Policy and strategy

Education (Wales) Act 2014

An overview of the Education (Wales) Act 2014, its passage through the Senedd and subordinate legislation.

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First published:
30 January 2024
Last updated:

Contents

Overview

The Education (Wales) Act 2014 (‘the Act’) makes provision for:

  • the reform of the General Teaching Council for Wales and its renaming as the Education Workforce Council;
  • the registration of certain persons who educate children and young people
  • the regulation of registered persons, including:
    • the obligation of registered persons to comply with a code specifying the standards of professional conduct and practice
    • the action that can be taken against a registered person
  • the sharing of information about registered persons
  • the fixing of term and holiday dates for schools in Wales
  • the times of school sessions
  • the appointment of persons to His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education in Wales
  • education functions of local authorities which, by virtue of section 25 or 26 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013, are to be treated for all purposes as exercisable by persons directed by the Welsh Ministers

The Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.

Read the full Act:

Coming into force

Sections 1, 45 to 47 and 49 to 51 came into force on 12 May 2014, which is the day the Act received Royal Assent, in accordance with section 50(1).

Section 42 also came into force on the day the Act received Royal Assent, but only in accordance with section 50(2).

Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 3 came into force at the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which this Act received Royal Assent.

The remaining provisions of this Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers in an order made by statutory instrument. The following Orders have been made:

Subordinate legislation made under the Act

Subordinate legislation made under the Act
TitleCitation numberMade dateComing into force dateSupporting documents
The Education Workforce Council (Further Education Teacher Qualifications, Periods of Absence from Work and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 on legislation.gov.uk
 		2026 No. 5123 February 202619 March 20262026 No. 51: Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Additional Categories of Registration and Further Education Teacher Qualifications) (Wales) Order 2024 on legislation.gov.uk2024 No. 613 (W. 87)8 May 202410 May 20242024 No. 613 (W. 87): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Main Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 on legislation.gov.uk2024 No. 74 (W. 21)23 January 20241 March 20242024 No. 74 (W. 21): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Additional Categories of Registration) (Wales) Order 2023 on legislation.gov.uk2023 No. 551 (W. 86)17 May 202322 May 20232023 No. 551 (W. 86): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Main Functions) (Wales) (Amendments Relating to Parental Bereavement Leave and Shared Parental Leave) Regulations 2023 on legislation.gov.uk2023 No. 378 (W. 58)28 March 202326 May 20232023 No. 378 (W. 58): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 on legislation.gov.uk2022 No. 1058 (W. 223)12 October 20227 November 20222022 No. 1058 (W. 223): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Interim Suspension Orders) (Additional Functions) (Wales) Order 20221 (on legislation.gov.uk)2021 No.350 (W. 102)17 March 20211 April 20212021 No.350 (W. 102): Explanatory Memorandum (on legislation.gov.uk)
The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 (on legislation.gov.uk)02020 No. 623 (W. 143)22 June 202015 July 20202020 No. 623 (W. 143): Explanatory Memorandum (on legislation.gov.uk)
The Education Workforce Council (Membership and Appointment) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 on legislation.gov.uk2018 No. 62 (W. 169)17 July 20189 August 20182018 No. 62 (W. 169): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2017 on legislation.gov.uk2017 No. 1023 (W. 261)25 October 20171 November 20172017 No. 1023 (W. 261): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Wales) Regulations 2017 on legislation.gov.uk2017 No. 165 (W. 46)15 February 201710 March 20172017 No. 165 (W. 46): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Training) (Additional Functions) (Wales) Order 2017 on legislation.gov.uk2017 No. 154 (W. 45)14 February 201716 February 20162017 No. 154 (W. 45): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Registration Fees) Regulations 2017 on legislation.gov.uk2017 No. 92 (W. 34)31 January 2017 1 February 2017, except article 2, which comes into force on 1 April 20172017 No. 92 (W. 34): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Registration of Youth Workers, Youth Support Workers and Work Based Learning Practitioners) Order 2016 on legislation.gov.uk2016 No. 1183 (W. 288)7 December 20161 March 2017, except articles 4, 6 and 7 which come into force on 1 April 20172016 No. 1183 (W. 288): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Registration Fees) (Wales) Regulations 2016 on legislation.gov.uk2016 No. 27 (W. 9)13 January 20161 February 2016, expect article 2 which comes into force on 1 April 20162016 No. 27 (W. 9): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Main Functions) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 on legislation.gov.uk2016 No. 6 (W. 4)6 January 20161 April 20162016 No. 6 (W. 4): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (on legislation.gov.uk)2015 No. 484 (W. 41)3 March 20151 April 20152015 No. 484 (W. 41): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Additional Functions and Revocation) (Wales) Order 2015 on legislation.gov.uk2015 No. 194 (W. 9)10 February 20151 April 20152015 No. 194 (W. 9): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Registration Fees) (Wales) Regulations 2015 on legislation.gov.uk2015 No. 195 (W. 10)10 February 20151 April 20152015 No. 195 (W. 10): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Main Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2015 on legislation.gov.uk2015 No. 140 (W. 8)3 February 20151 April 20152015 No. 140 (W. 8) : Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk
The Education Workforce Council (Membership and Appointment) (Wales) Regulations 2014 on legislation.gov.uk2014 No. 2365 (W. 229)3 September 201429 September 2014, expect for regulation 2, which comes into force on 1 April 20152014 No. 2365 (W. 229): Explanatory Memorandum on legislation.gov.uk

Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd

The Bill was introduced on 1 July 2013 by Huw Lewis AM, who was the Minister for Education and Skills at the time. The Bill was passed by Senedd Cymru (known then as the National Assembly for Wales) on 25 March 2014:

More information about the Bill and its passage through the Senedd on senedd.wales.

and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as amended at Stage 2). 

The Act received Royal Assent on 12 May 2014.

First published

30 January 2024

Last updated

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