged pupils are practically all in Wales. Before the pandemic, there were seven local authorities in Wales where disadvantaged pupils were at least 25 months behind their peers at the national level: Torfaen, Wrexham, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Pembrokeshire. In England, this was only the case for Blackpool. Furthermore, there are many local authorities in England with similar levels of deprivation and demographics to deprived areas in Wales, but which manage to achieve a lower disadvantage gap – for example, Salford, Gateshead and Portsmouth. There are also places with much higher levels of persistent disadvantage that achieve lower disadvantage gaps, such as Liverpool and Newcastle. The low performance of disadvantaged pupils in Wales is simply not an inevitable result of high levels of deprivation.

Figure 4. Relationship between persistent disadvantage and the disadvantage gap across local authorities in Wales and England

Note: Pupils are classed as persistently disadvantaged if they were eligible for free school meals for 80% of their time in school. Disadvantage gap is measured in terms of GCSE results.

To be clear, the overall level of the disadvantage gap and educational inequalities in England are substantial, with a national disadvantage gap of 18 months before the pandemic and much evidence to suggest that this has been getting even worse over recent years (Babbini et al., 2023). But the picture in Wales looks even worse than this. This greater disadvantage gap cannot be explained by higher levels of disadvantage in Wales. Areas of England with similar or higher levels of disadvantage manage to achieve lower levels of educational inequality. The explanation must lie elsewhere.

Role of immigrants and ethnic make-up

Perhaps the most significant difference is the ethnic make-up of each nation. Over 30% of pupils in England are from minority ethnic backgrounds, compared with about 10% in Wales . Over 20% of 15-year-olds in England were from first- or second-generation immigrant backgrounds in 2022, compared with 10% in Wales (OECD, 2023). This matters, as the evidence clearly shows that ethnic minorities and those from immigrant backgrounds generally perform very well in England (Wilson, Burgess and Briggs, 2011; OECD, 2023). These differences seem likely to be accentuated amongst the disadvantaged group, and may explain some of the lower performance in Wales. However, there are reasons to doubt that this explains a large element of lower skill levels in Wales.

According to PISA, non-immigrants in England score about 30 PISA points higher in maths than non-immigrants in Wales. We also see that immigrants score about 20 PISA points higher in England than in Wales. Immigrants and non-immigrants alike have higher levels of performance in England. Indeed, the high performance of immigrants is an under-appreciated success of the English education system. As Freedman (2024) has pointed out, England is the only European country where second-generation immigrants outperform non-immigrants in PISA. If second-generation immigrants in England were a country, they would have similar maths scores to high-performing countries such as Canada and Estonia, and be not far behind Korea and Japan.

How much do resources matter?

Resources and spending also differ across the UK (Sibieta, 2023). In Scotland, spending per pupil has long been higher and class sizes lower than in the rest of the UK (Jerrim and Sibieta, 2021). Following a further boost since 2018, spending per pupil in Scotland is at least 18% or £1,300 higher than elsewhere in the UK. Spending levels and trends are more similar in Wales, England and Northern Ireland. There were real-terms cuts to spending per pupil between 2010 and 2019, which are now being gradually reversed (Sibieta, 2023).

With England showing higher levels of skills than high-spending Scotland, one naturally asks whether school spending matters all that much. The answer is still yes. Correlations of spending across time and countries provide little information on the true effects of higher spending on educational outcomes. We have excellent evidence showing increasing levels of school spending does improve educational outcomes, and probably more so for disadvantaged students (Jackson and Mackevicius, 2024). This remains relevant and can help us interpret differences across nations.

In Scotland, we see historical levels of higher spending and recent large increases. An entirely plausible explanation is that higher levels of skills in Scotland in the past could be partly explained by greater resources. Recent declines could be explained by negative effects of reforms outweighing the effects of extra spending, and potentially by reforms reducing the bang-for-buck from extra resources.

In England, we see stable scores at a time of reduced spending per pupil and resilience in the face of a global pandemic. A very plausible explanation is that reforms to the system, such as the knowledge-rich curriculum and focus on basic literacy and numeracy, could have had positive effects, which may have been slightly diminished by reduced spending. This has the additional implication that the current English system may well be characterised by high bang-for-buck from extra spending.

This has some important lessons for policymakers in Wales considering the role of extra resources. How much you spend and how you spend it are often seen as competing factors. This is an entirely false trade-off. They both matter in complementary ways. A well-functioning and high-performing system is likely to generate large gains from extra spending. Throwing money at a poorly-performing system will likely produce disappointing results.

Curriculum changes: knowledge versus skills

One of the biggest school policy differences across the four nations of the UK has been curriculum reform. Scotland (from 2010) and Northern Ireland (from 2007) have already implemented skills-based curricula, which focus on the development of skills and competencies. The new Curriculum for Wales , implemented from 2022 onwards, takes a similar approach and is partly modelled on the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. The National Curriculum in England is very different. The most recent version was implemented from 2014 onwards and focuses on whether pupils have specific elements of knowledge.

The Curriculum for Wales aims to develop general skills and defines four key purposes:

ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives;
enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work;
ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world;
healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

Learning is organised into six different areas of learning (combining many traditional subject domains). A high emphasis is also placed on health and well-being. Schools then have significant autonomy to define the specific elements of their own curriculum as long as they are progressing towards the general definitions of skills. This is intended to achieve a broad and balanced curriculum.

These are of course very noble and sensible aims. The trouble is that defining the curriculum in terms of general skills might not actually be a good way to develop those skills in the first place. Whilst many of the skills seem like good long-term goals for an education system, Christodoulou (2023) argues that it is more effective to break those skills down into the teaching of specific elements of knowledge. Assessing generic skills is also incredibly difficult. As a result, skill-based curricula can lead to significant inequalities in the curriculum content that pupils are exposed to, and in the ways in which they are assessed. Indeed, based on pilots of the new curriculum, education researchers in Wales have already warned that the new curriculum risks exacerbating existing inequalities without external accountability on curriculum design and assessment, and extra investment (Power, Newton and Taylor, 2020).

Paterson (2023) also argues that the reduction in science and maths scores in Scotland and Northern Ireland, alongside stable reading scores, is the pattern one might expect following the introduction of skills-based curricula. Reading is a relatively general skill that parents can assist with. Maths and science require more specific knowledge that parents might find harder to impart. This seems like a reasonable conclusion. However, it would be near impossible to definitively conclude that it is the adoption of skills-based curricula that has led to lower scores in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and that a knowledge-based curriculum has improved scores in England. Correlation is not causation. Furthermore, the improvements in reading in England appear longstanding, dating back to 2006 at least, and might not just be about the adoption of the new National Curriculum. The improvements may reflect the widespread adoption of synthetic phonics following the Rose Report in 2006, which has been shown to have had positive effects (Machin, McNally and Viarengo, 2018).

The trouble is, as argued by Crehan (2023), declines have happened in essentially every country that has adopted such skills-based curricula – for example, France, Finland, Australia and New Zealand, with the last thinking about ways to introduce specific knowledge elements into its curriculum.

Lastly, there is also no evidence to suggest that policymakers in Wales have been successful in achieving the broader aim of maximising pupil well-being. The 2022 PISA report for Wales (Ingram et al., 2023) shows that pupils in Wales report a lower score for overall life satisfaction than the OECD average and that a lower-than-average share of pupils felt like they belonged in school. Pupils reporting higher levels of life satisfaction and belonging tended to be those achieving higher scores on PISA tests.

At the very least, all this must leave us wary about the introduction of the skills-based Curriculum for Wales. Maybe Wales will totally buck the international trend. However, there is no good evidence showing that a skills-based curriculum will be able to turn around low scores and high inequalities seen in Wales.

Accountability and assessment: not measuring up

Another key difference across the four nations has been approaches to accountability and assessment. In England, there has long been a focus on high-stakes accountability, either through league tables, school-by-school data comparisons or Ofsted inspections with single-word judgements (often with high consequences for schools and their leadership teams). This can have benefits, in terms of high levels of accountability, but can also create perverse incentives to teach to the test, and the problems associated with high-pressured school inspections are now well known.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland abolished league tables long ago. Some evidence suggests this had a small negative effect in Wales (Burgess, Wilson and Worth, 2013), and a more general school categorisation system was introduced about 10 years ago. This has since been abolished and replaced by a system of self-evaluation by schools.

