ASCL Cymru calls on Senedd to back deal for schools  

23/09/2026
ASCL Cymru is calling on members of the Senedd to come together and support a proposed funding settlement that would provide much-needed investment in schools and Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision across Wales.
 
The proposed settlement includes:
  • £100 million of additional ALN funding over two years, with the significant majority directed to schools and frontline provision.
  • From 2028-29, onwards, an ALN funding settlement of £80 million, again with the significant majority allocated directly to schools.
  • The development of a standardised, national and quality-assured model for ALN provision and funding.
  • Exploratory work towards a more transparent and consistent school funding structure across Wales.
  • A clear commitment that there will be no detriment to teacher pay in Wales, with future pay awards fully funded by the Welsh Government.
The Welsh Government agreed to these principles following an industrial dispute with ASCL Cymru. However, as a minority government, the support of the Senedd is required in order to deliver this funding. ASCL Cymru is therefore asking politicians from across the Senedd to work together and get this agreement over the line.

Claire Armitstead, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: “This feels like a real opportunity to make a difference. The Minister has listened to what school leaders have been saying and has agreed to the principles we have put forward. We absolutely welcome that. But agreeing the principles isn't enough, we now need the Senedd to back the funding to make them happen.

“School leaders are telling us every day that they simply cannot keep doing more with less. They are trying to balance budgets, protect jobs and meet increasingly complex additional learning needs. Something has to change. This isn't about politics and it isn't about winning an argument. It is about making sure schools have the people and resources they need to do the job we ask of them. School leaders have done everything they can to protect children and young people from the impact of the financial pressures they are facing. Now we need the Senedd to also fight for our children in Wales.

“We have found a way forward, and we sincerely hope politicians across the Senedd will now help us take it. However, I do want to be absolutely clear: If this agreement does not get through the Senedd, we will move immediately to an indicative ballot of our members.”