Thank you, Llywydd. I’d like to open this debate by thanking Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, for his annual report. It’s an independent picture of how providers of education and training are performing and helping our learners to develop. The report provides a valuable source of evidence, helping to steer the development of policy at a national level.

I’d like to begin by welcoming the new approach taken by Estyn for its annual report this year—trying to improve its impact as much as possible by publishing interim messages in September, giving an early snapshot of what works and what needs to be strengthened. The final report was published in January with a series of questions and self-reflection resources, and the chief executive has shared with me that there has been more engagement this year in terms of the findings of the annual report. It’s good to hear that.

It's worth noting that this annual report draws on direct evidence since inspections restarted in the spring term of 2022, which reminds us of the ongoing impact of the pandemic on our learners and the education workforce. We know that the impact of COVID on language and reading is still felt by many learners, and that’s why I have invested in a programme that will support over 2,000 children to improve their language, communication and reading skills. The 10-week programme, led by Bangor University, provides a language and literacy programme that is intensive and interactive, for children aged between seven and 11. We’ve also established and will continue to fund a purpose-built funding programme to support schools as they deal with the ongoing impact of the pandemic. We’re also monitoring the impact of the pandemic on the education and well-being of children and young people over the medium and longer term, and this will ensure that any issues that emerge will be recorded early, and appropriate mitigation steps will be put in place quickly.