Lynne Neagle MS, Cabinet Secretary for Education
In January I launched a consultation on using data and information to support learning and improvement and a proposed framework for reporting on 14 to 16 learning in schools. Today, I am updating Members on the outcome of that consultation and our next steps.
The consultation outlined a set of ‘information ecosystem’ principles to ensure a shared understanding of how data and information should be used across the education system and to provide assurance on how the Welsh Government uses the data that it already collects. These principles underpin a shift away from accountability-driven practices towards a culture that empowers the education workforce to focus on individual learner progression. They also support a system-wide approach to using data effectively, enabling us to make meaningful improvements across the sector in an inclusive way.
The consultation also proposed the 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework to support 14 to 16 learning under the Curriculum for Wales. This will provide a fuller and more balanced picture of 14 to 16 learning in schools without introducing additional data collection burdens. The Framework has been designed to support transparency and openness around the information available to learners, parents, and the wider public, helping to build a clearer, more holistic understanding of how schools are supporting learner progression.
The consultation closed in March and all responses have been independently analysed by Miller Research and collated into a report which is available on the Welsh Government website.
Responses have provided us with valuable feedback to support the continued development and implementation of both the information ecosystem principles and the 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework, helping us to ensure that the new arrangements will be clearly understood and better tailored to support learners, whilst minimising unintended impacts on the education workforce. We will demonstrate how we are addressing workload concerns as this work progresses.
Alongside the consultation, a series of 14 to 16 leadership events were held across Wales, where around 150 secondary school leaders attended workshops focused on self-evaluation and the use of data to support improvement. Additional feedback on the proposals was gathered through these events and has further helped our understanding.
A high-level Decisions Report, providing information on the key decisions I have made in relation to taking the proposals forward, is available on the Hwb website. The report shows how the evidence has informed my decisions and our next steps.
As we proceed, I will ensure direction is clear on the purpose of both the information ecosystem principles and the 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework, and how I expect them to be used to support our Curriculum for Wales aspirations. This is in readiness for implementation of the Framework to report on outcomes for the first year 11 cohort under Curriculum for Wales in summer 2027.
Over the next months, officials will engage with partners to refine the detail of these new arrangements and begin scoping the development of supporting digital tools and reporting systems. We will publish this detail as it is confirmed and I will provide a further update to Senedd Members as the work progresses.