9. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the support available for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils in Torfaen? OAQ52040

Thank you, Lynne. 'Education in Wales: Our National Mission' is clear on our commitment to ensure that all learners in Wales are fully supported to reach their potential. Working with partners, we are determined to overcome the particular challenges that face some groups of learners, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller learners, whose achievements, for instance, at 16 are not where any of us would want them to be.

Thank you. As you're aware, I recently visited the Torfaen Traveller education service based at West Monmouth School, and it was absolutely fantastic to see how well the young people are doing, how they're getting really good qualifications, and some of them are considering going on to university. As you also know, I'm very much behind your efforts to tackle early entry, but one of the issues that was raised with me by the young people is the fact that having the facility of early entry is absolutely vital for Traveller children, because some of them take the summer off to go travelling. What assurances can you offer that changes to early entry will take account of the needs of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community? But also, will you join me in congratulating the Torfaen Traveller education service, and also the staff who work there, for the fantastic work they're doing?

Well, I would be delighted to recognise the success of that school, building on what Estyn did in 2016, where it recognised that what happens at West Monmouth School provides fantastic opportunities for young people and children from the Gypsy/Traveller community. They are keeping those children in school, and they're going on to achieve really well, and they have focused very much on building really strong links with families and parents in that community. I am aware of the importance of allowing some schools, where there are Gypsy/Traveller children, to have early entry, especially in the autumn series of exams, because we do recognise that that may be the only opportunity that those children have to take a public examination. That's one of the reasons that was at the forefront of my thinking last year when we made our decisions about early entry, and why we did not ban early entry outright, because to do so would have been to deprive those schools, and those children, of the opportunities of sitting their formal examinations. It is perfectly appropriate, in those cases, that children are entered early, and that's why we still allow schools to have that option, where they can allow children to enter exams early when it is in the best interests of the children, and West Monmouth School have shown they certainly have the best interests of these children at heart.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary.