Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education
One of our Government’s key priorities is a sustained improvement in education standards. We are investing an additional £10 million in literacy and numeracy for 2025/26 to support targeted interventions for learners who need it most and to strengthen our understanding of attainment and progression across the system.
To support this ambition, I have previously announced that Wales will participate in international assessments for literacy, numeracy and science for Year 5 learners. Taking part in PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) and TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) will provide us with further information on the progress of learners at younger ages. Both studies are developed by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement).
I am pleased that, following a competitive tendering process, Pearson Plc has been appointed as the National Centre to administer TIMSS 2027 in Wales. This appointment marks an important step in our commitment to gathering high-quality data on learner outcomes in mathematics and science at primary level. Pearson is also administering PIRLS 2026 in Wales, and they are now actively recruiting schools for the 2026 literacy assessments.
In keeping with this approach, Wales is currently participating in the PISA international assessments for 15-year-olds. Schools have been administering the tests since mid-September, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to pupils, staff and schools for their continued commitment to taking part in the assessments. Like PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS will draw on a sample of schools on a voluntary basis.
As I have previously stated, this is not a return to a form of high-stakes accountability, but rather an opportunity to capture national-level data and information which will help all of us to drive improvement together. Parents can follow their child’s individual progress and receive tailored feedback through the annual Personalised Assessments.
Through this combination of PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, qualification results, evaluation work, and an updated approach to reporting on Personalised Assessments, we are building a robust national evidence base covering a range of learner age groups and skills, helping us understand and evaluate our progress in delivering a sustained improvement in education standards.