Estyn annual remit: 2026 to 2027

The specific advice required by the Welsh Government in 2026 to 2027

1a) Detailed reports and, where appropriate, other resources drawing on evidence from thematic inspections 

Area of Learning and Experience review: Health and Well-being

This will be the third in a series of reviews of Areas of Learning and Experience within the Curriculum for Wales. This will focus on the full age range from 3 to 16 years. The review will cover curriculum planning, teaching, assessment, and learner progress. The report will highlight effective practice.

Duration: standard review.

How schools are working to reduce the impact of poverty on attainment and well-being, with a focus on the impact of curriculum and teaching.

The impacts of poverty are being felt across the school sector. This review will provide insight into the pressures in the system and the impacts on learners and practitioners. It will highlight schools that are successfully enabling learners from low-income households to make strong progress. The report will specifically consider how the Pupil Development Grant is used to support and improve teaching; and the extent to which and how external evidence is used to inform teaching approaches.

Duration: standard review.

Development of learners' digital skills and competencies 

This review will look at how schools are supporting learners to develop their digital skills and competencies across the curriculum. It will explore the range of issues that learners and practitioners face in accessing and using technology to learn digitally, including any impact that using technology has, positively or negatively, on their health and well-being. It will highlight effective practice.

Duration: standard review.

Supporting learners in specialist settings in mainstream education

This review will look at how specialist units in mainstreams schools operate to provide clarity on the current local and national delivery model and inform future policy. This includes but is not limited to remit, learner profile, staffing expectations, level of need supported, curriculum arrangements, the use of a diagnosis as an entry criterion, identifying effective practice, what’s going well and what needs to improve. This will inform policy, a national ‘definition’ for specialist units in mainstream settings, to inform legal status and data collection.

Duration: standard review.

Anti-racism in schools and PRUs

This review will look at how well schools and PRUs are developing, embedding and sustaining an anti-racist culture in line with the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. It will include an evaluation of how curriculum approaches are supporting this. It will consider how well providers identify, record and respond to racist incidents, and how they learn from these incidents to prevent recurrence. This review will consider how schools are implementing anti-racism professional learning, and how this influences practice and culture. The report will highlight effective practice.

In carrying out this review, Estyn will liaise with members of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan education sub-group to ensure a focus on the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan goals to improve the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic learners; and teachers in schools to reduce the experience of racism including in the experiences of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller learners.

Duration: standard review.

Post-16 education experiences for learners with ALN (year 1 of 2)

This review will look at the experience of learners with ALN through 16 to 19 education and how individual development plans support good outcomes in learners’ progress and well-being. This includes consideration of how well providers work with schools and other partners to advise, guide and prepare learners for their post-16 destination, whether learners at this stage are in a secondary school, special school, PRU or EOTAS. 

The review will consider the availability and accessibility of provision for learners with ALN in post-16 provision and identify any barriers to learners being able to progress on their preferred pathway. The review should consider the quality of support learners receive from their post-16 education provider in line with the ALN Code. The review should also consider how well providers work with partners to advise, guide and prepare learners for their post-19 destination. The review, at all stages, should consider how well providers work with families and other partners in supporting good outcomes for learners.

This review will start in 2026 to 2027 and complete in 2027 to 2028 to allow tracking of learners through their transition to post-16 education. Estyn will work with both Welsh Government and Medr officials in delivering this review.

Duration: large review.

1b) Ongoing advice based on evidence from inspection, engagement work and other activity

Estyn provides advice to Welsh Government and support for decision making in a range of areas. During 2026 to 2027, Estyn will continue to gather information from inspection activity and engagement work to support the Welsh Government’s priorities for the education and training sectors. This will result in ongoing advice through meetings with Welsh Government officials and inform Estyn’s contributions to national working groups, written advice, published guidance or reports.

Based on evidence gathered from inspections, engagement work and other activity, Estyn will also provide updates and advice on:

• the impact that professional learning has on improving the quality of teaching and learner progress in setting, schools, PRUs and colleges.
• the development of Welsh language skills in Welsh-medium settings, schools and colleges. 
• the successes and challenges in supporting settings, schools and PRUs in Estyn follow-up.
• support for learners at risk of not being in education, employment or training (NEET). 
• developing the Expressive Arts in settings and schools. 
• ensuring effective safeguarding practices are in place.

1c) Continue to work with Welsh Government, local authorities, and Dysgu to support schools and PRUs causing concern to support schools with standards in literacy and numeracy, and to support schools to reduce absenteeism

Estyn will continue to work with partners to ensure that their monitoring and support for schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) causing concern dovetails with the school improvement support provided by others.

Estyn will continue to work with partners to promote high standards in literacy and numeracy and promote effective approaches to support attendance. 

1d) Enhanced focus on reading in inspection activity

From September 2026 Estyn to launch a 3 year enhanced focus on reading in all inspection and engagement work where relevant, supported by live and virtual events to share best practice with education providers. 

1e) Undertake joint inspections with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) of Section 5 safeguarding procedures

Estyn will undertake joint inspections with CIW of one local authority within each Health Board region in Wales to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of revised Section 5 safeguarding procedures across Wales.

1f) Other areas on which Welsh Government may require advice and support regarding education and training in Wales

Estyn also provides ongoing support in:

• school closure and reorganisation proposals.
• development of the revised National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).
• registration of independent schools, including material change requests.
• inspection and regular monitoring of independent schools, including those registered to provide additional learning provision.
• inspection and regular monitoring of all independent specialist colleges in Wales.
• development of qualifications and inspection arrangements for any proposed new initial teacher training and continuing professional development requirements for teachers, tutors, and trainers in the lifelong learning sector.
• follow up work in respect of Local Education Authorities.
• work with the Welsh Government Central Honours team to contribute any relevant intelligence as part of their process for validating honours citations for professionals within education and training providers.
• background information for Ministerial meetings and visits to schools and other providers.
• Senedd questions.