Since 2013, pupils aged 7–14 have sat literacy and numeracy tests of one form or another in Wales. However, the results from these have rarely been published in ways that allow us to track average skills levels or inequalities over time. For England, we have significant data on pupil skill levels from tests such as the phonics check and Key Stage 2 tests , and there are clear metrics comparing school performance with national and low benchmarks at pretty much every stage of education. Historically, such test scores have been used as part of school league tables. However, more important are the ways in which the data are used to track overall performance over time, to understand inequalities across pupils and areas, and for schools to compare their own levels with those of others. This approach to data on school comparisons was briefly part of the Welsh school system, but is not really encouraged any more. The Welsh Government has recently published data showing falling numeracy and reading levels since the pandemic, and it plans to publish more on inequalities in Spring 2024. This should ideally become a regular and systematic overview of skills levels and inequalities across time and place and enable schools to do comparisons to aid their understanding.

Accountability through school inspections occurs throughout Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, the immediate consequences from poor school inspection outcomes are less severe in Wales, except in the case of very poor inspection reports which can result in special measures. Single-word summary judgements have also been abolished, making it quite hard to discern the overall quality of schools from inspection reports. To be fair, policy and debate in England are also moving away from narrow, single-word judgements towards more holistic school report cards. It would be entirely feasible and sensible for Wales to adopt such an approach. It could include summaries from different parts of inspection reports, data on pupil attainment and inequalities, and wider aspects about the school environment and pupil well-being.

Assessments and exams have also been moving in different directions across the four nations of the UK. In Wales, the key developments have been retaining A*–G grades (instead of the numbers used in England), maintaining AS levels and creating GCSE specifications specific to Wales. This makes it harder, but not impossible, to undertake comparisons across the UK. New GCSEs in Wales will be taught from September 2025. These will be available in more vocational subjects and make more use of continuous assessments (e.g. coursework), and it will no longer be possible to study triple-science subjects of biology, chemistry and physics. These changes are being undertaken to broaden the set of available subjects and to align with the aims of the new curriculum. However, there are also clear risks with this approach. The benefits and returns to vocational GCSEs in England in the 2000s were pretty weak (see the 2011 Wolf Report), high levels of continuous assessment can increase inequalities (Kelly, 2023) and create more workload for teachers, and removing triple-science subjects risks capping the future educational opportunities of Welsh learners in science, medical and technological subjects.

4. Conclusions

The overwhelming conclusion is that the overall level of educational performance in Wales is low, and inequalities are high and persistent. Policymakers should be doing more to address the underlying reasons driving this disappointing set of results. At present, the most prominent education policies of the Welsh Government are the new Curriculum for Wales, free school meals in primary schools and a potential change in the school year. However, there is very little evidence that any of these policies will improve educational attainment or narrow inequalities.

The picture on schools in England appears rosier. However, it is important not to treat England as a perfect benchmark. There are also real problems in England. Inequalities are wide (and probably widening), there are significant problems recruiting and retaining teachers, there is huge pressure on the special educational needs system and there are also obvious concerns about a narrowing of the curriculum. This being said, there are still important lessons for policymakers in Wales.

Whilst it is important that policymakers in Wales make changes, it is also important that they do not panic. Now is the time for policymakers and educators to pause and in some cases rethink past and ongoing reforms to Welsh education in the following areas:

The Curriculum for Wales should place greater emphasis on specific knowledge than it does now.
The reform to GCSEs should be delayed to give proper time to consider how its aims and the evidence base fit with addressing poor performance and wide inequalities.
A move towards school report cards, alongside the existing school inspections, could be an effective way to provide greater information for parents without a return to league tables.

Conversations on changes to the curriculum should happen with policymakers, teachers and schools inside and outside Wales. Rather than repeat mistakes, it is crucial to learn lessons from the Curriculum for Excellence alongside the Scottish Government. Much can be learnt from the current rethink in New Zealand, as well as other countries that are thinking about rowing back from skills-based curricula. There is also much that can be learnt from individual teachers and schools in England who have been at the forefront of the knowledge-rich curriculum.

The planned reforms to GCSEs in Wales are significant, with the introduction of more continuous assessment and changes to subjects. Key questions to ask include whether there is strong evidence that increased use of continuous assessment for GCSEs will improve educational performance and narrow gaping inequalities. Or will it increase workloads and inequalities? Are there better ways to achieve improvements? An open and evidence-based conversation will ultimately point to the right directions.

Policymakers should also publish better and more regular data on overall skills levels across young people in Wales at different ages, and the levels of inequality across pupils from different backgrounds and areas. Schools should be able and encouraged to compare themselves with other schools, as used to be the case. If this is not possible within the existing ways that literacy and numeracy test results are collected, then this should be changed to make it possible. Given the relatively low reading scores in Wales, a phonics check for children in Year 1 or Year 2 might be a very sensible addition too.

The movement towards school report cards in England also seems like a positive step that Wales could lead on. They could be incorporated into existing school inspections to provide parents with a clear summary of the performance and well-being of their children.

Publishing more data does not have to mean a return to school league tables, which have mostly been superseded by better and more sophisticated ways of using data. It is instead a confirmation for schools, parents and taxpayers that pupils are mastering key skills that are required to access the rest of the curriculum and wider education opportunities. One objection to focusing on tests in literacy and numeracy is that it narrows the curriculum, and there has been clear criticism in England of the way the English Baccalaureate has narrowed the curriculum (see Long and Danechi (2019)). However, this is not an inevitable consequence. Done right, skill tests and comparisons can ensure that pupils acquire foundational skills that enable them to access a wider curriculum and set of qualifications. Without basic skills and knowledge, a wider curriculum is a pipe dream.

Fundamentally, if you do not like the surprises from PISA every three years, then fill the void with better annual data so that PISA just ends up confirming what you already know. Ideally, this would be a picture of improving skills, lower inequalities and pupils accessing a wider curriculum. However, without reform or good data, there could be an even nastier surprise for Welsh policymakers when the next PISA results are published three years from now.

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Burgess, S., Wilson, D. and Worth, J., 2013. A natural experiment in school accountability: the impact of school performance information on pupil progress. Journal of Public Economics , 106, 57–67, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272713001291 .

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Christodoulou, D., 2023. Skills vs knowledge, 13 years on. No More Marking blog, https://substack.nomoremarking.com/p/skills-vs-knowledge-13-years-on .

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Freedman, S., 2024. The truth about integration. Comment is Freed blog, https://samf.substack.com/p/the-truth-about-integration .

Gilruth, J., 2023. Literacy and numeracy: Education Secretary statement. Scottish Government, https://www.gov.scot/publications/ministerial-statement-literacy-numeracy/ .

Hanushek, E., Schwerdt, G., Wiederhold, S. and Woessmann, L., 2015. Returns to skills around the world: evidence from PIAAC. European Economic Review , 73, 103–30, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2014.10.006 .

Ingram, J., Stiff, J., Cadwallader, S., Lee, G. and Kayton, H., 2023. PISA 2022: National Report for Wales. Welsh Government, https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2023-12/pisa-2022-national-report-wales-059.pdf .

Jackson, C.K. and Mackevicius, C.L., 2024, What impacts can we expect from school spending policy? Evidence from evaluations in the United States. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics , 16(1), 412–46, https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20220279 .

Jerrim, J., 2023. Were PISA reading scores in Wales as bad as they first seemed? FFT Education Datalab, https://ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2023/12/were-pisa-reading-scores-in-wales-as-bad-as-they-first-seemed/ .

Jerrim, J., 2024. How concerned should we be about England’s declining PISA science scores? Schools Week , 18 March, https://schoolsweek.co.uk/how-concerned-should-we-be-about-englands-declining-pisa-science-scores/ .

