Environment (Wales) Act 2016 Part 1 - Section 62024/25

Introduction and context

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales. Established by the Education (Wales) Act 2014, we regulate education practitioners in 13 different registration categories spanning schools, further education (FE), youth work, and adult/work-based learning. Our Register of Education Practitioners is the most wide-ranging register of education professionals in the world, with over 91,000 practitioners registered.

The EWC recognises that biodiversity and ecosystem resilience in Wales are under increasing pressure from a range of environmental influences. Although our core regulatory functions do not relate directly to biodiversity, land management, or nature recovery, we understand that our organisational behaviours, policies, and procurement decisions can contribute meaningfully to environmental goals and support the sustainable management of natural resources (SMNR). Biodiversity considerations are therefore embedded within our business planning processes and inform our day-to-day organisational operations.

The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 requires the EWC to report on what we, as an organisation, have done to comply with the section 6 biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty every third year. Within the legislation the EWC falls within minimum reporting category group 1, and is therefore required to report on National Nature Recovery Action Plan (NRAP) Objectives 1, 4, and 6. This report provides an overview of our progress in relation to these three NRAP objectives, and reaffirms our commitment to embedding the Section 6 duty across all relevant areas of our work.

Highlights, key outcomes and issues

Since 2022, we have achieved meaningful progress across several areas.
As part of our role as a professional regulator, EWC has supported increased awareness of environmental issues among registrants. In February 2025, we published an episode of our ‘Sgwrsio’ podcast on education and the environment, sharing research and practice-based insights to support climate and environmental literacy and promote outdoor and nature-focused learning across Wales.

Virtual meetings are encouraged as standard practice to reduce travel and associated carbon emissions. This includes the majority of our Fitness to Practise hearings, with 48 of 53 hearings held virtually during 2024-25, and 39 of the 41 hearings held so far in 2025-26 also being virtual (as at 31 December 2025).

We have worked to ensure that we are compliant with the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023, and actively support Welsh Government’s Towards Zero Waste policy by reducing, reusing, and recycling resources wherever possible. We also go beyond compliance through providing staff with facilities to recycle soft plastics, and food.

In October 2025, EWC partnered with Cardiff Council to offer staff a volunteering opportunity at the Howardian Local Nature Reserve as part of its wellbeing programme. Colleagues supported local biodiversity through practical conservation activities, including vegetation management, pathway clearance, habitat creation, and litter picking.

NRAP objective 1: Engage and support participation and understanding to embed biodiversity throughout decision making at all levels

Our Strategic Plan (2025–28) sets out our intention to minimise our environmental impact and embrace sustainable practices across all areas of activity. This commitment is reinforced within our annual operational plans, with environmental sustainability integrated into relevant sub-objectives.

Although opportunities for direct biodiversity action are limited, the measures EWC takes are embedded within the day-to-day work of the Corporate Services function, ensuring that environmental responsibility forms part of routine operational decisions.

Through our internal communications, we have worked to raise awareness and understanding of biodiversity among staff, helping to support environmentally informed choices across the organisation. This has included sharing information encouraging recycling, and posting content on our staff intranet, offering practical tips to encourage sustainable habits and reduce waste.

Relevant training is offered as part of the all-staff training programme, with an Environmental Awareness module available through our external training provider (iHasco). This can be accessed by staff at any time upon request and staff participation is actively encouraged.

As a professional regulator, the EWC has also worked to broaden professional understanding of environmental issues amongst our registrants. In February 2025, we released an episode of our Podcast (Sgwrsio) on the topic of education and the environment, exploring effective approaches to climate and environmental literacy. Available for free to our 91,000 registrants, the episode highlighted practical ways educators in Wales can integrate outdoor and nature-focused learning.

