Attainment in Numeracy, Welsh Reading and English Reading has improved in 2023/24, new statistics show.

English Reading saw attainment levels improve across all year groups compared to 2022/23. Learners in Year 3 showed sustained improvement with levels in English Reading being higher than in both 2020/2021 and 2021/22. Welsh Reading presented some improvement across Years 3 to 9, compared to 2022/23. Younger years have shown the greatest degree of improvement in Numeracy (Procedural), whilst Numeracy (Reasoning) has remained relatively stable. These statistics were published today using anonymised data from the national personalised assessments.

Personalised assessments are adaptive online assessments in four subjects taken by all learners in Years 2 to 9 in maintained schools. They aim to support learning by providing information on the reading and numeracy skills of individual learners. They highlight where learners are making progress, as well as which skills could be developed further.

Cabinet Secretary for Education Lynne Neagle said: “It is encouraging to see progress in attainment in reading and numeracy. This improvement highlights the impact our investments are making in schools to ensure every learner has the opportunity to reach their full potential. These assessments help to support all our learners in their educational journey by providing a valuable insight into their strengths and emerging skills.

“I would also like to thank our teachers and the education workforce for their hard work and dedication in supporting our learners and for their continued commitment and professionalism in responding to our national priorities.”

Headteacher Trystan Phillips at Ysgol Gymunedol Penparc in Ceredigion said: “We have evolved in our use of the Personalised Assessments to move away from their use as a summative resource to being a resource that truly influences progress. The use of the different group reports have been invaluable in not only recognising strengths and areas to improve for year groups but also showing examples and exercises that can be used. They’re very much now a device to support pupil progress”.

Estyn’s Chief Inspector, Owen Evans said: “Personalised assessments are a useful tool for schools. They enable teachers to tailor support for individual pupils and track progress over time. We are pleased to see some improvement, but schools need to work together to support attainment, and ensure there is a relentless focus on improving reading and mathematics for all learners. Estyn will continue to work to support schools, and urge leaders to use resources, such as our recent thematic review ‘Unlocking potential: Insights into improving teaching and leadership in mathematics education’ to help improve teaching and learning.”

DISABLED children in Wales have been refused additional support in Welsh schools due to claims their needs can be met through so-called universal provision, a committee heard.

Senedd Members considered a 1,454-name petition calling for a ban on the term “universal provision” – which refers to the support available to all pupils.

Parents warned councils are using the term to deny disabled children the person-centred, additional support they need in school to reach their full potential.

As part of a “transformation programme”, the Senedd passed a law in 2018 to bring in an additional learning needs (ALN) system to replace special educational needs (SEN) support.

The number of disabled children receiving support has fallen by nearly half since 2020/21 when roll-out began – with 40,000 fewer pupils receiving ALN or SEN support in 2023/24.

In 2017, then-minister Alun Davies assured the Senedd’s education committee that the cohort of pupils within the scope of the new system would be “broadly similar”.

Victoria Lightbown, who submitted the petition, cautioned “universal provision” continues to be used to deny pupils support to truly meet their needs despite guidance from ministers.

The petitioner wrote: “Despite this clarification, local authorities and members of Welsh Government continue to allow this term to be used to refuse a learner ALN status and provide additional learning provision.

“There can only be one solution and that is that this term is banned from use.

“While members of the Welsh Government still use this term when discussing ALN including during media interviews, it gives local authorities opportunity to follow suit and continue to deny ALN to learners.”

Lynne Neagle wrote to the Senedd’s petitions committee in response to the petition, apologising for a near-three month delay in replying to correspondence.

Wales’ education secretary, who chaired the education committee as it scrutinised reforms in 2017, said: “I want to be clear that ‘universal provision’ should not be a reason to deny ALN.

“However, I am aware that the term ‘universal provision’ is widely used by schools and local authorities when describing the provision… generally available to all pupils of the same age.

“Estyn’s recent thematic review of the ALN reforms reports there is confusion in schools and local authorities around what constitutes ‘universal’ provision and what is ALP. This confusion is causing difficulties when determining whether a learner has ALN.”

