Poor attendance and inconsistent teaching remain significant problems across Welsh education, according to new findings published by inspectors.

Estyn's early insights report, released on Wednesday, 21 October, identifies persistent weaknesses despite improvements in the support offered to children and young people.

The findings cover 17 education and training sectors across Wales, drawing on inspection visits during the 2025/26 academic year.

Inspectors highlighted strong relationships between staff and pupils, inclusive environments and effective support as particular strengths.

However, the watchdog warned that teaching quality remains uneven, with some students receiving insufficient opportunities to develop and apply their skills. Attendance also remains a concern, extending beyond compulsory schooling into other education and training settings. Owen Evans, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, said: “Some of the challenges we highlighted last year remain stubbornly familiar.” He added: “The quality of teaching is still too variable, and too many learners do not receive sufficiently challenging opportunities to develop and apply their skills.” Mr Evans said attendance continued to affect vulnerable learners disproportionately, calling for sustained efforts to address the problems.

The findings are relevant to schools and education providers throughout Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd, although the national report does not establish that any particular local authority is performing worse than others.

Estyn also identified weaknesses in how some providers evaluate whether improvements are having their intended impact.

The watchdog said examples of successful practice demonstrated how stronger teaching, partnerships and inclusive approaches could improve learners' experiences.

Its full annual report, expected in February 2027, will examine further issues including Welsh-language skills, professional development for teachers and support for young people at risk of leaving education without entering employment or training.

The inspectorate said sharing its findings early would give schools and other providers an opportunity to reflect on their performance.