I'm pleased to be able to take part in this afternoon's debate. Following the summer examination results, there was justifiable praise for Welsh learners, who, under considerable pressure from poor funding settlements and significant reforms, had worked hard to achieve their grades. We've all been there ourselves as learners, the pressure can be overwhelming, and the trepidation and anxiety that come with receiving your examination results can be enormous.

In my own constituency, there was a very strong performance at Ysgol y Preseli at A* to A grades, which I'm proud to say is significantly above the national average. However, not all schools in Pembrokeshire delivered improvements, and whilst I understand that improvements have been made at several schools across the county in achieving A* to C grades, Pembrokeshire County Council have made it clear that further work is still required to support Milford Haven School and Haverfordwest high school.

Of course, at this stage, the outcomes are still provisional, at school level only and could be subject to change. However, even at this early stage, perhaps in responding to today's debate, the Minister could tell us what immediate interventions the Welsh Government is planning, to work with individual schools to explore ways in which they can improve standards. I'm sure the Minister would agree that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to improving education standards in Wales and the support needed in one school may be very different for another. Therefore, I think it's clear that the Welsh Government could do more to develop a more bespoke approach to working with schools across Wales so that the package of support offered is tailored to the individual school.

Of course, there are a whole host of reasons why some of our learners aren't quite reaching their full potential. According to the NASUWT, one of those reasons is because the Welsh Government needs to address the continued funding gap with schools in England and the spiraling workload of teachers and school leaders. We all know that the funding gap faced by schools across Wales means that there is a lack of resources for our education providers, and that, understandably, undermines the ability of schools to secure the best education standards possible. Members will be aware of the Children, Young People and Education Committee's recent inquiry into school funding, which found that the £109 million schools budget gap in 2019-20 will rise to £319 million in 2022-23 and that at least half of all secondary schools in Wales are in deficit. And that figure is rising.

Schools across Wales are right to say that there's a real difficulty in maintaining and improving standards against a backdrop of increasing pressure on resources. In giving evidence to that inquiry, the Pembrokeshire Association of Secondary Headteachers made it clear that secondary schools are reducing the number of teaching staff, reducing the breadth of the curriculum offered, partially at key stages 4 and 5. They also said there was a need to increase the number of pupils in classes to enable fewer teachers to deliver to the curriculum. They went on to say that there will be reductions in the amount of time dedicated to leadership and management, which will increase the workload of those members of staff and reduce their capacity to focus on improving school performance. I'm sure the Minister is under no illusion that it's not only Pembrokeshire's secondary schools that have to take these steps, and so it's crucial that the school funding issue is addressed in order to ensure that schools are fully resourced and best equipped to provide for our learners.

However, school funding is only one piece of the puzzle, and we know that Wales's 2019 results are set against a backdrop of significant curriculum reform. In January, before the draft curriculum was published, the previous head of Qualifications Wales admitted that the new curriculum could mean an end to GCSEs in the longer term and more reforms in the short term. How, or to what extent, those qualifications will change is still up for discussion, but needless to say that that was met with opposition from some in the education profession. For example, the Association of School and College Leaders have been quite clear that, and I quote,

'it is important to understand that these results come at a time of enormous change in the Welsh education system which has included a huge overhaul of GCSE specifications.'

They went on to say that,

'It is vital to get this right so that we are in the best position possible to implement the even more ambitious reforms which are planned to the Welsh curriculum over the next few years.'

Moving forward, the Minister has consulted on plans for the new curriculum, and perhaps she'll take the opportunity this afternoon to tell us a bit more about the Welsh Government's plans in this specific area.

Dirprwy Lywydd, at the heart of this debate is the desire to see Welsh schools flourish and its learners reach their full potential. As far as my own constituency is concerned, where schools have been given significant support, there has been improvement, and that's to be welcomed. But more can and should be done to ensure standards are improved in schools right across Wales so that our learners finish their education journey equipped with the skills they need to get on in the modern world. So, in closing, Dirprwy Lywydd, I hope the Welsh Government will reflect on some of the concerns raised by the education sector and I urge Members to support our motion.