NRAP objective 4: Tackle key pressures on species and habitats

The EWC attempts to mitigate climate change, reduce energy consumption, and increase decarbonisation by:

• occupying sustainably located office space near Cardiff city centre, providing convenient access to public transport links
• adopting hybrid working arrangements that reduce commuting emissions
• using movement-sensitive lighting, to help ensure electricity is only used when needed
• sending external communications via email, reducing paper consumption
• using public transport whenever possible, helping to minimise greenhouse gas emissions by choosing lower-impact transport options
• providing a space for secure cycle storage outside the office building, and shower and changing facilities, for use by the numerous staff who cycle to work on a regular basis

Virtual meetings are encouraged as standard practice to reduce travel, and support low-carbon operations. This includes the overwhelming majority of our Fitness to Practise (FtP) hearings (involving registrants from across Wales), which would otherwise generate significant travel-related carbon emissions. During 2024-25, 48 of 53 FtP hearings were held virtually, and this trend is set to continue in 2025-26.

We are proud to comply with the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023, and seek to reduce, reuse, and recycle resources where possible, through recycling waste appropriately, replacing disposable plastic cups with glassware, donating unwanted office equipment to charitable causes, using recycled products, and encouraging minimal stationery consumption.

We have been actively supporting Welsh Government’s Towards Zero Waste policy - meeting workplace waste-separation requirements by providing clearly marked recycling bins, and ensuring waste is properly sorted throughout the office. Building on this, since June 2025 a small food caddy bin has been installed in the kitchen for the disposal of food waste and teabags, and the number of bins around the office was significantly reduced in order to encourage recycling.

Since summer 2025, an additional bin has also been installed in the staff kitchen for the disposal of soft plastics. These are kindly taken to be recycled by one of our staff members, as there is currently no Local Authority provision for the recycling of these materials.

EWC prioritises ethical supply chains when sourcing office goods and services, including cleaning supplies. EWC suppliers are required to use sustainable management practices and environmentally friendly products as part of our procurement processes.

When purchasing new PCs and laptops, we participate in the Lenovo CO₂ Offset scheme. This estimates carbon emissions across the average lifecycle of each device and enables us to offset these emissions by purchasing carbon credits. The credits support verified climate action projects, including those accredited under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Gold Standard®, Climate Action Reserve, and United Nations programmes, which are designed to reduce CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere.

We have reduced the number of printers across our offices, partly in order to lower energy consumption and reduce the environmental footprint associated with running and maintaining multiple devices. Having fewer printers also promotes more mindful printing practices, which reduces paper and toner use, helping to conserve resources and limit the indirect impacts of production and waste on ecosystems.

In October 2025 the EWC teamed up with Cardiff Council as part of our wellbeing programme to offer staff the opportunity to part in volunteering activities at the Howardian Local Nature Reserve. Colleagues who attended helped clear and cut back overgrown areas to make pathways more accessible. The cuttings were then used to build a dead hedge, creating a valuable habitat for insects and other wildlife. The team also got involved in a variety of other conservation tasks, including vegetation management, raking reed beds, and litter picking. These activities helped support local biodiversity while also promoting team cohesion and wellbeing through allowing colleagues to spend time together in natural surroundings, get active and make a positive difference to the local environment.

NRAP objective 6: Put in place a framework of governance and support for delivery

The EWC has a clear framework of policies, objectives, performance indicators, and monitoring arrangements that support our environmental commitments;

• progress against the Operational Plan is monitored through quarterly review reports that are shared with Council members, ensuring transparency and accountability
• report progress in relation to objectives relevant to environmental sustainability within our Annual Report and Accounts each year, providing an organisational overview of performance and improvement
• the EWC Corporate Services Manager is responsible for implementing biodiversity actions and identifying opportunities for further measures
• the Director of Finance and Corporate Services reviews and monitors compliance with the Section 6 Biodiversity Duty on an annual basis
• staff participation in biodiversity-related activities is encouraged and supported through the EWC Volunteering Policy

Review of s6 duty

The EWC’s Strategic Plan 2025–28, together with the supporting operational plans produced on an annual basis, provides a clear framework for embedding the Section 6 biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty within organisational priorities. While EWC’s core regulatory functions do not directly involve land management, the duty has strengthened our focus on environmental sustainability across corporate services, procurement, staff engagement, and operational decision-making.

