Adnodd Annual Progress Report 2024

Our mission is to enrich the learning experience, promote equity, and foster innovation in education across Wales.

Adnodd was established following the decision in 2022 by the then Minister for Education and Welsh Language to fund a new arm’s length body that will oversee and coordinate the provision of educational resources in both Welsh and English to support the teaching and learning of the Curriculum for Wales.

As a new company working within the education sector in Wales, we are committed to providing high quality, bilingual educational resources that support the Curriculum for Wales. By working collaboratively with educators, stakeholders, and Welsh Government, we aim to ensure that all learners and teachers have easy access to relevant and inclusive materials.

Adnodd will not create or publish resources. Instead, we will support practitioners, providers, and suppliers to ensure a more holistic and coherent approach to the provision of educational resources. We will also promote resources and engage with learners and practitioners to make the best use of them. In future, we will develop and invest in skills and capacity to create, share, and publish educational resources in Wales.

Aimed at both practitioners and learners, resources will be used for independent learning, self-study, and revision across the breadth of the curriculum in all formats for 3 to 19 year olds.

Through commissioning resources that are high quality, relevant, timely and made available at the same time in both Welsh and English, our work will enrich the experience of the Curriculum for Wales for everyone.

As a strategic and enabling organisation, we will work collaboratively with practitioners, learners, partners, and a wide range of stakeholders, to:

Owain Gethin Davies, Chair

It’s my pleasure to introduce Adnodd’s first annual report. I’ve been immensely proud of the achievements of my fellow Board members, the small number of staff, and our colleagues at Welsh Government in setting up Adnodd as a new arm’s length body.

Adnodd was formally registered as a company in 2022 and a Board of directors was appointed in April 2023. Our main priority in the first year was to appoint a Chief Executive and establish the company’s governance and operational processes.

After advertising for a Chief Executive in the summer of 2023, we were delighted to appoint Emyr George to the post in January 2024. Emyr brings a wealth of experience from across the education sector, including eight years at Qualifications Wales where he led on high-profile reforms of qualifications to support the new Curriculum for Wales, including a brand-new set of GCSEs made exclusively for Wales.

More staff have joined since then and by the end of 2024 we will have grown to a small and agile team of ten members. 

Adnodd’s work is vital, as we support the ambitions of the Curriculum for Wales to create a nation full of creative, healthy and confident learners.

Emyr George, Chief Executive

The last year has been very busy for Adnodd. One of our first tasks when I was appointed was to agree on a permanent staffing and a recruitment structure which will become fully operational towards the end of 2024.

We began the work of consulting with our stakeholders to map the current resources landscape and identify the main opportunities and challenges. Through these discussions, we have identified opportunities for some early commissioning work to test out models and systems of working. This process of trialling will assist us in shaping longer-term commissioning programmes.

As a lean and agile organisation, we will outsource some of our corporate functions. Through open and competitive processes, we have procured contracts for a range of services, including finance, human resources, communications and marketing, legal advice, and translation. We benefit from sharing some of these services with other public bodies, including our IT provision which is delivered by the Hwb team at Welsh Government, and our commercial and procurement advice is provided by Caerphilly Borough Council.

The educational and resources sector is multifaceted, and we will not duplicate the capacity and expertise already out there, nor try to deliver all the work ourselves. Instead, we will operate as a strategic enabler and a coordinator, who can help pull organisations together and gain a birds’ eye view of the resources we have in Wales.

I know from personal experience the valuable opportunities and experiences children and young people are gaining from the new curriculum. By making resources more accessible and adaptable, our work will reduce teacher workloads as well as helping to bring the education and learning to life for children and young people.

This report summarises the reflective and foundational work we have undertaken over the last year. This includes defining our delivery and commissioning principles, as well as our approach to mapping future priorities and our ways of working. We have also focused on ensuring our work reflects and supports the seven well-being goals and five ways of working of the Future Generations Act.