Jerrim, J., Lopez-Agudo, L.A. and Marcenaro-Gutierrez, O.D., 2022. The impact of test language on PISA scores. New evidence from Wales. British Educational Research Journal , 48(3), 420–45, https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3774 .

Jerrim, J. and Sibieta, L., 2021. A comparison of school institutions and policies across the UK, Education Policy Institute, https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/a-comparison-of-school-institutions-and-policies-across-the-uk/ .

Kelly, D.P., 2023. Retain external examination as the primary means of assessment. Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities blog, https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/cepeo/2023/06/22/retain-external-examination-as-the-primary-means-of-assessment/ .

Long, R. and Danechi, S., 2019. English Baccalaureate. House of Commons Library Briefing Paper 06045, https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06045/SN06045.pdf .

Machin, S., McNally, S. and Viarengo, M., 2018. Changing how literacy is taught: evidence on synthetic phonics. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy , 10(2), 217–41, https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20160514 .

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Paterson, L., 2023. PISA 2022 in Scotland: declining attainment and growing social inequality. Reform Scotland, https://reformscotland.com/2023/12/pisa-2022-in-scotland-declining-attainment-and-growing-social-inequality-lindsay-paterson/ .

Power, S., Newton, N. and Taylor, C., 2020. ‘Successful futures’ for all in Wales? The challenges of curriculum reform for addressing educational inequalities. The Curriculum Journal , 31(2), 317–33, https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.39 .

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Robson, J., Sibieta, L., Khandekar, S., Neagu, M., Robinson, D. and James Relly, S., 2024. Comparing policies, participation and inequalities across UK post-16 Education and Training landscapes. Education Policy Institute, https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/uk-nations-education-and-training/ .

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Research Fellow

Luke is a Research Fellow at the IFS and his general research interests include education policy, political economy and poverty and inequality.

Report details

Suggested citation.

Sibieta, L. (2024). Major challenges for education in Wales . London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/major-challenges-education-wales (accessed: 17 April 2024).

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Reforming education: the Welsh Government’s mission to improve standards and tackle inequalities

This is the sixth article of our ten-part series looking at the Welsh Government’s progress in delivering its Programme for Government (PfG) . Here we explore the well-being objective to “Continue our long-term programme of education reform, and ensure educational inequalities narrow and standards rise”.

There are 10 specific commitments beneath this broad Cabinet-wide objective, which the Welsh Government has given an update on in its PfG annual report . There are also relevant Ministerial commitments .

Browse our full #ProgrammeforGovernment series, published to date.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted an education sector already tasked with implementing substantial reforms. In addition to these challenges, the Welsh Government seeks to maintain its long-standing focus on raising standards and closing attainment gaps.

Raising school standards

The Welsh Government has had a 'national mission' to improve education standards for well over a decade, ever since the “wake up call to a complacent system” following the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results.

This ‘national mission’ was hit by the pandemic . The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS, published a new school improvement framework in summer 2022, and a ‘roadmap’ in March 2023 giving an updated overview of the Welsh Government’s education priorities .

Self-evaluation is now the starting point of a school’s improvement activity , with the regional consortia (whose role is currently under review ) being key players. Education inspectorate, Estyn, has changed its approach to inspection and no longer issues headline gradings, instead focusing on a school’s strengths and areas for development.

In 2018/19 , the final year when Estyn used headline gradings and before inspections were suspended due to the pandemic, four (14%) of the 29 secondary schools inspected had ‘unsatisfactory’ standards, while a further 12 (41%) were only ‘adequate’.

Estyn continues to identify schools causing concern . Figures requested by Senedd Research show 22 primary schools (2% of total ), 10 secondary schools (6%) and one all-age school (4%) are currently in a statutory category . This means they either require ‘significant improvement’ or are under ‘special measures’.

Whilst PISA results don’t tell us everything, the 2022 cycle will shed further light on progress when results are published this December. Wales’ PISA scores improved slightly last time in 2018 but remained the lowest of the UK nations. The Minister indicated in October 2022 that the Welsh Government has dropped a previous target of 500 points in each of the Reading, Mathematics and Science domains.

The context of the pandemic

One Programme for Government (PfG) commitment is to “fund up to 1,800 additional tutoring staff in our schools” through the “Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards” (RRRS) response to the pandemic’s disruption to education .

The Welsh Government is spending £37m in 2023-24 and £29m in 2024-25 to continue RRRS, following £166m already spent since 2020-21. The Education Policy Institute reported in 2021 that Wales had the highest COVID education recovery spend in the UK at £400 per pupil.

An independent evaluation estimates that 2,452 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff in schools have been funded by RRRS. 62% of these are support staff and 30% are teachers. It also found the most common interventions delivered to learners in schools have focused on literacy (in 91% of schools) and well-being (in 86% of schools).

Pupil attendance is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, particularly among deprived pupils. The Minister has responded , including communicating to families the importance of attending school.

In addition to the latest public health advice to schools regarding COVID (last updated in June 2022), the Welsh Government has also issued guidance on learning continuity during periods of disruption to schooling. Overall, Estyn reported in January, schools have “coped well” but things aren’t “back to normal” yet . The Minister has committed to giving the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) Committee six-monthly updates on children and young people’s recovery from the pandemic.

Implementing major reforms

A new Curriculum for Wales has been introduced in primary schools and is now being rolled out in secondary schools by year group.

Considerable stock is being placed on the new curriculum to improve standards, through the greater freedom it gives to schools to teach ‘what matters’ . However, some stakeholders (such as education training provider, ‘Impact School Improvement’ , and the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David ) have warned that it may worsen standards and exacerbate, rather than narrow, inequalities. The Committee which scrutinised the legislation in 2020 warned that, whilst the Curriculum for Wales may not be uniform across all schools, it must be sufficiently consistent so pupils get equal opportunities and experiences.

The Welsh Government is publishing annual reports on curriculum implementation with this summer’s version reporting “very positive progress” .

Schools are also tasked with delivering a new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system , replacing a Special Educational Needs (SEN) one described as “no longer fit for purpose” . However, this is proving no mean feat due to the numbers of pupils involved and the Welsh Government has had to delay implementation .

There has also been a shift towards universal provision for learners previously identified with low levels of SEN, meaning they are not recognised as having ALN and do not receive an Individual Development Plan (IDP). This is despite the Welsh Government saying during the passage of the legislation that the cohort covered would remain broadly the same and projecting a number of IDPs equivalent to the then total SEN cohort.

The Minister says “the landscape has changed quite a lot” since the ALN reforms were first conceived, pointing to the more inclusive approach of the Curriculum for Wales. However, the CYPE Committee has highlighted falling ALN numbers in its scrutiny of education reforms .

The Welsh Government is also transforming the funding, governance and regulation of post-16 education, training and research. The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 dissolves the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and establishes the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER).

CTER will be responsible for funding, overseeing and regulating tertiary education and research which comprises higher education, further education, apprenticeships, sixth forms and adult community learning. Our recent article explains more about the next phase of CTER’s establishment.

CTER will also be responsible for implementing the Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy , another PfG commitment. The Strategy is a cross-government vision with four specific missions: education, the economy, health and well-being, and climate and nature. It says the Government will publish an action plan which will include “a limited amount of specific and measurable mission goals”. The Minister for Economy said in June the Government is “looking to publish [the action plan] over this autumn”.

Inequalities and attainment gaps have widened

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language has vowed to prioritise “high standards and aspirations for all” and pursue all education policies through a lens of tackling the negative impact of poverty on educational attainment. The Welsh Government continues to spend over £130m each year on the Pupil Development Grant (PDG) , which supplements schools’ incomes based on their numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals (eFSM).

Before the pandemic, Estyn reported that the ‘poverty gap’ between eFSM pupils’ and non eFSM pupils’ attainment had not narrowed over the previous decade and typically widens as pupils become older. Estyn has since reported (in both 2022 and 2023 ) that the pandemic has exacerbated attainment gaps and disproportionately affected pupils from deprived backgrounds.

