Cyngor Gwynedd launches new Education support service

A new service aimed at maintaining and improving education standards for Gwynedd’s pupils has been launched.

A dedicated team of officers has been appointed to the Gwynedd Schools Support Service. They will work directly with headteachers and teachers across the county’s secondary, primary, and special education sectors.

The priorities of the new service are:

• Supporting and improving learning standards – providing direct support to teaching staff to ensure the highest possible standards in literacy, numeracy, and digital learning.
• School improvement – facilitating and empowering collaboration between schools to raise standards and ensure the best education for children and young people in Gwynedd.
• Leadership – developing leadership at all levels within the county’s schools.
• Governance – supporting schools to ensure they are run effectively and efficiently.

This new service fills the gap left by GwE (North Wales School Effectiveness and Improvement Service), which was ceased operations at the end of May 2025.

Councillor Dewi Jones, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member for Education, said:

“This is an exciting new chapter for education in Gwynedd, and we are grateful for the input and views of teachers and headteachers in shaping the service.

“We are extremely proud of our schools and the work all teaching staff do with our young people. Our workforce is our most valuable asset, and we have a responsibility to support them. I’m confident that this new service will benefit our teaching staff significantly.

“Our aim is to support schools and empower teachers. A key part of the service will be fostering stronger links between schools, enabling headteachers to support one another and teachers to collaborate, share best practices, and exchange ideas.”

The new School Support Service Manager is Alison Halliday, who brings over 30 years of experience as a primary school teacher and headteacher.

Alison Halliday said: “We are an experienced team of former teachers and headteachers, and I look forward to seeing the service take root and grow here in Gwynedd.

“By establishing this new service, the Education Department can maintain more direct contact with every school in the county and ensure consistent support for all. Ultimately, the quality of education our children receive is what matters most, and we want to ensure that no pupil is left behind.

“Success, for me, would be reaching a point where the service is no longer needed—because teaching staff across the county are fully empowered to support one another.”