The Section 6 duty has also reinforced our organisational understanding of the role that an office-based organisation can play in supporting biodiversity through its behaviours, policies, and partnerships. This is reflected in actions to reduce waste and improve recycling, decarbonisation achieved through hybrid working and virtual hearings, the application of ethical and sustainable procurement principles, staff awareness-raising activities, and participation in biodiversity-related volunteering initiatives, as outlined elsewhere in this report.

Notwithstanding this progress, we acknowledge the need for continued improvement to embed biodiversity considerations more consistently across organisational decision-making, and to strengthen how environmental impacts, both positive and negative, are measured and reported.
We will also remind staff of the training available to them on environmental awareness, and encourage their participation in this.

We will continue to identify additional actions that the EWC can take, informed by best practice elsewhere, while enhancing our understanding of (and ability to evidence) our impacts on biodiversity, recognising the role this plays in shaping organisational culture and supporting longer-term environmental sustainability.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, striving to play our part in the creation of a fairer Wales. As the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales we actively work to promote fairness and equity, both inside our organisation and (within our remit) across the wider education workforce.

We are dedicated to eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations between individuals of all backgrounds. Guided by our values (fairness, support, excellence, collaboration, and independence), our Strategic Equality Plan 2024-28 sets out our commitment to ensuring that our workforce and the education professionals we regulate reflect the diversity of Wales. This includes:

• building an inclusive EWC team that values and embraces different perspectives, ensuring fairness in recruitment, retention, and career progression
• creating an accessible and supportive workplace where employees feel respected, safe, and empowered to succeed
• promoting diversity in the education workforce, working with partners to break down barriers and encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in education
• ensuring our services are accessible to all registrants and stakeholders, removing barriers to engagement and participation
• driving anti-racist and inclusive practices in line with Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan and LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales

We recognise the vital role that diversity plays in shaping a fair, representative, and forward-thinking education sector and believe that a more diverse education workforce enriches learning environments, enhances decision-making, and strengthens the sector’s ability to meet the needs of all learners and young people.

We are committed to continuous improvement, accountability, and engagement to make the EWC, and the education workforce in Wales, more inclusive for everyone. We invite all our registrants and stakeholders to join us in this work.

Download our Strategic Plan 2025-28

Download our Strategic Plan 2025-28 - plan on a page

Foreword from our Chief Executive and Chair

This Strategic Plan sets out how we will deliver our core statutory functions, from 2025 to 2028, working in the public interest to maintain professionalism and enhance standards within the education workforce in Wales.

Our priority must be robust registration and regulation. This means that only those that we consider suitable and qualified to practice shall join the public Register of over 90,000 education professionals in Wales. Once registered, we will help our registrants to adhere to the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice and in doing so, demonstrate high professional standards through their work and behaviours. Where concerns are raised about a registrant, we will investigate their fitness to practise and, if necessary, take appropriate action to protect the public, safeguard learners and young people, and maintain the integrity of the profession.

We will continue to quality-assure the entry programmes leading to qualified teacher status in Wales. This work provides confidence to learners and young people, parents/guardians, and the public as to the excellence of the next generation entering the workforce.

However, as a workforce council, our statutory responsibilities are not exclusively regulatory in nature. The EWC will operate alongside government and other stakeholders to promote careers in the education professions in Wales and provide robust, evidence-based advice on workforce matters and wider education policy. To do this, we make full use of the unique intelligence we possess through the Register of Education Practitioners. We also remain strongly committed to fulfilling our distinct role in delivering key national priorities including Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, the 10-year Welsh in Education Plan, Cymraeg 2050, and implementing the Curriculum for Wales.