Research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found a wider disadvantage gap in Wales than in England, with both nations only making modest progress during the last decade. In Wales, GCSE attainment gaps between eFSM pupils and their peers widened between 2015/16 and 2021/22 :

from 15 to 19 percentage points at grades A*-A;
from 25 to 28 percentage points at grades A*-C; and
from 3 to 6 percentage points at grades A*-G.

There was also a widening between 2015/16 and just prior to the pandemic (2018/19) at all grade intervals, and between 2018/19 and 2021/22 at grades A*-A and A*-G. Attainment data by FSM status is not yet available for the 2023 results .

The Welsh Government has also committed to increasing opportunities for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds to take part in the Seren Network . This is “dedicated to helping Wales’ brightest state educated learners achieve their full academic potential and support their education pathway into leading universities”.

The Minister told the Senedd in March 2022 that Seren’s focus would shift to “increasing involvement in the network of learners from low-income households”. It’s not clear how the Government intends to target these learners or what progress it has made so far.

The Minister has also said the Government is “looking at what we can do so that Seren can encourage the brightest learners to take vocational options at higher levels as well”.

Prospects for success

The publication of the PISA results this December will give one indication of whether the Welsh Government is on track to raise standards. There also needs to be more progress than in the past decade on narrowing attainment gaps if a real dent is to be made on reducing educational inequalities this Senedd. Emerging from the shadow of the pandemic and the success or otherwise of major education reforms will also be key determinants of Welsh children and young people’s long-term prospects.

Explore the Programme for Government, its objectives and commitments

1. Provide effective, high quality and sustainable healthcare
2. Protect, re-build and develop our services for vulnerable people
3. Build an economy based on the principles of fair work, sustainability and the industries and services of the future
4. Build a stronger, greener economy as we make maximum progress towards decarbonisation
5. Embed our response to the climate and nature emergency in everything we do
6. Continue our long-term programme of education reform, and ensure educational inequalities narrow and standards rise
7. Celebrate diversity and move to eliminate inequality in all of its forms
8. Push forward towards a million Welsh speakers, and enable our tourism, sports and arts industries to thrive
9. Make our cities, towns and villages even better places in which to live and work
10. Lead Wales in a national civic conversation about our constitutional future, and give our country the strongest possible presence on the world stage

Article by Michael Dauncey and Lucy Morgan , Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament

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Higher and Further Education in Wales

About Wales

A passion for education

Wales is a nation where learning is valued and academic standards are high. As part of the UK higher-education and further-education systems, our universities and colleges offer qualifications that are respected by academics and employers across the world.

Our universities are modern and innovative, but our history goes back a long way. Higher education in Wales began in 1822, when St David’s College, Lampeter, opened its doors. We now have eight universities, with campuses located throughout the country.

Around 149,000 students are enrolled at Welsh universities, including around 25,000 international students, drawn from 132 countries. They’re attracted by a culture of excellence in both teaching and research. In the UK’s last Research Excellence Framework, more than three quarters of the work taking place at our universities was judged to be ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally significant’.

Three of our eight universities feature in the top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. And student satisfaction is vital. In the last Whatuni Student Choice Awards, four of the places in the UK top 10 – including the number-one spot – were taken by Welsh universities.

Further education colleges in Wales focus on education and training opportunities for people of all backgrounds who are aged 16+. Further education colleges are at the heart of their communities with excellent links to industry and clear progression routes to universities in the UK.

They have an excellent reputation for integrating international students into the culture, language and life of Wales.

We may have plenty of castles in Wales, but we don’t have ivory towers. Our universities have tight links with their local communities and the worlds of business and technology. Within six months of leaving, 92% of graduates are in employment.

Global Wales

In recognition of the importance of Welsh universities’ and colleges' international activities, Global Wales was set up. It’s a partnership between Universities Wales and the Welsh Government , British Council Wales , Colleges Wales and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), and is currently funded by Taith .

The Global Wales programme provides a strategic, collaborative approach to international higher and further education education in Wales. It also aims to raise awareness about Wales, build on international partnerships with universities and colleges, and to promote them in key overseas markets. See the Universities Wales website for more information.

This is what you'll love about Wales

As a student, you’ll enjoy a great quality of life, whether your taste is for art and culture, socialising or exploring our great outdoors.

This is what to expect

Wales is famous for its warm welcome – and when you’re starting at university, it begins long before you arrive on campus.

Student life

How our universities will help you make the most of all the opportunities and experiences on offer outside the library and lecture theatre.

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What is the Welsh Education System?

In General by Think Student Editor November 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

The United Kingdom is made up of four nations; England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The majority of students, in the UK, follow the English curriculum. However, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have their own separate education systems as well. Although each is fairly similar in terms of content, the structure varies from nation to nation. Depending on where in the UK you live and which exam boards your teachers choose for you, it’s important to understand each separate education system.

In the UK, students from Wales tend to follow the curriculum set by the Welsh Government. The structure is largely the same as the English one. However, in Wales, students do not have to follow the national curriculum until they reach the age of 7, and the curriculum provided is different from that of the English system. Unlike England, compulsory education in Wales ends at the age of 16 rather than 18.

For more information about the Welsh education system, how it differs from the English system and the laws on education which are in place as of 2022, read on.

Table of Contents

Is the Welsh education system the same as in England?

There are many similarities between the English and Welsh education systems. Children follow a national curriculum and must partake in GCSEs. These are both also features of the English education system.

One of the main differences between the Welsh and English systems is how young children are educated. In both England and Wales, the compulsory school starting age is technically 5 years old. Most parents choose to put their children into primary school at age 4 or nursery at age 3.

English primary education is split into early years (nursery), key stage 1 and key stage 2. In Wales, however, the key stages no longer exist.

Children aged between 3-7 years old are put into the “Foundation Stage” which has no curriculum. Instead, teachers are given the freedom to teach pupils what they deem to be important, as long as they follow four main principles of learning.

From ages 7-16, there are no set levels or stages. However, the national curriculum does start from this point. The curriculum flows smoothly and continuously through primary and secondary education, meaning there are no step-ups from year to year.

In England, children are assessed at the end of KS1 and KS2, as part of the SAT exams. You can read more about the SATs in England in this Think Student article . In Wales, the SAT exams do not exist. Although pupils took “national tests” until July 2022, those exams are no longer in place and have no replacement.

There are some other minor differences between the two education systems, such as how GCSE students in England are given a number grade. On the other hand, Welsh GCSEs still use the old A*-E letter grade system. To learn more on these differences and others, check out this article by Relocate Magazine.

Does Wales have a national curriculum?

From September 2022, the Welsh Government began enforcing a new national curriculum for all state school pupils in Wales . This new curriculum follows a different path to the English national curriculum and focusses less on purely giving children knowledge.

This new curriculum aims to give students equal weightings of knowledge, skill, and experience. The new curriculum has six main areas of learning which must be taught. The six compulsory areas of learning are as follows:

Expressive arts – this is for subjects such as drama and music, which will teach children how to be creative and express themselves.
Humanities – geography, history and religion alongside other social sciences are important in allowing children to understand the world around them.
Health and wellbeing – this covers any subject affecting children’s physical and mental wellbeing, including P.E and life skills.
Science and technology – chemistry, biology and physics are the essential sciences alongside others such as ICT and DT.
Mathematics and numeracy – in the Welsh curriculum, maths will fulfil the independent and collaborative elements of the scheme, as the subject should be taught with a mixture of individual and group work.
Language, literacy, and communication – seeing as Wales is a nation of two languages, children from ages 3-16 will all be taught both English and Welsh.

For more information about these 6 areas and the new national curriculum, look at this guide by The School Run. You can also check out this governmental guide to see what the main changes are.

As part of the national curriculum in Wales, pupils must learn the Welsh language. Although it is rarely used, seeing as most, if not all the citizens of Wales are able to speak English, it is seen as important that the children learn and understand it.

The language is part of Welsh culture and is an important part of the country’s history which the Welsh people are proud of. For more information about the Welsh language being taught in schools in Wales, check out this article by Cymru Online.

Are GCSEs and A-Levels studied in Wales?

