Wales plans school-entry checks and new Year 6 progress measure

Wales is developing plans to understand children’s reading and number skills when they start school, alongside new measures of progress under a national literacy and numeracy plan.

Published by the Welsh Government on 15 September, the plan covers learning from birth to 16. School-entry proposals enter development this autumn; it does not announce an immediate new baseline test or a rollout date.

For Year 6 pupils, a new indicator comparing reading and numeracy progress with age expectations will be available to schools from February 2027 through existing personalised assessments. It is intended to help teachers check progress and support the move to secondary school.

National indicators will track progress over time. The government says these will not become school league tables or school-level indicators.

Proposed statutory guidance will set out learning year by year, with consultation planned this autumn and publication in spring 2027.

Work on resources to help parents support learning at home starts in spring 2027, including Welsh, English and widely spoken community languages.