As an independent, professional regulator, the EWC must demonstrate that it acts in the public interest, and safeguards learners and young people. We do this by carrying out our statutory functions effectively. It is also essential that we make our work visible so that there is trust and confidence in what we do. As such, this Strategic Plan places a strong emphasis on effective communication and engagement with our registrants, the public, and our stakeholders.

However, there continue to be some gaps in the EWC’s statutory functions, for example in relation to the establishment of minimum qualifications for each category of registration, the professional accreditation of such qualifications, and the custodianship of professional standards. We will continue to highlight these anomalies to government and others, aiming to strengthen the EWC’s underpinning legislation. This will support the EWC to robustly maintain standards amongst education practitioners, and safeguard learners, young people, and the public, as it was set up to do.

We are committed to ongoing improvement and will systematically review our processes, procedures, and technologies to ensure registrants and stakeholders receive a high-quality service. At the same time, we will operate as cost-effectively as possible, ensuring that our registration fees remain among the lowest of any regulated profession both in the UK, and also worldwide.

We look forward to working with you to deliver this Strategic Plan.

Eithne Hughes, Chair | Hayden Llewellyn, Chief Executive

Our role and remit

Vision

To be a trusted, independent, professional regulator that works in the public interest to maintain professionalism and enhance standards within the education workforce in Wales.

Purpose

The Education (Wales) Act 2014 formally sets out our aims and functions.

Our aims

• Contribute to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning in Wales.
• Maintain and improve standards of professional conduct amongst teachers and others who support teaching and learning in Wales.
• Safeguard the interests of learners, parents/guardians, and the public, and maintain public trust and confidence in the education workforce.

Our functions

• Establish and maintain a Register of Education Practitioners.
• Maintain a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice.
• Investigate and hear allegations that may call into question a registered practitioner’s fitness to practise.
• Accredit and monitor programmes of Initial Teacher Education.
• Provide advice to Welsh Government and others.
• Monitor induction and hear induction appeals.
• Promote careers in the education workforce.
• Undertake specific grant funded work, at the invitation of Welsh Government, in areas that are relevant to our remit and aligned with our commitment to enhancing educational standards and outcomes.

The way we work

Our culture, capabilities, and infrastructure shape how we approach our role as an independent, professional regulator, and as an employer.

Our values

Fairness

We act fairly, and with integrity, to maintain standards and promote professionalism.

Support

We empower the education workforce to maintain high standards of conduct and practice, acting as self-regulating individuals who uphold the integrity of their profession.

Excellence

We pursue excellence and endeavour to provide a high-quality service for registrants, stakeholders, learners and young people, parents/guardians, and the public.

Collaboration

We work in partnership with the education workforce, and other stakeholders, to develop and promote excellence in teaching and learning.

Independence

We are independent, and regulate in a way that is impartial and based on evidence.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Our Strategic Equality Plan (SEP) 2024-28 explains how we will work to drive positive change, both inside our organisation, and across the wider education workforce in Wales. It is guided by five strategic objectives:

1. Build a diverse and inclusive EWC team
2. Monitor the gender pay gap and identify opportunities to reduce it
3. An inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated
4. Deliver accessible services for registrants and stakeholders
5. Help develop an education workforce that is representative of the diverse population of Wales

Our equality objectives are underpinned by an ambitious action plan that incorporates initiatives from Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, 10-year Welsh in Education Workforce Plan (in which we are a key partner or lead), and LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales.

The Welsh language

As a proudly bilingual organisation, we are committed to promoting and preserving the Welsh language. We offer all of our services in both Welsh and English, ensuring that everyone can engage with us in their preferred language. By working closely with the Welsh Language Commissioner, we not only ensure full compliance with the Welsh language standards, but also seek to incorporate best practice from elsewhere, making sure that bilingualism is a cornerstone of our organisational identity.

