Explanatory note

These Regulations amend a number of regulations as a consequence of the assessment arrangements specified by the Welsh Ministers in the Education (National Curriculum) (Assessment Arrangements for Reading and Numeracy) (Wales) Order 2013 (“the Assessment Order”). The Assessment Order specifies the assessment arrangements for testing literacy and numeracy in the national curriculum for Wales (“the literacy and numeracy tests”). The Regulations come into force on 1 May 2013 except for regulation 3(5) which comes into force on 1 September 2013.

The Welsh Ministers have added to the national curriculum for Wales by specifying additional educational programmes (“the additional educational programmes”) for the language, literacy and communication skills area of learning and the mathematical development area of learning in the foundation phase, and have also specified additional programmes of study (“the additional programmes of study”) for English, Welsh and mathematics in respect of the second and third key stages.

The additional educational programmes and additional programmes of study were given legal effect by the National Curriculum (Educational Programmes for the Foundation Phase and Programmes of Study for the Second and Third Key Stages) (Wales) Order 2013.

Regulation 2 amends the School Governors' Annual Reports (Wales) Regulations 2011 so as to require the governing body of a maintained school to publish in its annual report, the most recent literacy and numeracy comparative information in relation to the school’s performance in the literacy and numeracy tests.

Regulation 3(2) and (3) amends the Head Teacher’s Report to Parents and Adult Pupils (Wales) Regulations 2011 (“the Head Teacher’s Report Regulations”) so as to require head teacher of a maintained school to report to parents on the results of the end of phase tests in the foundation phase in the final year the child is in the foundation phase. Regulation 3(4) also amends the Head Teacher’s Report Regulations so as to require the head teacher of a maintained school to report to parents on the results of the literacy and numeracy tests.

Regulation 4 amends the School Information (Wales) Regulations 2011 so as to require governing bodies of maintained schools to publish in the school prospectus the most recent literacy and numeracy comparative information in relation to the school’s performance in the literacy and numeracy tests.

Regulation 5 amends the School Performance Information (Wales) Regulations 2011 so as to require the governing body of a maintained school to include in the information provided to Welsh Ministers and local authorities the results of the literacy and numeracy tests.