Beyond the Scorecard: Welcoming the New Era of Welsh Educational Data

The recent publication of the Data and Information to Support Learning and Improvement Impact Assessment by the Welsh Government marks a watershed moment for education in Wales. It signals a definitive move away from narrow, high-stakes accountability and toward a holistic, learner-centered "Information Ecosystem."

At RM Compare, we welcome this shift as it shares our vision around the principles it champions. The Assessment emphasises that "data should be used to describe, not just evaluate," and that professional judgment is the most powerful tool we have for understanding student progression.

Here is how our current work is directly contributing to this new national vision.

1. From "Digitisation" to "Capture"

The new policy highlights the need for a "basket of indicators" that tells the whole story of a learner’s journey. This requires moving beyond traditional paper-and-pen evidence.

As outlined in our current roadmap, we are evolving the Companion App into a primary Capture Layer. This allows teachers to record authentic, multi-format evidence - audio, video, and photos - at the moment learning happens. By capturing the "Aha!" moments of a classroom, we are providing the qualitative narrative that the Welsh Government is now calling for.

2. Empowering the Professional Compass

One of the core principles of the impact assessment is "Professional Agency." The government wants to move away from rigid rubrics (the "Map") and toward teacher-led consensus (the "Compass").

RM Compare is the engine for this transition. By using the comparative process, teachers develop a shared "True North" for quality. Our roadmap focus on Metacognitive Development ensures that this isn't just for teachers. Students are also brought into the loop, learning to recognise quality and justify their own progress. This builds the exact "tacit knowledge" required to navigate the Curriculum for Wales.

3. Assisted Alignment: Reducing the Burden

The impact of assessment is clear: data collection must be "proportionate and impactful." We know that teachers are already under immense pressure.

Our "Next" phase of development is focused on Assisted Alignment. We are exploring how the evidence captured in the classroom can be intelligently mapped to curriculum frameworks (AOLEs) and organisational goals. The goal is to reduce the administrative "drudge work" of manual mapping, allowing teachers to spend more time on what matters most: teaching and learning.

4. Building the Sovereign Portfolio

Looking further ahead, the Welsh Government envisions a system where data follows the learner and provides a comprehensive picture of their entitlement and achievement.

This aligns with our roadmap vision for a sovereign evidence portfolio. We are working toward a future where a student owns a digital vault of their work - a verifiable, judgment-led history of their learning journey that is anchored to national standards but unique to their individual strengths.

The Way Forward

The move toward a more descriptive and holistic data ecosystem is a bold step for Wales. It requires tools that prioritise human judgment over mechanical scoring and progression over static grading.

We invite you to explore our Roadmap to see how we are building the infrastructure to support this new era. Together, we can turn the "Information Ecosystem" into a practical reality for every classroom.