Schools
Standards and attainment, the curriculum and exams, additional learning needs, attendance and behaviour, teachers, and school funding.
In the Programme for Government this sits under the well-being objective Raising standards in our schools, and ensuring the best conditions for learning.
Have your say: 3 open consultations on this subject
- Developing a mobile phone policy: draft guidance for schools, closes 2 December 2026
- Future options of the school milk subsidy scheme (SMSS) in Wales, closes 4 January 2027
- Literacy progression detail guidance, closes 22 January 2027
Showing the theme Teachers. The Programme commitments are the brief's as a whole.
- Statements and debates
- 1
- Contributions
- 2,028
- Written questions
- 209
On this page
The debate so far
The Seventh Senedd has debated schools mainly through the PISA results and the new foundational literacy and numeracy plan, and through funding for additional learning needs (ALN) in the supplementary budget. Other themes were pay for school support staff, mobile phones, behaviour and attendance, teacher recruitment, and school funding and closures. Reform UK and the Conservatives pressed on standards. Labour pressed on ALN money and support staff.
The main arguments
- On PISA, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) called the results deeply disappointing and published a literacy and numeracy plan. Helen Jenner (Reform UK) called it a national emergency. Sam Rowlands (Welsh Conservatives) urged learning from England.
