Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Supporting the Education Workforce

Extract from proceedings in the Welsh Parliament

Statement by Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and the Welsh Language

I've made it clear that we cannot support the well-being of pupils and provide high-quality education unless the workforce feel that they are being supported. That means that workforce well-being must be at the forefront of everything that we do. Tackling workload must be a priority. The managing workload and reducing bureaucracy group, comprising key stakeholders from the education community, has identified and considered significant issues that have an impact on workload. The group is soon to sign off its recommendations, but I'm expecting proposals that will make a significant difference, such as ensuring that the term 'mock inspection' becomes obsolete, clarification around expectations for lesson planning and quality control particularly in primary schools, and ensuring all future communication and guidance is streamlined. I will also be establishing a new process within the education department, where all policies and reforms must consider the implications for workload.

An education system is only as good as the quality of its teachers. I am proud that we have such a dedicated workforce, and I know that they welcome the steps that we're taking towards a system driven by career-long professional learning. Later this week, I will be publishing the new national professional learning entitlement. This will bring together a package of professional learning for the entire education workforce so that anyone, wherever they are based in Wales, can benefit from it. This will be a live entitlement, curated as it evolves. It will make it easier for practitioners to access professional learning programmes, and it will set out our clear expectations on what every professional in Wales should be entitled to. If that entitlement is not currently in place, we will work at pace with partners to improve the offer.

Our national offer must be consistent and of the highest quality. I can therefore announce we will introduce a new validation process to ensure all national professional learning is quality assured and recognised. I am also pleased to inform you that a new cross-regional website has gone live today. The website will provide equitable access to information regarding professional learning provision for practitioners across Wales, together with open access to the Curriculum for Wales professional learning offer across all regions. The site will continue to develop so that it provides universal access to further professional learning opportunities and resources. The new validation process and the new cross-regional website are important steps towards ensuring that we have a consistent, validated, reputable offer that is available to all.212

Recognising the additional burden on education staff, particularly following the pandemic, and to support the professional learning entitlement, I am consulting on extending the provision of an additional in-service training day for the next three academic years, and I would encourage everyone with an interest to respond to the consultation.213

To strengthen professional learning and support we have made improvements to statutory induction, following a public consultation in the spring. From this term, we are providing funding for trained mentors to support all newly qualified teachers throughout induction. A national programme of professional learning has also been developed, regardless of whether NQTs are working on a contract or supply basis.214

On curriculum implementation, we provided flexibility to secondary schools to commence in either 2022 or 2023. My officials continue to share early plans with teaching unions, addressing their concerns where possible, and in some cases, adjusting plans in response to wider workload considerations. Research on the early experiences of curriculum realisation will begin this term, allowing us to understand what is working well and what lessons we can learn moving forward to help us best support practitioners.215

Similarly, I have continued to listen to concerns raised about the pressures facing the workforce to meet the timeline for moving children to the new additional learning needs system. Last spring, I announced an extra year to move the first group of children. With strong commitment across Wales to deliver improved outcomes for children and young people with additional learning needs, we continue to support the sector with £21 million annually over the next two years to boost capacity and implementation support. It is heartening to learn that families are reporting positively on their experiences so far.216

The devolution of teachers' pay, terms and conditions presented Wales with an opportunity to forge a new path to support our workforce, and that is what we have done. We have taken a social partnership approach, working with the teaching profession to help provide higher salaries and allowances for both new and experienced teachers when compared, for example, to England. We will work with stakeholders on a comprehensive review of the structure of teachers' pay and conditions, providing further opportunities to develop a more distinct national system, not only improving and enhancing the system, but making it fairer and more transparent.217

For too long supply teachers have not felt supported enough. Working with Plaid Cymru, we are taking action to address that. Over the coming months, I will be setting out significant reforms that will look at the system as a whole, and ensure that supply staff are fairly rewarded for the work that they do. Teaching assistants are also an integral part of our education workforce, which is why I have already set out a number of actions that we will take to support them, including addressing their specific workforce issues and professional learning.218

As I've said, well-being support is vital, Dirprwy Lywydd. In the spring, I announced increased funding to support the mental health and well-being of the education workforce, with funding of £1.2 million this financial year, rising to £3 million by 2024-25. We continue to fund the charity Education Support, who provide bespoke, tailored support for mental health and well-being to the education workforce. Wider well-being support is also being scoped, working with stakeholders, employers and unions.219

Dirprwy Lywydd, as a Government, we remain wholly committed to supporting the education workforce. We have made strong progress over the last year, and I am determined to keep up this momentum so that we continue to support our workforce in helping them to raise standards and aspirations in our classrooms.

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