National Approach to Enquiry in Schools (NAtES) Pilot

Wrexham University Education and Childhood Studies team to lead Welsh Government National Approach to Enquiry in Schools (NAtES) Pilot

Wrexham University has been awarded funding by the Welsh Government to lead the National Approach to Enquiry in Schools (NAtES) Pilot Project.

The national pilot will strengthen the role of professional enquiry and Schools as Learning Organisations (SLO) in school improvement across Wales, exploring how universities, local authorities and groups of schools can work together to develop more consistent and sustainable approaches to evidence-informed practice, professional learning, and school improvement.

Wrexham University has been appointed the lead institution for all seven Welsh universities involved in the project. In this role, the University will oversee national delivery, support collaboration across the higher education sector, and lead the evaluation of the pilot. The project builds on previous national work, including the National Professional Enquiry Project (NPEP) and the Embedding Research and Enquiry in Schools (EREiS) programme.

The national coordination and evaluation work is led by Dr Sue Horder, Dr Richard Watkins, Dr Emma Tiesteel, Lisa Formby, Professor Carl Hughes and Ann Bradshaw from Wrexham University’s Education and Childhood Studies team, with school-focused delivery supported by Dr Karen Rhys Jones, Dr Kelly Smith, and Dafydd Rhys.

The NAtES Pilot reflects Welsh Government’s ongoing commitment to building an evidence-informed education system and positions Wrexham University at the forefront of national work to support school improvement and professional learning across Wales.