Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:09 pm on 11 June 2019.
Can I thank Siân Gwenllian for those comments and questions? She began by asking a question about the extent of the data audit. The Welsh Government will lead on this priority, and work is under way to conduct an audit on the mandatory data currently collected, as is required by regulations, and crucially, what is that data used for. Does it actually add to raising standards, closing the attainment gap and the goals of the national mission? So, we're starting with our own asks of schools. Once that has been completed, a further audit will be carried out on what data the middle tier collects from schools—that's local education authorities and the regional consortia. And again, crucially, what is that data used for? Does it add to teaching and learning, or are we just collecting it for the sake of collecting it and it sits in a computer file or in a paper file somewhere? The group will then be in a position to review these data collections to identify whether there is duplication, and whether the collections are still necessary and whether they are relevant, and if any can be more streamlined or, crucially, removed from requirements altogether. So, that's the purpose of the audit, starting with what we ask first as a Government and then looking to what the middle tier asks.