MS, Cabinet Secretary for
Education
Organisation:
Ministerial
Headteacher Advisory Group
First published:
20 March 2026
Last updated:
20 March 2026
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.
