Education in Wales Reform: How decisions are made

Our plan of action for education, Education in Wales: Our national mission, sets out how the school system will move forward over the period to 2022 with a key goal to raise standards for all, reduce the attainment gap and to deliver an educational system that is a source of national pride. 

We have a robust governance framework in place to support delivery of our programme of educational reforms under our national mission to support Welsh Ministers in the decisions made under the programme of work. 

Our Change Board provides strategic oversight of the programme with a specific focus on our key areas of reform, which are the curriculum, professional learning, and accountability. The Board is responsible for ratification of recommendations made in respect of decisions on our national mission. 

Our Delivery Board manages and progresses the programme’s operational business, monitoring delivery and performance and ensuring robust processes are followed. It makes recommendations in respect of decisions on our national mission. Delivery Board identifies and suggests action to mitigate our programme risks. 

Our Strategic Stakeholder Group provides advice to the Welsh Government and supports communication of key messages with its representative body members. The Group has a Children and Young People sub group to specifically take account of the views of children and young people in the reform journey. 

Our Independent Advisory Group provides independent expert advice to our Change Board including technical feedback and links with our Delivery Board. The Group functions as a critical friend.

Outside of our programme governance we also have a Strategic Education Delivery Group which has the role of guardianship of the effective delivery of our national mission, activity supporting the ambition of building a culture of collaboration across Government in Wales and the middle tier.