Using information and data to support and improve learning

Data and information are vital and powerful tools for shaping education. Our understanding and decisions need to be based on the best evidence, whether we work in a school, local authority, the Welsh Government or another partner organisation.

Our school improvement guidance sets out our approach to using data and information to support and improve learning aligned with the ambitions of the Curriculum for Wales. The approach needs to be embedded through leadership, working collaboratively and sharing information. In this context, data and information are everyone’s responsibility. They should be used continuously and feature strongly in a school’s improvement cycle, across local authorities and the Welsh Government.

To truly support improvement in learning, data and information must be both appropriate for use and used appropriately. We often refer to the interplay between the what and the how of using data as the ‘information ecosystem’.

Our expectation is that the use of data and information is proportionate and balanced. It should be impactful in driving improvements for learners. Both qualitative and quantitative data are important to gain a full picture of learners, learning and schools.

We believe that using suitable types and breadth of data and information in appropriate ways supports a system-wide focus on what matters and helps to provide a comprehensive and balanced set of information for learners, parents, carers, schools, local authorities, national government and other partners.

Our information ecosystem principles:

• guide our overall approach

• provide a clear framework to underpin our use of data and information to support learning and improvement

• enable high‑quality data and information to be used effectively, supporting schools and wider stakeholders in different contexts and placing learners at the heart of decision‑making

• apply across the school system

• help stakeholders (schools, local authorities, the Welsh Government and other partners) to use data thoughtfully, focusing on real insight, effective evaluation and accountability to drive improvement in learners’ progress and experiences

• further underpin our move away from a high‑stakes use of data

The principles are not hierarchical. Their application may require sensitive balancing as different contexts may call for different emphases in practice. There must be careful consideration of implications for learners in all cases.

The 12 information ecosystem principles

Learner-focused approach

Our focus remains squarely on the learners. Their needs, progress and wellbeing guide our decisions.

Workforce support

By setting clear expectations around data use, we aim to empower educators to better support learners.

Holistic

No single metric can define success. We consider a broad range of factors, avoiding overreliance on isolated measures.

Context matters

Data gains greater meaning in context. We ensure information is relevant, timely, high-quality and contextualised to provide an informed picture of a school and fairer consideration of outcomes. Provenance and data limitations are made clear.

Efficiency and simplicity

Streamlined requirements minimise administrative burdens, allowing educators to concentrate on what matters most.

Flexibility

Our approach respects individual needs across diverse settings. One size does not fit all.

User-friendly presentation

Data and information should be accessible and meaningful. Clear visuals aid inform understanding.

Descriptive, not judgmental

We do not convey a judgement through an indicator, but use this evidence alongside objective insights to support a strengthened understanding and inform action.

Reporting and sharing

Data supports collaboration among schools and improvement services.

Empowering

Schools and other audiences use data intelligently to inform self-evaluation and continuous improvement.

Inquiry and understanding

Data sparks exploration and enriches inquiry, leading to deeper understanding and triangulation of findings.

Meaningful communication

Transparency inspires confidence. We are committed to being open and transparent while carefully weighing consequences before proactively sharing data publicly. This safeguards learners and schools and maintains focus on what we value.

Schools and local authorities have their own rich sources of data and information as well as information provided to them by the Welsh Government. Our school improvement guidance sets out broad expectations for how schools and local authorities should use data and information to support learners and learning.

Schools and local authorities should:

• use a balanced approach that draws on a coherent and comprehensive set of qualitative and quantitative information to evaluate learners’ progress in schools in a non-hierarchical manner. This information should be relevant to individual schools’ needs and context, but there are likely to be commonalities across schools to support a shared understanding of progression and to focus schools towards national expectations

• not rely solely on narrow measures of learner attainment to draw conclusions on school performance

• ensure that school leaders, practitioners and support staff are not distracted from their work with learners to gather and retain significant quantities of evidence to satisfy different requirements

Schools should:

• use a wide range of information to consider the progress of all learners and the systems that support them, guided by the principles of progression to arrive at a holistic view of learner progression

• develop lines of enquiry for further self-evaluation and improvement planning, building on evidence collected about learner progress, as well as wider information across the breadth of school activity

• select information used for self-evaluation dependent on their own context, needs and priorities, while aiming to carry out an objective evaluation of their current position

• consider carefully, and within context, the use of any comparative information, how it can be used to identify potential areas for investigation, and to support increased collaboration between schools and the sharing of effective practice

• make effective use of information they hold themselves for the purpose of self-evaluation, as well as using a wide range of evidence either made available to them by others or which they have sourced

Local authorities should work in partnership to:

• make available to schools any information they hold which would be beneficial for schools’ self-evaluation as part of a culture of partnership working

• share relevant information and intelligence about schools between each other, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation

• consider appropriate school-level evidence and information to:

  • help determine schools’ support needs and capacity to support others

  • contribute to their own self-evaluation of their services to support schools which should inform councils’ review of their performance at a corporate, strategic level

To develop a rounded and balanced picture of schools and learning in Wales, we work closely with a wide range of partners and use the intelligence from this engagement alongside:

• qualifications data

• attendance data

• personalised assessments national report

• results from Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other comparator analyses

• Schools Health Research Network surveys

• other statistics releases

• Estyn’s annual and thematic reports

• the insight offered by the varied research available to us

The data available to us through schools’ continued participation in data collections and studies, including Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC), School Workforce Annual Census (SWAC), PISA and Curriculum Evaluation Studies, provides us with high-quality information for decision-making and system improvement.

We are further strengthening the breadth of national information available to us and improving how it is used to:

• understand the landscape

• inform policy development

• support our partners

• inform budgets and workforce planning

We will be taking part in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) international studies for the first time in 2026 and 2027 which will be a valuable addition to our evidence base.

As a government, we:

• are committed to being open and transparent

• operate in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

• ensure our published statistics are trustworthy, are of high quality and have public value

Security of individuals’ data and our compliance with legislation, including UK GDPR, is of the highest priority and integral to how we manage information.

We have been reforming our data and information requirements and expectations, leading to the approach and principles we have set out. We are also developing processes to protect our information ecosystem and facilitating digital systems and tools to fully align with this approach.

In 2025, we consulted on aspects of our reformed approach to using data and information, including the underpinning information ecosystem principles and a 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement Indicators Framework.

Feedback was also captured and analysed from wider engagement activities, including a series of 14 to 16 leadership events that took place across Wales.

Consultation summary of responses reports from the general public and from those working within the school system can be found on our website.

The decisions report on the outcomes from the consultation can also be found on our website.