Literacy, numeracy and digital skills in adult learning in the community: government response

The (then) Minister for Education and Welsh Language commissioned Estyn (as part of its annual remit, 2024 to 2025) to review how well literacy, numeracy and digital skills are taught through adult learning in the community. The review is intended to support the Ministerial priority of basic skills for adult learning, and to help achieve the milestones set for Wales to reduce the number of working age adults in Wales with no or low qualifications. 

Following the establishment of Medr and transfer of responsibility to Medr of policy implementation and operational practices of Adult Learning in the Community (ACL), this report is also intended to inform Medr’s commitment (Strategic Aim 2) to: ‘Review adult community learning and consider how improvements can be made to essential skills and basic language provision.’

The report focuses on the provision for literacy, numeracy and digital skills for adults ‘offer’ in the adult learning in the community (ALC) sector. For many, this provision offers a second chance to develop these foundational skills, or to improve their job prospects, support their children or build the confidence to participate fully in society.

The report is structured around four themes: engagement of learners; teaching and professional learning; provision, progression and outcomes; bilingual and Welsh-medium provision of these skills

It highlights effective engagement approaches and teaching being undertaken by the sector, and of high completion rates reflecting the tailored approaches. In recognition of the diverse nature and needs of (prospective) learners, it calls for continued and strengthened work to engage; and recommends ways to improve assessment and monitoring of learners’ progression and to measure and recognise the broad range of longer-term, positive outcomes.

The report notes low demand for, and provision of these skills through the medium of Welsh and bilingually and calls for greater local collaboration with other organisations to expand on those examples of good practice in this area.

Recommendations for Medr and Welsh Government

Recommendation 1

Review the way in which data are used to measure outcomes for learners in ALC, with a new focus on how effectively provision supports learners to progress.

Recommendation 2

Develop methodologies for measuring learners’ progression and retention into, within and beyond ALC provision.

Recommendation 3

Improve opportunities for partnerships to compare and benchmark their provision offer, learners’ progression and outcomes with other partnerships.

Recommendation 4

Develop clear guidance for ALC partnerships about the expectations for their provision, with a suitable and flexible local balance of provision for:

• engagement, for those needing the first steps towards formal learning
• literacy, numeracy and digital skills
• skills to prepare adults for employment and job seeking
• well-being and personal development
• provision offered bilingually or through the medium of Welsh

Recommendation 5

Improve the availability and consistency of family learning programmes, as a means of engaging learners and potential learners in adult learning in the community provision of literacy, numeracy and digital skills.

Recommendation 6

Ensure that partnerships have robust partnership agreements between their constituent providers, setting out clearly arrangements for leadership and accountability, funding, provision, progression and quality assurance.

Recommendation 7

Promote professional learning – both accredited and non-accredited – which supports tutors to develop subject specific teaching skills.

Welsh Government response

The Welsh Government welcomes the findings in the report and where appropriate will work with Medr and partners to support the recommendations.

Recommendations 1 to 4 and 6 to 7 are for Medr.

Recommendation 5 is for Welsh Government

A Family Learning Framework, commissioned by Welsh Government and published 2 July 2025, provides a flexible model for adult education providers and schools who want to participate or develop delivery of family learning. It aims to strengthen the role of family learning as a route into further learning, skills development, employability, and employment opportunities. Welsh Government will continue to raise awareness of the framework and monitor its use to ensure it is successful in engaging with target communities.

Recommendations for Partnerships

Recommendation 8

Ensure that learners or potential learners have accessible, straightforward ways of finding out about the full partnership’s provision, which take account of the barriers that adults have in engaging in learning.

Recommendation 9

Ensure that provision planning allows learners clear pathways to progress to further levels in their learning of literacy, numeracy and digital skills.

Recommendation 10

Sharpen self-evaluation to focus more clearly on how learners progress into, through and beyond literacy, numeracy and digital provision.

Recommendation 11

Use a wide range of information to evaluate how learners progress, including outcomes and enrolment data, but also information from individual learning plans, initial and iterative assessment information and learners’ own aspirations.

Recommendation 12

Maximise opportunities to work in partnership with community organisations, schools and statutory agencies to engage new learners in provision to support literacy, numeracy and digital skills.

Recommendation 13

Identify opportunities to work in partnership to offer Welsh-medium or bilingual provision.

Recommendation 14

Ensure that professional learning for tutors has appropriate focus on developing subject specific teaching skills so that tutors have a wide range of teaching tools to meet learners’ needs.

Welsh Government response

Welsh Government welcomes and supports these recommendations which are addressed to the ACL partnerships.

Recommendation for Tutors in the sector

Recommendation 15

Ensure that their teaching practice is informed from professional learning in the subject specific pedagogy for teaching literacy, numeracy and digital skills to adults.

Welsh Government response

Welsh Government welcomes and supports this recommendation which is addressed directly to the tutors.

The report was published on 18 September 2025 and can be accessed on Estyn’s website.

Medr’s response to the recommendations can be accessed on News and Publications: Medr.