Finally, we outline what’s next for Adnodd. So please join us on this exciting journey as we work together to facilitate the creation of resources that will promote equality, foster innovation, and enrich the learning experience in education across Wales.

As a Welsh Government arm’s length body (ALB) Adnodd is fully accountable to Welsh Ministers as a wholly owned subsidiary company limited by guarantee. The former Minister for Education and Welsh language issued a formal remit letter to Adnodd outlining the priorities for delivering on the objectives.

The Welsh Government’s aim as outlined in the national mission for education is:

The remit letter outlines strategic priorities for Adnodd to deliver over the Welsh Government term 2023 to 2026. Here we outline the progress in 2023-24 against these priorities in our first year of operating.

1. Develop Adnodd’s Corporate Objectives

In April 2023, Owain Gethin Davies, headteacher of Ysgol Uwchradd Dyffryn Conwy, was appointed interim Chair of Adnodd, and formally confirmed as Chair in February 2024. Five non-executive Board members were also appointed: Huw Lloyd Jones, Nicola Wood, Sioned Wyn Roberts, Dr Lucy Thomas and Lesley Bush. Two members of staff were seconded from Welsh Government to develop an initial business plan and support the operational set-up of the new company.

Starting in July 2023 we carried out a recruitment process for a Chief Executive. Following Emyr George’s appointment in January 2024, we developed a staffing structure and completed our first round of recruitment in June 2024.

Through a competitive process, we procured external suppliers for our corporate services, including finance, communication and marketing, legal advice, translation and human resources.

Further, we established essential internal corporate governance and operational systems to support recruitment processes and some initial commissioning work.

2. Ensure that relevant, timely resources and supporting materials are available in both Welsh and English, at the same time, to support the Curriculum for Wales and its qualifications

Throughout 2023-24, we held initial conversations with partners and suppliers on the immediate priorities for commissioning and what forthcoming rounds could look like. Alongside this consultation process, we established essential corporate systems, including compliance and procurement processes, to establish robust models for future commissioning.

While we are still working with partners and stakeholders to develop a long-term commissioning model, we identified an immediate need to continue delivering and commissioning resources during the transitional period from Welsh Government to Adnodd. This year, we launched an initial programme of commissions, awarding a small number of direct contracts to selected suppliers. These projects were chosen for their clear alignment with the priorities identified in the Miller research and their feasibility for completion within the financial year.

In August 2024, Welsh Government approved additional funding for Adnodd to distribute to WJEC. The funding will help create additional teaching and learning materials to support the rollout of the new GCSEs. Work on these new resources is underway.

3. Provide a quality assurance framework for the commissioning, development, and production of resources, ensuring that resources developed are in line with the ethos and core principles of the Curriculum for Wales and are fit for purpose

During 2023, Adnodd commissioned Miller Research and Four Cymru to conduct qualitative research. The aim was to better understand the landscape of existing Welsh, English, and bilingual education resources in Wales and what is needed for future resources in light of the new Curriculum and revised qualifications.

The research gathered the views of key stakeholders on the suitability of current commissioning and quality assurance processes, exploring whether improvements or changes are needed. It also examined the views of key stakeholders on a potential accreditation of all education resources commissioned by Adnodd and other relevant bodies. A summary of the research findings can be found here.

Adnodd has also been tasked with updating the resources and supporting materials guide published on Welsh Government’s Hwb site. This work is underway and is expected to be further developed in 2024-25 as we develop new commissioning models.

4. Advance the effective promotion, awareness, and use of resources

In September 2024 Adnodd launched a new website. This will be an important shop window for our work, and a way to signpost visitors to opportunities and resources available on Hwb. The website encourages individuals and stakeholders to share their contact details to become part of Adnodd’s community. We also have relevant social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to support our engagement and share news and information about various opportunities.

We are working with the creative agency Blue Stag, who have developed a marketing strategy, audience breakdown, and a stakeholder analysis to help us target our messaging and increase our reach.

A key aim of establishing Adnodd as an arm’s length body is to create a framework for closer collaboration across a wide range of sectors, leveraging diverse expertise and knowledge to maximise impact.