In Wales, GCSEs are compulsory and are taken at age 16, the same as English students. You can read more about why GCSEs are compulsory in this article .

However, as the curriculum is changing, so are GCSEs in Wales. With the changing world, Welsh exams will have a greater emphasis on the use of technology.

This means there will be less learning information for fact-recall in exams. This is because, in most workplaces, employees can easily research information if they need to know it.

Instead, pupils will need to apply researched information to the given questions. These new GCSEs will start being taught in 2025. For more information about this, check out this article by the BBC.

A-Levels are also available in Wales but differ slightly from the English version of the qualification. Have a look at this Think Student article for more information about A-Levels.

In Wales, schools can choose for students to take AS exams at the end of the first year and A2 exams at the end of the second. They do have the option to take both AS and A2 exams at the end of Year 13.

However, students still have to take separate exams on the content from Year 1 and Year 2. For the majority of pupils in England, the content from both years is compiled into one set of exam papers, meaning questions could combine Year 1 and 2 knowledge.

The content is the same across both countries, which means that Welsh schools can choose from English exam boards, as well as WJEC. Lots of schools in England opt to enter their students with the Welsh exam board as well.

To learn more about GCSE and A-Level exams in Wales, check out this article by Relocate Magazine. For more information about the education system in England to make a comparison between the two nations, have a look at this Think Student article .

When does compulsory education end in Wales?

In England, children must be in full-time education until the age of 18, which you can read more about in this article from Think Student. This can be in any form, such as an apprenticeship or BTECs at college.

On the other hand, in Wales, students are only required to be in education until they turn 16. This means that all Welsh pupils must take GCSEs, but they don’t necessarily have to continue learning after this. Instead, they could go and get a job which will earn them some money to take them into the next stage of their career.

For more information about the different school leaving ages in the UK, check out this governmental guide .

Although lots of school children like the idea of leaving school at age 16, it’s advised that they continue with education beyond this. It is quite difficult to get a job when the only qualifications you have are GCSEs .

A-Levels, BTECs and T-Levels are all great further education qualifications that can lead you into higher education. This Think Student article explains more about further education and this article explains more about higher education and where it can take you in the future.

If you have a plan of what you want to do post-16, and it doesn’t involve gaining any further or higher qualifications, then leaving school would be great idea for you.

However, if you simply like the idea of getting out of school, you may need to think about how this may limit you in the future. This article from Think Student goes into more detail about the importance of A-Levels to employers.

What is the Welsh education board?

In every nation in the UK, there is an education board overseeing the running of free schools and what they’re teaching. In Wales, this is the Department for Education and Skills, and is run by the Welsh government.

They are in charge of writing the curriculum guidelines and deciding on public, legally required exams for pupils. They decide on the funding schools will receive and are the first point of contact for the teacher’s union if there is an issue.

Alongside this, they are also in charge of organising and carrying out inspections in schools to make sure a good quality of education is being maintained across the country. This means they’re also responsible for dealing with issues and mediating any arguments over the outcome of these inspections.

To learn more about the Department for Education and Skills, check out this guide by Operation Fatherhood. You can visit the Welsh Department for Education and Skills’ website using this link. You’ll be able to find support and guidance in budgeting as a school, how to care for special needs children in a school environment and much more.

Jeremy Miles: Taking Curriculum Reform Forward

Read this page in Welsh

The new curriculum and supporting reforms are at the heart of my ambitions for improving the education system in Wales. I absolutely believe they will bring huge benefits to our young people in preparing them for a changing world, and I’m committed to making sure all of our young people have an equal opportunity to progress.

The last year has been very challenging, and I’m well aware that you – our fantastic teachers and support staff – have done an amazing job of keeping our children’s education going in very difficult times. Thank you for your remarkable work and care.

Since becoming Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, I have been talking to practitioners in schools across the country to hear directly about how you have adapted to changing circumstances in the last year, and what more I can do to support you as we renew and reform education in Wales.

Earlier in the term I announced measures to reduce pressures on schools and create space , and will continue to look at how we can support you. This is why I have also announced an additional package of support for schools .

Having taken those soundings, I made an oral statement to the Senedd today (6 th July) about my plans to take our curriculum reform forward. See the full statement here.

I have been impressed by the commitment and motivation that you have shown for our new curriculum. I have heard the enthusiasm to renew and reshape education, and a desire to maintain the momentum of the reforms and the benefits for learners.

Many of you have been exploring and experimenting with the new curriculum, using the four purposes and aspects like Health and Well-being as a foundation on which to build. Almost everyone has made a flying leap into digital competence. But it is clear that the pandemic has affected progress for some and we’re in a different place than we would have imagined when the Curriculum for Wales guidance was published 18 months ago

So whilst I want to maintain momentum I realise that more support is needed. And whilst the new curriculum will still be implemented in all primary schools by September 2022, it is clear that some secondary schools will initially need more flexibility.

More support means:

Refreshing the Curriculum for Wales: The journey to 2022 document – which sets out the expectations on schools to deliver curriculum reform – to ensure it is clear, simple, and focused on the ‘how’ of curriculum reform. We are working collaboratively with partners to develop this and it will be published by the beginning of the autumn term.
Launching a National Network for curriculum implementation in the autumn, practitioner-led, open to all schools, funded by the Welsh Government, that will be a key vehicle in supporting implementation of our new curriculum.
Providing £7.24 million in funding this financial year, directly to schools, to support their journeys towards curriculum reform. This will support engagement with the key issues around implementation, including through the National Network.
And in primary schools I propose to create some space by removing – a year early – the requirement for practitioners to undertake end of foundation phase and end of key stage assessments in the 2021-2022 academic year, for year groups that will be transitioning to the new curriculum in September 2022.

Flexibility for Secondary schools means:

Secondary schools can either continue with their existing plans for year 7 with roll-out starting in 2022, or start in 2023 with both Years 7 and 8 together.

Beyond 2023, roll-out of the Curriculum for Wales will follow on a year-by-year basis, and the first qualifications designed specifically for Curriculum for Wales will be awarded in the 2026-27 academic year as planned.

The reform of qualifications will play a fundamental role in the success of our curriculum. The exciting ambition behind our curriculum must be matched by our qualifications system. The flexibility for secondary schools in 2022 will provide space to work closely with Qualifications Wales over the coming year to help shape a high quality set of qualifications which are aligned with the philosophies of the new curriculum, and to capitalise on emerging opportunities around assessment methods.

Colleagues it is a privilege to join you on this journey. We have a once in a generation opportunity to revolutionise the quality of opportunities for our children and young people. I’ll do all I can to support you as we move ahead.

Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language

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Bilingualism,Education,Wales,Cultural,Heritage,Preserving,Identity,Advantages,Language

Preserving Cultural Heritage: The Power of Bilingual Education in Wales

Introduction:

Education plays a vital role in shaping the future of any nation. In the case of Wales, a country with a rich history and a distinct cultural identity, education has been a cornerstone in preserving its heritage while equipping its young learners with the skills needed to thrive in the modern world. This blog post aims to explore the education system in Wales, highlighting its unique features, achievements, and ongoing efforts to ensure an inclusive and forward-thinking approach to education.

A Bilingual Advantage:

One of the distinguishing features of education in Wales is its commitment to bilingualism. The Welsh language holds a special place in the country's culture and history, and efforts have been made to ensure that learners have the opportunity to become fluent in both Welsh and English. The Welsh Government has implemented policies to promote bilingual education, providing Welsh-medium schools and encouraging the use of the language across the curriculum. This approach not only preserves the Welsh language but also fosters cultural diversity and promotes a sense of identity among learners.

In Wales, bilingualism is more than just a language skill; it is an integral part of the country's cultural identity. With a strong commitment to preserving the Welsh language, education in Wales offers a unique bilingual advantage to learners. This blog post explores the significance of bilingualism in the Welsh education system and the benefits it provides to learners, their cultural heritage, and their cognitive development.

