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.
