Ken Skates meets Wrexham teachers to discuss Welsh Government education reforms

Member of the Senedd Ken Skates visited a Wrexham primary school to talk with teachers ahead of the introduction of new Welsh Government education legislation.

The Clwyd South MS spent an afternoon at Rhosymedre Community Primary School on Thursday (June 23) in his role on the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee, which is monitoring the implementation of two key education reforms as they are being rolled out throughout the current Senedd term (2021-2026).

Mr Skates said: “I love visiting Rhosymedre School and it was a really productive afternoon. I’m grateful to the staff for their time and their feedback, which was incredibly helpful.”

The two reforms being introduced are the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 and the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018.

Mr Skates said: “The new curriculum is a shift away from what has gone before which will give schools the flexibility to design their own teaching programme within a broad national framework. The aim is to empower teachers, who know their pupils best. I believe it’s an innovative approach, and it’s something that was also welcomed by staff on a recent visit to Ysgol y Waun in Chirk.”

The new curriculum is being introduced in primary schools in September 2022.

The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) reforms affect around one in five pupils. Under the 2018 Act, every learner with ALN will be given a statutory Individual development plan setting out their needs and what interventions they require. The new arrangements are being phased in over a three-year period from September 2021 to July 2024.