We welcome the publication of the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee’s (CYPE) report on teacher recruitment and retention in Wales, which highlights the significant challenges facing the education workforce. We would also like the thank the Committee for its extensive work in gathering evidence from across the sector.

We provided a significant amount of evidence to the inquiry, drawing on our data, regulatory insight, and engagement with registrants across Wales. This covered a wide range of themes, including initial teacher education; recruitment and retention; leadership and career progression; workload; wellbeing; behaviour; workforce diversity; and professional learning.

We recognise the serious impact the issues raised in the report can have on the education workforce and the quality of teaching and learning in Wales, and that addressing them will require a collective, system-wide approach, involving a range of partners.

As the independent professional regulator, our role is to help safeguard learners and maintain public trust in the education workforce. We will continue to contribute evidence and insight to inform national discussions on how best to support a safe, respected, and sustainable profession. This will include working collaboratively with Welsh Government to support the implementation of any recommendations that are taken forward, and fall within our remit.

More information on the evidence we submitted as part of the inquiry can be found on our website.