I thank Laura Jones for the welcome she's given to the initiatives that have been announced in the statement today. In relation to the point that she opened on regarding community schools, she will know that there's a range of experiences in schools across Wales in terms of the extent to which they are able to, in their own circumstances—where they are on the journey, if you like. Some have the facilities to be able to do that, others may not, but they have practices that mean they are deeply connected with their local communities. 

The Government has a commitment in the programme for government to make sure that we encourage community-focused schools across Wales, to which my announcement today will be a contribution. Some of that is around making school assets more accessible, and there's a significant capital investment today to support that. But some of it is about how the school connects with families and families of learners. We've seen a lot of good practice across Wales in using the pupil development grant to fund family engagement officers. What the support that I'm announcing today will enable is for that to be extended, because, obviously, schools are still in a very, very challenging situation responding to the effects of long periods of lockdown and absence from school. The investment that I'm announcing today will contribute to schools' ability to respond to that to support their learners. 

The experience she described of speaking to the young women today very much echoes the discussions I have with learners in all parts of Wales in relation to their experience of the last two years. On the particular point that she made around support for exams, she will know, of course, that the Power Up resource that we've made available in schools, and that I hope she pointed out to the young women today, is available, because that contains a wide range of revision resources and a comprehensive source of information around the adaptations for exams, the adjustments to exam contents, the prior notifications in relation to exam content—all of those things that we hope will support our learners as they prepare for exams this summer. 

She makes a very important set of points in relation to the well-being of pupils and how best to support schools in supporting learners. She'll know, of course, about the extent to which we've increased the whole-school approach to budget and financing over the next three years in order to help schools extend their provision to support learners in this space. The Education Policy Institute, as she will know, has noted, I think, the extent to which funding in Wales has been specifically weighted towards many of our learners who are more disadvantaged in this area, including in relation to the important point that she made about the extensive provision of digital connectivity and equipment, which I think is generally acknowledged in Wales as being pretty advanced, perhaps, compared to some other parts of the UK.

Finally, on the point that she made about progress historically, the fair way of describing progress historically, I think, is to say that in relation to both primary and key stage 3 attainment, the gap has, certainly prior to the pandemic, closed quite significantly. Obviously, there shouldn't be a gap at all, but the journey has been to close that gap. That has been less successful at GCSE. The interventions that I'm setting out today, some of which are based on things that we have understood, some of which are based on new learning, if you like, in particular, some of the things that we've learnt over the last two years, I hope and expect will make a very significant difference at that level as well.