Cultural Preservation: The Welsh language, known as Cymraeg, holds deep historical and cultural roots in Wales. Bilingual education in Wales aims to preserve and promote the use of Welsh, allowing learners to connect with their heritage and maintain a strong sense of cultural identity. Welsh-medium schools provide immersive learning environments where the language is used across various subjects, fostering a deep appreciation for the language and its cultural significance.

Cognitive Benefits: Studies have consistently shown that bilingualism has cognitive advantages. Bilingual learners often demonstrate enhanced problem-solving skills, greater cognitive flexibility, and improved attention control. In Wales, where learners have the opportunity to acquire proficiency in both Welsh and English, these cognitive benefits contribute to their overall academic success and future prospects.

Language Acquisition and Communication Skills: Bilingual education in Wales facilitates the acquisition of two languages, Welsh and English. This process strengthens learners' linguistic abilities, including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, in both languages. Furthermore, bilingual learners tend to develop strong communication skills, as they become adept at navigating between different linguistic and cultural contexts. These skills are valuable in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.

Career Opportunities: Being bilingual opens doors to a wide range of career opportunities. In Wales, where proficiency in Welsh is highly valued, bilingual individuals have an advantage in sectors such as government, media, tourism, and education. By nurturing bilingualism in education, Wales is equipping learners with a valuable asset that can enhance their career prospects and contribute to the country's economic growth.

Cultural Understanding and Inclusion: Bilingual education fosters cultural understanding and promotes inclusivity. By learning Welsh, non-Welsh-speaking learners gain insight into the history, traditions, and values of Wales. This understanding promotes respect for different cultures and encourages an inclusive mindset. Bilingualism also enables effective communication and interaction within diverse communities, bridging language barriers and nurturing a sense of unity.

Education in Wales offers a bilingual advantage that goes beyond language skills. Bilingualism contributes to the preservation of Welsh culture, enhances cognitive abilities, improves communication skills, opens doors to diverse career opportunities, and fosters cultural understanding and inclusivity. As Wales continues to embrace bilingual education, it ensures that learners not only develop linguistic competence but also gain a deeper appreciation for their cultural heritage. By nurturing bilingualism, Wales is empowering its learners to thrive in an interconnected world while cherishing their unique cultural identity.

Curriculum for Wales:

In recent years, Wales has undergone a significant educational reform known as Curriculum for Wales. This forward-thinking initiative aims to provide a more relevant, engaging, and inclusive curriculum for learners aged 3 to 16. The new curriculum focuses on developing critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. It places a strong emphasis on digital competence, ethical awareness, and the understanding of sustainability. By fostering a broad range of skills, the Curriculum for Wales aims to prepare learners for the challenges of the 21st century.

Inclusive Education:

Wales is committed to ensuring that education is inclusive and accessible to all learners, regardless of their backgrounds or abilities. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in Wales is governed by a framework that promotes inclusive practices and supports individual learners' needs. The aim is to provide a supportive learning environment where every learner can reach their full potential. Additionally, the Welsh Government is dedicated to closing the attainment gap, focusing on reducing inequalities and improving outcomes for disadvantaged learners.

Focus on Well-being:

Recognizing the importance of well-being in the learning process, the education system in Wales places a strong emphasis on nurturing the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of learners. Well-being is integrated into the curriculum, and schools are encouraged to create environments that foster positive mental health. The Welsh Government has also introduced the "Healthy and Active Fund" to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles among learners. By prioritizing well-being, Wales aims to support learners' holistic development and equip them with the skills needed to navigate life's challenges.

Collaboration and Partnerships:

Education in Wales benefits from a collaborative approach, where schools, educators, parents, and communities work together to create a thriving learning ecosystem. The Welsh Government actively engages with stakeholders to develop education policies and initiatives, ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered. Partnerships between schools and businesses are encouraged to bridge the gap between education and the world of work, fostering practical skills and enhancing career opportunities for learners.

Conclusion:

Education in Wales exemplifies a commitment to preserving cultural heritage, fostering inclusivity , and preparing learners for the demands of the future. Through bilingualism, the Curriculum for Wales, inclusive practices, well-being focus, and collaborative partnerships, Wales is nurturing a generation of learners who are equipped to navigate a rapidly changing world. As the nation continues to evolve, its education system stands as a testament to the belief that education is a catalyst for individual growth, societal progress, and the preservation of a nation's identity.

#Bilingualism #Education #Wales #Cultural #Heritage #Preserving #Identity #Advantages #Language

Navigating the Maze: Devolution and Constitutional Ambiguities in Welsh Politics

Exploring the fascinating history and culture of wales, discovering the best italian places in wales: a tour of casa mia, la piazza, and sergio's italian restaurant, indulge in the flavors of france: a guide to french restaurants in wales, wales: renewables, rugby, and revival of the welsh language, renewable energy: a sustainable solution for a cleaner future, featured posts, exploring the wildlife wonders: a visit to the zoo in wales, adapting to change: innovative ways welsh farmers diversify their businesses.

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Project in Wales to outline future of int’l education

Universities Wales has received funding for a new project that will support a future approach to international tertiary education in Wales.

The year-long project will look at four objectives

The project will examine the key factors supporting the future success of Welsh institutions’ international activity – across both further and higher institutions – and will bring together a network of experts from Wales, the wider UK and beyond to produce a series of recommendations.

The project will be funded by  HEFCW , and later Wales’ new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research – known as CTER – when it becomes fully operational later this year, with one of its strategic duties to promote a global outlook.

Set in the current “challenging landscape”, the new project is “particularly timely”, noted Gwen Williams, assistant director international at Universities Wales.

“The stakes are high, with direct implications for institutions’ financial sustainability,” Williams told The PIE.

“Institutions across the UK are worried about the status of their international recruitment. Even though the HESA data is still showing increases . T here’s obviously a lag there and the reality felt across the sector is quite the reverse.”

It means that t he promotion of a global outlook “ has never been more important”, Williams added. With international student recruitment set in an extremely challenging and competitive external context, Wales and its institutions “ need to become better equipped to compete globally ” .

Williams told The PIE she hopes the project will offer a forum to explore how the international activities of institutions, as well as organisations supporting the wider agenda, can adapt and evolve in a shifting global landscape.

“Are our strategies fit for purpose? Are we diversifying enough?” posed Williams.

But while recruitment is high on the agenda, the project will take a more holistic approach to international education . It is also part of a broader policy agenda in Wales around being an outward-looking, globally responsible nation, added Williams.

“ Wales’ universities and colleges have a significant network of international partners across mobility, learning and teaching and research and innovation – t he ability to grow a nd develop those partnerships is also key ”.

The year-long project has four key aims. The first is to examine the key factors supporting the future success of Welsh institutions’ international activity.

The second is to bring together a network of experts, leaders and practitioners from Wales, the wider UK and beyond.

“It’s something that we want to engage very much externally on and to learn from others,” said Williams.

The project, in its early stages, is currently looking for a wide range of voices from across the world to make up its expert panel and Universities Wales fully plans to engage with the wider sector through stakeholder consultation and workshops.

Universities Wales will also undertake significant market research to aid the evolution of its strategy.

Finally, Universities Wales will produce a report by March 2025, consisting of recommendations to CTER on its future approach to international tertiary education in Wales.

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Schools in England and Wales using ‘gender toolkit’ risk being sued by parents

Leading barrister warns that the kit – used to support gender-questioning children – is likely to be in breach of equality laws and could violate pupils’ rights

Schools in England and Wales have been warned by one of the country’s leading equality and human rights barristers that the “toolkit” many of them use to support gender-questioning children is unlawful.

The toolkit , introduced by Brighton and Hove council in 2021 and subsequently replicated by a number of other local authorities, says schools should “respect” a child’s request to change their name and pronoun as a “pivotal” part of supporting their identity, as well as other changes such as switching to wearing trousers or a skirt.

It emphasises that schools “will want to involve parents and carers in discussions”, and recommends a “watch and wait” policy when a young person first comes out to a “trusted” teacher, not pushing them in any particular direction.

But a legal opinion by Karon Monaghan of Matrix Chambers concludes that schools and councils using the toolkit are very likely to be in breach of equality and human rights legislation, and at risk of being sued by unhappy parents.

