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.