Ms Neagle said ministers have launched a review of the ALN system amid concerns about “complex and unclear” terminology, adding that she will outline the next steps in July.

The education secretary, who was appointed in 2024, also pointed to research by the University of Bristol centred on the importance of “generally available” support in Wales.

Politicians discussed the petition during a meeting of the petitions committee on June 16, with members agreeing to keep the petition open until after July’s update.

Vaughan Gething, who appointed Ms Neagle as education secretary during his stint as First Minister, said implementation of ALN reforms has been “a real issue”.

 “But… I don’t want the petition to take on a life of its own,” he said, cautioning the petition committee not to duplicate the ongoing work of an education committee inquiry.

He told Senedd Members it would be very unhelpful to take a “twin-track” approach, with the petitions committee commenting on the five-year inquiry into ministers’ education reforms.

FINANCIAL pressures on schools and wider public services are exacerbating pupil behaviour problems, with “wholly inadequate” health support, trade unions warned.

Claire Armitstead, director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, warned behaviour has significantly changed post-pandemic.

She told Senedd Members: “We see challenging behaviour happening for young children… we see behaviour becoming more aggressive… more aggressive than we’ve ever seen.”

Ms Armitstead warned worsening school behaviour increases teachers’ workloads, stress and anxiety, “creating the conditions where people no longer want to stay in the profession”.

Appearing before the Senedd education committee on June 18, she raised concerns about financial pressures forcing schools to cut emotional and mental health support.

“School funding means we’re at a point where we’re nearly at just statutory provision,” she said. “Those people who helped those children change the way they behaved and gave them a life chance they probably would never have without them, they won’t be in schools.”

Laura Doel, national secretary at the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru, added that worsening behaviour shows the impact of the “desperate” situation facing schools.

She told the committee: “They cut the pastoral staff because they’re non-statutory, we have challenges in additional learning needs where we have learners in mainstream.

“For some children, it just isn’t suitable for them – we can’t cater for their needs… there’s nowhere else for them to go, so the pressure is on schools to retain them.”

Ms Doel described the number of educational psychologists in Wales and the waiting list for child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) as “wholly inadequate”.

She said: “Social services are incredibly stretched with more pressure being put on schools to then step into that space. We can’t continue to do that.

“That will, undoubtedly, have an impact on retention of teachers because they are being asked more and more of the things that they didn’t go into the profession for.”

Ms Doel warned: “At the moment, we’re not seeing any significant move from this government to challenge those behavioural issues that we’ve got.”

She welcomed a summit on behaviour organised by ministers “but what we really need is those people on the ground to be able to build those relationships with learners”.

Ms Armitstead added: “A child with a plan for suicide and very unwell: 28 days for intervention by Camhs. The mental health of our cohorts has significantly worsened [but] the times for them to get the help they need has significantly increased.”

She stressed: “Behaviour is a symptom, not a cause. We haven’t got the multi-agency working to address the cause… health has pulled back so much for education – they are not playing their role in this community where we work together.”

Ms Armitstead, a headteacher for 15 years, said Wales needs multi-agency working or schools need to be funded to deliver those services.

Neil Foley, vice-president of the ASCL and headteacher of Prestatyn High School, warned the expectation is enormous with schools stepping in to fill the gap.

He told the committee: “The link between home and school has been severed, so when a child misbehaves, they have their phone out in class or they’re caught with a vape – we are met with challenge from home as well.”

Mr Foley added: “We can do everything we can but if we don’t get support from home, behaviour initiatives and everything that we’ve put in place – the longevity is not there because the parents are not supportive.”

Giving evidence to the committee’s inquiry on teacher recruitment and retention, the witnesses warned of “toxic” workloads and “mission creep”, raising the example of headteachers acting as caretakers due to a lack of funding to recruit.

Ms Armitstead told the committee: “The reality is – because the workload is so enormous – if you don’t love it, you can’t do it.”

The former headteacher warned of an “almost exponential” increase in abuse faced by school staff on social media, with “hatred breeding hatred”.

“Pre-pandemic, teachers and school leaders were seen as having positive intent, whether we agreed or not – our intent was never questioned,” she said.

“But now our intent is questioned – and publicly.”