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NAHT Cymru


NAHT Cymru is the definitive voice of school leaders in Wales. We keep the best interests of children at the heart of everything we do.

Along with our colleagues in England and Northern Ireland, we are here to defend and extend the rights of our members, as well as provide advice, protection and support specific to school leaders throughout Wales

NAHT Cymru yw llais diffyniadol arweinwyr ysgolion yng Nghymru. Mae buddiannau gorau plant yng nghraidd popeth a wnawn.

Ynghyd â'n cydweithwyr yn Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon, rydym yn bodoli i warchod ac ymestyn hawliau ein haelodau, yn ogystal â darparu cyngor, diogelwch a chymorth sy'n benodol i arweinwyr ysgolion ledled Cymru.

NAHT Cymru responds to Estyn report on maths education

Responding to a new thematic report by Estyn on the quality of maths education across Wales, Laura Doel, national secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said:

“Estyn’s report rightly highlights the importance of high-quality teaching, curriculum design and leadership in raising standards.

“However, it also exposes significant challenges. Chief among these is the worsening recruitment and retention crisis, which is making it increasingly difficult for schools to appoint and retain specialist mathematics teachers — fundamentally undermining the delivery of the subject. This inevitably affects pupils in those schools affected, despite schools’ best efforts to mitigate the situation.

“In addition, the Welsh Government’s review of the ‘middle-tier’ school improvement consortia highlighted a lack of support for schools when it comes to subject specialisms.

“While there are of course many dedicated, talented maths teachers in Welsh schools, as Estyn’s report highlights, the quality of teacher training courses for maths is described as ‘too variable’.

“We echo the report’s call for professional learning and good practice sharing, but stress this must be backed by adequate funding. Schools need capacity and resources to release staff for training and collaboration if we are to improve outcomes for pupils across Wales.

“More broadly, the recruitment and retention crisis is impacting all types of school, and other subjects too, and turning this around requires sustained investment to continue to reverse real-terms cuts to pay over the last decade, reduce workload and restore teaching as an attractive proposition.”

First published 05 June 2025
NAHT Cymru 2024

Links to courses/events that are relevant to Welsh members.

Please give us your views  on the current consultations

 

Welsh Government

Independent review of school teachers pay and conditions in Wales

OPENED 18 January 2018 - CLOSES 1 March 2018

NAHT Cymru draft response of independent review

Support for doctoral study
OPENED 8 December 2017 - CLOSES 2 March 2018

The Education (Amendments Relating to Teacher Assessment Information) (Wales) Regulations 2018
OPENED 14 November 2017 – CLOSES 30 January 2018

Recent consultations

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