She argues that the Equality Act affords protection not only to trans-identified young people, but also to those who are gender-critical. Requiring everyone in school to use a child’s chosen pronouns would, she said, “be in direct conflict” with the beliefs of staff and children who are gender-critical, and might “violate their rights”.

The 75-page document tackles issues including toilets, sport and changing facilities. Monaghan says the toolkit is wrong to suggest that a trans pupil has a legal right to choose to use toilets designated for the opposite sex, and argues that allowing a trans girl to use a girls’ changing room could violate other pupils’ right to privacy or put them at “physical risk”.

“There is a worrying lack of appropriate guidance on safeguarding in the toolkit,” she says.

“There is an emphasis on supporting children through social transition without highlighting any of the risks that may be associated with that. As the interim report of the Cass review stated, this may not be thought of as an intervention or treatment, because it is not something that happens within health services.

“However, it is important to view it as an active intervention because it may have significant effects on the child or young person in terms of their psychological functioning.

“It anticipates that trans-identified children will access single-sex toilets, changing rooms and residential accommodation designated for children of the opposite sex. These are key milestones in social transitioning and there is no guidance on establishing the appropriateness of these steps, or any indication that external support from a clinician should be sought first.

“And nor is there any recognition or understanding of the best interests and welfare of the child who may be psychologically impacted by social transition.”

In response, Councillor Lucy Helliwell, co-chair of Brighton’s children, families and schools committee, said: “Our Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit has been developed in order to support schools, teachers, gender-questioning young people and their parents on a case-by-case basis.

“As a local authority that works to ensure all our children and young people live happy, safe and positive lives, we’ll always be committed to providing support that protects and promotes their welfare.”

The row over legal advice comes at the end of a week in which a landmark review into the medical treatment of gender-questioning children was published. The Cass review said children and young people had been let down by a lack of research and “no good evidence” on the long-term outcomes of medical interventions to manage gender-related distress, in a debate that has become exceptionally toxic.

The equality and human rights barrister Karon Monaghan

But while the findings of the Cass review were broadly welcomed by the main political parties, medical professionals and prominent transgender commentators, the debate over how to deal with children who wish to socially transition is more polarised.

The issue of how to deal with children who choose to socially transition does not involve any medical intervention, but relates to questions including whether a school should refer to a child using a different pronoun or name, what uniform they wear and access to single-sex or unisex toilets and changing facilities.

The new legal analysis by Monaghan was commissioned by a family in Brighton who are arguing that their child’s school helped their child to socially transition without their consent, because it was using the toolkit. The family wrote to the council on Friday threatening possible legal action if it does not withdraw the guidance within two weeks.

The child’s mother, who asked not to be named in order to protect the identity of her child, told the Observer : “Our child was socially transitioned at school by a group of teachers who are quite active in the trans rights arena, despite our child’s complex mental health needs, trauma and autism.”

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She said she and her husband “thought we had agreed a unique plan with the head” that the school should support only what she called a “pre-transition phase” until the child left secondary school. Instead, she said, they had been “shocked” to discover the school had supported their child socially transitioning. The family is now estranged from their child.

The mother said it was understandable that teachers were “looking for a safety net” and for advice to follow in navigating an increasingly fraught and contested area.

But she warned: “This toolkit is not just a little bit wrong, or only wrong in certain limited respects: it is catastrophically wrong from top to bottom.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “It is unacceptable for parents to be excluded from decisions regarding their children.

“Our draft guidance reflects the law, which schools have a duty to follow.

“The guidance already reflects the principles from the final Cass review, making clear that social transition should be extremely rare and any steps towards social transition should be incredibly cautious, taking account of available clinical evidence and any special educational needs, and prioritising parents’ wishes.”

Meanwhile, in a sign of how fraught the issue has become in schools, teaching unions warned that the government’s own guidance on how to deal with gender-questioning children could also lead to schools facing legal action.

It states that there is “no general duty” on schools to follow pupils’ wishes to socially transition, including using different pronouns or names, and that parents must almost always be told if their child talks to a teacher about such things.

The National Association of Head Teachers union said: “We are particularly concerned that, as it is currently drafted, aspects of the guidance may leave schools at ‘high risk’ of successful legal challenges.”

Margaret Mulholland, an inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) union, said: “Schools are doing their best to navigate this complex territory in the best interests of all the children and young people in their care.” She said this was difficult “in a climate of polarised views and risks of legal challenges”.

The union said the government’s failure to mention the mental health and wellbeing support that gender-questioning children might need was a “significant oversight”.

The ASCL told the Observer this weekend that it had called on the government “to take on and represent any legal challenges against schools” which are following its guidance.

The Observer
Transgender

Lake Wales Charter superintendent under investigation after employment grievances made

The Lake Wales Charter School District’s board of trustees has hired a Tampa law firm to investigate grievances made by three staff members within the administrative office against its superintendent.

The district’s human resources director, LaQuanda Burroughs, told the board at a March 22 special workshop meeting that she had received three confidential complaints against the public charter school district’s Superintendent Wayne Rodolfich .

At the district’s next special meeting on March 28, the board then voted to hire Babas Cremer in Tampa, a firm that specializes in employment, for its recommendation on how to handle the situation.

Cremer was selected from three proposals, which all included interviews with about 20 people as part of an investigative review of the grievances. The firm’s report is expected to be presented at an upcoming meeting of the trustees.

Burroughs said in the meeting that Rodolfich could be placed on leave if the firm recommended such an action during its investigation.

While the board was addressing how to deal with the allegations, Rodolfich continued to work outside the district’s administrative office from home and will also visit one or more of the district’s seven schools, Burroughs said. He comes into the office during the evening hours if needed.

The allegations were first discussed with few details publicly at the March 22 special meeting.

The meeting began when a statement was read aloud at the meeting by board of trustees Chairman Danny Gill.

“Today’s meeting is not to pass judgment nor make a decision on the validity of the subject matter. We do not have the direct insight, knowledge nor information to make that call,” he said.

“We’re here today to get a report from our HR director and vote on the recommendation action provided, which is an investigation of the allegations,” Gill said.

A consensus of the board agreed that the trustees needed to hire professional services outside of Polk County, as that would be in the best interest of the board and all parties involved.

A request for a copy of the complaints by a Ledger reporter was denied last week because the matter is currently under investigation, district attorney Robin Gibson wrote in an email.

Only Burroughs and Cremer know who made the complaints, Burroughs said by phone last week. She said the hope was that the firm would provide next steps within two to three weeks.

During the special work session, Gill told the board what had happened, as most of the trustees had not been brought up to speed.

He said he had received notification from Burroughs about the grievances because the board was considered her supervisor, so she had an obligation to let them know.

“Once the complaint grievance was passed on to me by the HR director, I have a duty and obligation to report that onto the board, and the only way I can do that is through a public meeting to be in the sunshine.”

He then asked Burroughs to provide further details about the situation. The remaining trustees, Gibson and Rodolfich were present. She said the allegations cited state and federal statues on employment law, including race discrimination.

She said on March 19 an employee submitted a complaint to her saying Rodolfich had created a “toxic and hostile work environment.” The complaint refers to his conduct over a year of interactions between the employee and the superintendent and it listed all the staff members in the district’s administrative office as witnesses by name.

Rodolfich is alleged to have yelled at an employee and pounded on a table at 8 a.m. March 18, the day before the grievance was submitted. Details of the incident had been reported in the grievance but not made public.

Ethics complaint: Probable cause found in complaint against Polk School Board member Lori Cunningham

“It was referred to as demoralizing and embarrassing,” Burroughs said from a prepared statement containing content and quotes from all three grievances.

“It was determined that an investigation should be conducted to determine if Dr. Rodolfich engaged in harassment and or discriminatory conduct that unreasonably interfered with an individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the process of education or which created a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive or oppressive environment or engaged in conduct that did not protect individuals from harassment or discrimination,” she said referring to the state Administrative Code.