As a small and strategic organisation, we will not be able to achieve all our ambitions on our own – everything we do will be in partnership with others. From suppliers commissioned to create exciting and high quality resources to major national organisations who have the expertise and reach to help us deliver our aims, Adnodd will collaborate with a wide range of companies and organisations.

Most importantly, our focus is on those at the heart of our schools and the education sector. Everything we do will be guided by the needs of teachers, practitioners, learners, their families, and communities. Our work will be developed in collaboration with them, through an ongoing process of listening, learning, and adapting.

Here are some of the people and organisations in the sector with whom we are working:

Teachers and education professionals: We will work closely with teachers’ unions and representative organisations alongside networks and groups of teachers and education experts such as CYDAG (Society of Schools for Welsh Medium Education) and the Learned Society of Wales. A key partner for developing new resources will be Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning (DARPL), which brings together a diverse team of providers with lived and professional experience in raising multi-disciplinary racial consciousness within the Curriculum for Wales.

Learners and their families and communities: These are the most important group of people we will work with. The main beneficiaries of our work will be children and young people – the future generations of Wales. The vision of the Curriculum for Wales is to help create ambitious and capable learners who are ready to learn throughout their lives; enterprising and creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work; ethical and informed citizens of Wales and the world; and healthy, confident individuals, who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society. Our work will support these aims.

WJEC is Wales’ largest awarding body, providing trusted bilingual qualifications, straight forward specialist support, and reliable assessment to schools and colleges across the country. Since 2023, WJEC has been developing a new suite of bilingual GCSEs made exclusively for Wales that will form part of a new National Qualifications offer for 14–16 year olds.

Qualifications Wales is the independent regulator of non-degree qualifications in Wales. Independent of government, and accountable to the people of Wales through Senedd Cymru, its aim is to ensure that qualifications achieved by learners in Wales are fair, trusted and valued throughout the UK and internationally. Through its reform work, Qualifications Wales also shapes how qualifications will meet the future needs of learners.

National organisations: Adnodd will work creatively and strategically with a number of national organisations in Wales. From the broadcasters BBC Cymru Wales, ITV Wales, and S4C, to cultural and heritage bodies such as Amgueddfa Cymru, National Library of Wales, and Arts Council of Wales. We aim to collaborate with strategies and commissioning processes to amplify our collective work and deliver more for the people of Wales.

Working with third sector partners and other strategic bodies will be vital to engage with valuable expertise across important issues relating to nature and climate change, literacy, health and well-being, equalities and human rights.

Universities and colleges: Working closely and strategically with the higher education sector in Wales is crucial. These include the strategic and umbrella bodies Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the new body Medr, as well as Colleges Wales and the universities in Wales.

Hwb: All digital resources commissioned by Adnodd will be made available through Hwb, Welsh Government’s digital learning platform. We are collaborating with the Hwb team to improve user experiences and streamline user journeys when accessing resources. Work is currently underway on the Hwb website, with developments and improvements focused on enhancing user experience, making it easier for users to access valuable resources.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFGA): Adnodd’s mission of enriching the learning experience for children and young people will support the vision of the WFGA to be a voice for future generations, acting today for a better tomorrow, and to protect the interests of those not yet born.

Anti-racist Wales action plan (ARWAP): Adnodd is committed to being an actively anti-racist organisation, providing training and learning opportunities for all staff and Board members. We firmly believe that the education sector plays a vital part in achieving Welsh Government’s vision of an anti-racist Wales. We acknowledge the impact of racism on colleagues within the education sector, and on children and young people as learners. We will collaborate closely with colleagues from the Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning (DARPL) project, which provides important resources for teachers and school leaders. Within our operational plans, Adnodd will prioritise the commissioning and development of resources to support the teaching and learning of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic histories and experiences.

Cymraeg 2050: Adnodd supports the ambition of a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and sees education as central to this vision. Our aim of supporting practitioners, learners, and their families throughout their educational experience by commissioning high quality bilingual resources will enable young people to leave the education system ready and proud to use the Welsh language in all contexts.

