Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I believe that the key to building success in any organisation is good leadership, and nowhere is that truer than in an education system. Time and time again, evidence shows that a good school leader is essential in transforming a school environment so that its students and teachers can flourish. A common trait amongst great leaders is that they communicate a clear vision—a vision that establishes a clear sense of direction and destination. In Wales, our national mission is unambiguous: together we are working to raise standards, close the attainment gap and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and public confidence. To deliver on this mission, Wales must nurture our leaders. So, last week, I was delighted to launch the National Academy for Educational Leadership, a vital component in supporting and reforming the way that we support our leaders.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I’d like to begin by thanking everyone who has worked so hard to establish the academy. In particular, the task and finish group, led so very ably by Ann Keane, has made an invaluable contribution. They have identified the academy’s vision and principles and have engaged with the profession to identify what is needed and why it's needed. They have provided the academy with sound foundations for the future. But I am keen that everyone involved in Welsh education sees the academy, whose headquarters will be in Swansea, as a fundamental part of the education landscape. It will be there to support all leaders at whatever stage of their careers—whether they are just thinking of taking the next steps into formal leadership or are experienced leaders. It will give them the confidence, support and the development so that they can achieve and be the very best. It will support all leaders across Wales, whether they are working in local authorities, schools, colleges, within English or Welsh-medium settings, or, indeed, other educational organisations, making leadership in Wales world-leading.

One way in which it will do this is through an endorsement function. Last week’s launch included a call for providers to submit their provision, in the first instance for the newly appointed and acting headteachers, and I expect that up to 300 individuals will be within the first group to be targeted. This endorsement process will be one of the key functions of the academy, ensuring that the provision available to our education professionals is high quality, accessible, and meets the ambitions in our national mission action plan. Above all, the academy will be looking to ensure that the provision is underpinned by international evidence of what makes effective leadership. And as a result, all leaders can be confident that the leadership development that they invest their time in will have a positive impact on the outcomes of children and young people.

The academy may be a small organisation, but its influence and impact needs to be—and, I believe, will be—extensive. The academy already embodies our coherent and collaborative approach to leadership development—even the way the organisation has been created has been collaborative. Academy quality criteria also include a requirement to engage serving leaders in the design, development and facilitation of provision. Whilst collaboration is a feature of much of the provision currently available in Wales, it will also provide more consistent opportunities for leaders to be engaged in all aspects of leadership development.

The academy will draw on and reflect the practice of inspirational, experienced and effective leaders already working in the Welsh system, as well as internationally. And the academy associates programme embodies just this. It is a development programme that is being co-developed by the first cohort of inspiring leaders, and represents a real opportunity to ensure that the programme stretches and challenges some of our highest performing educational professionals. I met the first cohort of associates recently, and their enthusiasm for the mission of the academy, and their role within it, was very inspiring.

As befits a flexible, innovative and small organisation, the academy will need a great online presence. It will enable a virtual community to develop, as well as making research and international evidence accessible to all. And this will continue to grow as the academy matures.

I have said before that the evidence is clear that the quality of an educational system depends not only on the levels of its professional capital but also on the levels of its leadership capital. And we have acted on this, and throughout the development of the academy, there has been a real consensus on the critical role of leadership, and it has been a valuable opportunity to collectively refocus our attention on leadership.

The development of the academy is an integral step forward, alongside our new professional teaching standards, reforming initial teacher education, and curriculum reform, in our collaborative approach to leadership development. Deputy Presiding Officer, I am truly excited that the academy is now in place, to support our leaders to make a difference to the lives of children and young people across Wales.