"It has also been reported that Dr. Rodolfich has discriminated against and singled out an employee due to 'my race' in quotes," Burroughs said.

"Under Title VII (of the federal Civil Rights Act), a hostile work environment exists when the work place is permeated with discrimination, intimidation, ridicule and insult that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of the victim's employment and create an abusive work environment," she said before recommending an outside firm investigate the allegations.

Throughout the approximately 50-minute special meeting, Rodolfich gave a brief statement after Burroughs was finished with her report to the trustees.

“This is the first time that I have been made aware that anyone in my office has an issue with my communication,” he said, adding the meeting occurred after staff had returned from spring break.

“I just want everyone to understand that I was not aware that anyone was offended by anything that I had said at any meeting prior to or during because anyone that ever has been has come to my office and told me how they felt,” he said. "And I think that's much more proactive way of communicating if you have an issue with something that I have done as superintendent."

Rodolfich said he has a “spotless” record since he has been superintendent and asked for his and his family's sake that the trustees treat him with fairness.

“I do have a deep concern about the origin of these allegations and the hostility created toward me within my office as it relates to the people that are making these accusations toward me,” he said.

Rodolfich said he welcomes an investigation into his conduct. He added, “The issue that I have is the ramifications to my 30-year professional career over one incident, that is alleged to be an incident.”

He also wanted the HR activity as it relates to the grievance to be reviewed and the background of the people making the grievances looked into.

“I have a different interpretation of the meeting,” Rodolfich said.

He added that his style of leadership means he wants staff to show up for work on time and put the children’s education first. His passion is educating the children in the Lake Wales Charter Schools , and this time of year is critical for their performance in terms of their learning gains.

Rodolfich has worked for the district since July 2022. His annual salary is $178,000.

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Education in Wales
99%. This article provides an overview of education in Wales from early childhood to university and adult skills. Largely state funded and free-at-the-point-of-use at a primary and secondary level, education is compulsory for children in Wales aged five to sixteen years old. It differs to some extent in structure and content to other parts of ...
Education in Wales
Introduction. Education in Wales is changing. The prospects and life chances of our young people are improving thanks to our shared national mission of education reform. It is changing for the better, thanks to the hard work of thousands of teachers, school staff, headteachers and education partners across the country.
Education is changing
Education is changing. The national curriculum was first introduced in 1988 before on-line shopping, Google and the Cloud. Now, the world of work is different, technology is different, society is constantly changing. Our Curriculum for Wales has been designed to support young people develop the skills they need to make the most of life.
An overview of the Welsh education system
Learn about the structure, curriculum, tests and teaching of the education system in Wales, from nursery to Year 13. Find out how the new curriculum for Wales will be introduced from 2022 and what it will look like.
Education in Wales (Census 2021)
There were 588,000 schoolchildren and students in full-time education (aged 5 years and over) in Wales on census day. This represents 19.9% of usual residents aged 5 and over. Compared to 2011, the total number of school children and full-time students in Wales increased by 7,000. However, as a proportion of the population there was a slight ...
PDF Education in Wales: Our national mission
Welsh Government's website at gov.wales Related documents Education in Wales: Our national mission, Action plan 2017-21 (2017); Prosperity for All: the national strategy (2017); Teaching Tomorrow's Teachers: Options for the future of initial teacher education in Wales (2015); Taking Wales Forward 2016-2021 (2016); National model for
Education and skills
Post-16 education and skills. Includes further and higher education, adult learning and training. Pupil inclusion, wellbeing, behaviour and attendance. Includes health and wellbeing, food and drink in schools, bullying. Qualifications. Includes Qualifications Wales, exam cancellations, Welsh Baccalaureate. Running and managing a school.
Our national mission: high standards and aspirations for all
In Wales, education is our national mission. Together we will achieve high standards and aspirations for all, tackling the impact of poverty on attainment and ambition. All learners, whatever their background, are supported to be healthy, engaged, enterprising and ethical citizens, ready to play a full part in life and work.
Education Wales
Curriculum for Wales is a once in a generation opportunity to raise standards for all, close the attainment gap, and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride. Learner effectiveness is crucial in this and the Welsh Government now needs practitioners to help develop a programme for learners aged 14 to 16.
PDF Education in Wales: Our national mission
Education in Wales: Our national mission, Action plan 2017-21 Education in Wales: Our national mission, Action plan 2017-21 young people already achieve very high standards and there are examples of world-class practice right across the country. We in Wales have much to be proud of - but there is a recognition
The biggest change to Wales' education since 1988: Here's what ...
The way children are taught will change radically as new curriculum marks the biggest change in education in Wales in over 30 years. The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill made history when it ...
History of education in Wales
The history of education in Wales spans from the period of Roman rule to the present day. Early forms of formal education were church or privately run and available to only a small segment of the population. In the 17th and 18th centuries significant efforts were made, mainly by charitable causes, to expand access to basic education. ...
Major challenges for education in Wales
These differences extend to GCSE results. In England, the gap in GCSE results between disadvantaged and other pupils was equivalent to 18 months of educational progress, which is already substantial, in 2019 before the pandemic. In Wales, it was even larger at 22-23 months in 2019 and has hardly changed since 2009.
Schools in Wales: Five challenges found by Estyn
BBC Wales education and family correspondent. Schools in Wales are continuing to grapple with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, school inspectors have said.
Reforming education: the Welsh Government's mission to improve
The Education Policy Institute reported in 2021 that Wales had the highest COVID education recovery spend in the UK at £400 per pupil. An independent evaluation estimates that 2,452 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff in schools have been funded by RRRS. 62% of these are support staff and 30% are teachers. It also found the most common ...
Secondary education in Wales
Secondary schools in Wales must, by law, teach the basic and the National Curriculum to their pupils. The basic curriculum consists of religious education, sex education, personal and social education, and for 14- to 16-year-olds, work-related education. Schools must also provide careers education and guidance for all 13-16-year-olds.
Full article: Delivering education reform in Wales: a flexible route
Wales is therefore striving to improve its education system by raising standards, reducing the attainment gap and "deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and confidence" (Welsh Government, Citation 2017a, p. 3). Significantly improving ITE in Wales is integral to this and here a key feature of the reform - a new ...
Higher and Further Education in Wales
Higher education in Wales began in 1822, when St David's College, Lampeter, opened its doors. We now have eight universities, with campuses located throughout the country. Around 149,000 students are enrolled at Welsh universities, including around 25,000 international students, drawn from 132 countries. They're attracted by a culture of ...
What is the Welsh Education System?
English primary education is split into early years (nursery), key stage 1 and key stage 2. In Wales, however, the key stages no longer exist. Children aged between 3-7 years old are put into the "Foundation Stage" which has no curriculum. Instead, teachers are given the freedom to teach pupils what they deem to be important, as long as ...
Jeremy Miles: Taking Curriculum Reform Forward
Refreshing the Curriculum for Wales: The journey to 2022 document - which sets out the expectations on schools to deliver curriculum reform - to ensure it is clear, simple, and focused on the 'how' of curriculum reform. We are working collaboratively with partners to develop this and it will be published by the beginning of the autumn term.
Preserving Cultural Heritage: The Power of Bilingual Education in Wales
Education in Wales offers a bilingual advantage that goes beyond language skills. Bilingualism contributes to the preservation of Welsh culture, enhances cognitive abilities, improves communication skills, opens doors to diverse career opportunities, and fosters cultural understanding and inclusivity. As Wales continues to embrace bilingual ...
Project in Wales to outline future of int'l education
Universities Wales will also undertake significant market research to aid the evolution of its strategy. Finally, Universities Wales will produce a report by March 2025, consisting of recommendations to CTER on its future approach to international tertiary education in Wales.
Schools in England and Wales using 'gender toolkit' risk being sued by
Schools in England and Wales have been warned by one of the country's leading equality and human rights barristers that the "toolkit" many of them use to support gender-questioning children ...
Lake Wales Charter superintendent investigated after staff grievances
The Lake Wales Charter School District's board of trustees has hired a Tampa law firm to investigate grievances made by three staff members within the administrative office against its ...