Adnodd’s commissioning principles

While we continue to develop a long-term structure and strategy, we have established an initial set of principles to guide our approach to commissioning resources for the first phase. We will review these principles working closely with our partners and stakeholders, and as we test our new models and methods for commissioning.

Our commitments

Listening & learning

During the next few months, we will engage our partners and stakeholders across the sector to understand the needs, gaps, and priorities. These conversations will inform the creation of our first strategic plan, which will outline what we will be doing, how and when.

From the outset, we will be a listening and learning organisation, responding directly to what we are hearing. All our decisions will be based on evidence and feedback.

We will always strive to be transparent in how we work. Our commissioning rounds will be open to bids and applications, with decisions based on clear criteria outlined at the start, so we are fair to everyone.

All our programmes will be fully evaluated so we can learn what worked and what did not. We will adapt and evolve our programmes according to feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

Equality & inclusion

We know that existing resources of all kinds, including texts, books, films, games, and apps, do not fully represent the diversity of lived experiences in Wales. When children and young people do not see themselves reflected in the resources around them, their educational experiences and potential to develop will be affected.

Through our programmes of delivery, Adnodd will prioritise the need to address this and ensure that the resources of the future are fully representative. We recognise that robust action is needed to ensure equal content and access, as well addressing gaps in provision and representation.

We aim to work with expert organisations and individuals to commission new research on the diversity of the existing range of resources and to co-create a strategic approach to commissioning. Important and sector-changing work such as Professor Charlotte Williams’ report Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, Contributions and Cynefin in the New Curriculum and Reflecting Realities – Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education will guide our strategic development.

Sustainability and resilience

All elements of commissioning and delivery will consider the risks of climate change. Keeping a long-term view, the creation of new content will look towards advances in digital technology and innovation to ensure the relevance of the resources over time.

Adnodd has progressed significantly during 2023-24 and has fully established itself as an agile and strategic arm’s length body. In this next step of our journey, we will start the process of reaching out further and testing new ways of commissioning and collaboration.

Resources are a vital part of the educational experience. They are used by teachers and learners to understand, design, develop and progress through the curriculum. High quality resources will ignite curiosity in all kinds of subjects. Suitable for all ages, they can take many forms, including books, short films, comics, guidelines, apps, animation, virtual reality, and games. They are also used as a catalyst for creativity, learning, and imagination.

We will commission resources according to the priorities and needs of those in the sector, from teachers and practitioners to learners and their families and communities. We want resources to be high quality, bilingual, relevant to the Curriculum for Wales, adaptable, and accessible.

The timetable for commissioning rounds will be announced later in 2024-25. There will be an opportunity for companies and organisations interested in creating resources to respond to the call for submissions. Organisations who want to get involved or are interested in finding out more can sign up to our community on our website. To test our initial models, we will run interim commissioning rounds in the autumn. Many of these will be in the form of direct awards to suppliers due to specific needs. Additionally, we will hold an open competition, accompanied with a transparent guide about requests for proposals.

We will also conduct research to identify what relevant resources are already out there and how they are accessed. This will help us determine what is already effective, what can be adapted or updated, and what new resources need to be commissioned to address the priority areas we will focus on during our first year.

We also know from ongoing conversations that finding and accessing resources is not always straightforward. One of our first tasks will be to ensure better signposting and communication of available resources as widely as possible.

We will also start a “big conversation” with as many people in the sector as possible to identify needs and gaps. We will share a draft strategic plan with stakeholders and partners to ensure Adnodd’s work fully aligns with our collective ambitions as a nation and helps to fulfil the aspirations of our future generations.

We are committed to providing high quality, bilingual educational resources that support the Curriculum for Wales, promote and foster equality and innovation, and will enrich the learning experience for all. By working collaboratively and creatively with teachers, learners, their families and communities, we will ensure that no one is left behind from the incredible experience the Curriculum for Wales offers our children and young people.