Written Statement: Update on the Ministerial Headteacher Advisory Group

I am pleased to provide an update on the work of the Ministerial Headteacher Advisory Group (MHAG). As per the Terms of Reference, I am updating members on the progress that the group has made since its establishment.

The group has had 8 days of meetings since June 2025 and has explored a broad range of issues that are affecting schools and the wider education system.  Four sub-groups were established. Each sub‑group has led on a specific priority and presented findings and considerations to me during the most recent meeting:

• The Inclusion sub-group reflected on what an inclusive system should look like in practice and considered the key conditions needed to strengthen inclusion across Wales.
• The Curriculum sub-group explored and updated on system‑wide approaches that would support reading as a national priority, looking at alignment across professional learning, resources and progression expectations, including with Dysgu and CAL:ON
• The Strategic Education Workforce Plan (SEWP) sub-group considered how to attract and retain a high‑quality workforce and considered what a coherent, developmental pathway for teaching assistants could look like within a modern, flexible system.
• The Leadership and Improvement sub-group provided feedback on how to embed collaboration as a core feature of school improvement, including how national bodies and local networks can support coherent practice across Wales.

These proposals have been embedded in our thinking on these areas of policy and fed back directly into the Strategic Education Workforce Plan for schools, which was announced on 18 March 2026. They have also provided feedback and insights on policy areas including:

• Professional learning and leadership
• School governance review 
• Mobile phone guidance
• Consultation on revised professional standards 
• Whole-school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing
• Personalised assessments and age-related expectations
• Guidance on handling allegations of abuse. 

I would like to thank the members of the Ministerial Headteacher Advisory Group for their continued commitment and valuable contributions, and they will continue to meet as system leaders to support official level policy thinking over the coming weeks.