The environment

We are dedicated to minimising our impact on the environment and embracing sustainable practices in everything we do. Our statement on the Section 6 Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty outlines the actions and measures we will take to help maintain and enhance biodiversity, ensuring our work supports the goal of a healthier, more sustainable world for future generations.

Financial sustainability

As an independent, professional regulator funded by registration fees, it is essential that we operate within our means and use our resources efficiently. We will continue to strive to keep fees as low as possible, whilst providing the highest level of service in fulfilling our statutory duties. Like other regulators, we must maintain adequate financial reserves to provide stability and ensure our services are protected from risks that may arise from unexpected events.

We lead specific activities on behalf of Welsh Government where it is considered that we are the most appropriate body to do such work in Wales. In such instances, Welsh Government cover our costs through grant funding, enabling us to contribute even more effectively to the education landscape in Wales. This approach ensures that we remain focused on areas aligned with our remit and commitment to improving educational standards and outcomes, while continuing to deliver value to our registrants.

Our people

A key strength of the EWC lies in the dedicated people who work to realise our vision. Our team of over 55 employees, led by our Chief Executive, work together to ensure the effective delivery of our core responsibilities.

Our Council is made up of 14 members who set the EWC’s strategic direction and ensure that we uphold the highest standards of governance. Each member is appointed for a four-year period and together, our Council has a wealth of experience and knowledge, from across our registrant groups. Seven members are appointed directly through Welsh Government’s public appointments system, and seven are appointed following nomination from a range of stakeholders.

We also maintain and support:

• a pool of over 50 fitness to practise panel members
• an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Accreditation Board of 14 members
• a pool of over 45 assessors of the Quality Mark for Youth Work in Wales

How we will monitor progress

We will report on our progress against the objectives and outcomes of this plan in four quarterly reviews, and in our Annual Report and Accounts, which is laid before the Senedd annually, and audited by Audit Wales. We will publish an Annual Equality Report and a Welsh Language Standards Monitoring Report, detailing our compliance and outlining progress in these key areas. We will also publish an annual report on our fitness to practise work, setting out how we have dealt with matters that are referred to us and providing data on the types of cases we deal with.

Key objectives for 2025-28

Our objectives set out how we aim to realise our vision during the lifetime of this plan. These will feed into specific, measurable actions that will be set as part of our annual operational planning process.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC) procures various goods and services for use in the achievement of its functions, and aims to achieve value for money in all procurements. The procedures for procurement are detailed in the Finance Manual.

We conduct our procurement process in accordance with UK Public Contracts Regulations and EU Public Procurement Directives.

Thresholds

The Finance Manual sets out thresholds determining the appropriate procurement route. Except where single tender action is unavoidable, procurement of goods/services of value between £5,000 and £25,000 are based on sourcing three written quotations from suppliers, with procurements valued greater than £25,000 following a formal procedure (all values, including VAT). This may include:

• use of a centrally negotiated framework, such as those established by the National Procurement Service or the Crown Commercial Services
• tendering such contracts on Sell2Wales, the Welsh Government procurement portal. The EWCis registered as a buyer on Sell2Wales, and will advertise invitations to tender here. If a supplier is not currently registered with Sell2Wales, they can register here

Calculation of the threshold is based on the actual good/ service being procured, and will exclude eg fixed costs, such as postage.

Equality

As a Welsh public body, the EWC is committed to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations taking account of the nine protected characteristics:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• religion or belief (or lack of belief)
• race – including ethnic or national origin, colour, or nationality
• sex
• sexual orientation

Suppliers should take account of this commitment in all transactions with the EWC.

Welsh language

Similarly, the EWC is also committed to the Welsh language, treating both languages equally. All procurement activity may be conducted in English or Welsh, subject to the stated preference of the tenderer.

Data protection

All contractors or potential contractors are obliged to comply with the EWC’s rules, under the Data Protection Act 1998.