Politicians in Wales must forget costly ‘vanity projects’ like changing the school year and better equip teachers and leaders to focus on the basics of teaching and learning, the school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru has said as it launched its 2026 election manifesto.

The union’s Wales national secretary Laura Doel said: “We are urging politicians to get back to basics and help schools focus on what matters – teaching children and young people and preparing them for adulthood.

“At a time when many schools are struggling to make core budgets add up, they have increasingly been left to pick up the slack for under-resourced community services when they see pupils struggling with everything from poverty to mental ill-health.”