Cymraeg
Hwb

Planning and using INSET days for professional learning

Includes how to create enough time and space for professional learning during INSET days and information on the professional learning grant.

Purpose of this guidance

This guidance supports schools and settings to make effective use of INSET days and the professional learning grant to plan and deliver professional learning that is impactful, inclusive and aligned with their improvement priorities.

We want all practitioners to be able to access high-quality professional learning to further develop reflective, enquiring and collaborative education professionals and a culture of mutual responsibility in relation to professional learning. Ongoing professional learning plays a vital role in enabling practitioners to respond confidently to change and to meet the diverse needs of learners. Creating meaningful time and space for professional learning allows staff to reflect, collaborate and strengthen their practice. 

Our aim is to achieve high standards and aspirations for all children and young people. The Curriculum for Wales, alongside significant reforms relating to children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN), and an emphasis on equity in the education system, have reshaped the landscape of the education system in Wales. Together, these reforms are focused on ensuring that all learners are supported to achieve their best.

Who the guidance is aimed at

This guidance is aimed at headteachers, school leadership teams and governing bodies of schools, and others within schools who are involved in planning INSET days and professional learning opportunities for school practitioners. This includes all maintained schools in Wales (including special schools), pupil referral units and EOTAS (education other than at school). It will also be of interest to local authority education departments.

Legal status of the guidance

The guidance is non-statutory. It’s not a legislative requirement for the audience to have regard to it, but it’s designed to be helpful to those with functions in relation to INSET days under the Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2003 (as amended most recently by the Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026). We expect the intended audience to take the guidance into consideration when exercising those functions. The guidance is made under section 60 of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

In this guidance we use ‘should’ to mean we strongly advise. When we use ‘must’ we are referring to a legal obligation which requires something be done.

Characteristics of effective professional learning

Professional learning should have a clear focus on improving teaching and developing practice in line with the professional standards for teaching, leadership and assisting teaching. It should support practitioners at all stages of their career to strengthen their practice and contribute to improvement within their school and across the wider system.

Successful schools and settings are learning organisations that prioritise professional learning and closely align it with curriculum delivery and improvement priorities. This expectation is set out in the school improvement guidance, which clarifies roles following the review of roles and responsibilities of education partners in Wales and delivery of school improvement arrangements.

Effective professional learning provides opportunities for collaboration, enquiry, innovation and evaluation of impact. This collaboration may take place within the school, across clusters, or through wider vertical and horizontal partnerships. Such partnerships help build capacity, expertise and sustainability across the system.

Leaders should also regularly evaluate the impact of all forms of professional learning to inform decisions about future provision and priorities within the school development plan (there is guidance on school development plans within the school improvement guidance).This is in line with The Education (School Development Plans) (Wales) Regulations 2014 (legislation.gov.uk).

Estyn, in its supplementary guidance on inspecting professional learning (2022), articulated a broad set of underpinning principles that characterise effective professional learning. It said effective professional learning is collaborative, reflective, informed, evaluated and impactful, and responsive and agile.

Practitioners’ use of the professional standards to reflect on individual practice should inform performance management and school improvement arrangements. This in turn should feed into the development of the school’s professional learning offer, and support an individual professional learning journey for every practitioner.

Schools should use all forms of professional learning, whether that is time allocated to INSET or other school-led professional learning, or engaging with externally delivered professional learning (delivered through Dysgu and other providers, and funded via the professional learning grant and other sources). Together, these approaches should support the development of staff within the context of schools as learning organisations.

Dysgu’s role as the national body for professional learning and leadership support will ensure practitioners have access to high-quality, nationally consistent professional learning opportunities.

Role of leaders in planning professional learning

Leaders play a central role in planning and enabling high-quality professional learning for all practitioners. Leaders have a responsibility to create and embed an equitable, collaborative, learner-centred culture within the school. Professional learning is another tool to enable this.

Leaders should use self-evaluation to identify and plan purposeful professional learning that supports school improvement priorities. They should consider how professional learning has improved classroom practice and, where appropriate, its impact on learners’ progress. INSET and other professional learning should be clearly linked to the school improvement planning process and used to inform ongoing priorities.

Estyn has emphasised, including in its 2024 to 2025 annual report, that leaders should set a clear vision, align professional learning with priorities, and monitor its impact rigorously. Leaders should foster a positive culture that supports continuous professional learning for all staff and ensures a shared understanding of education reforms.

Leaders who establish a strong learning culture use professional learning time effectively and promote a shared understanding of how learning improves outcomes for learners. They identify effective practice within the school and support collaborative approaches to sharing this through INSET or other professional learning opportunities.

In-service training (INSET)

Six INSET days will be provided each academic year from 2026 to 2027, building on the arrangements that have been in place temporarily since 2019.

Until 2025 to 2026, the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document (STPC(W)D) provided that there were 5 INSET days. The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2003 provided ad hoc additional INSET days. An additional day was provided in this way from 2019 to 2020 until 2025 to 2026.

The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 amend the 2003 Regulations. The amended 2003 Regulations now provide a total of 6 INSET days on an ongoing basis.

There will be no additional INSET days provided by the STPC(W)D, but the STPC(W)D will be amended to reflect the fact that the amended 2003 Regulations now provide for 6 INSET days (12 school sessions), when teachers will be required to work but not required to teach. Those INSET days will be used for the purposes set out in the amended 2003 Regulations.

Use of INSET

The expectation is that all INSET days provide high quality professional learning.

In line with the purposes set out in the amended 2003 Regulations, INSET days must be used mainly or wholly for training, planning and preparation in relation to:

  • supporting learners with additional learning needs (ALN)
  • curriculum and assessment arrangements under Parts 2, 3 and 4 of the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021, to support progress in learning. This can include preparing for courses of study that lead to qualifications, in line with the 14 to 16 learning guidance
  • the national priorities of improving pupils’ progression by ensuring their learning is supported by a range of knowledge, skills and experience, and reducing the impact of poverty on pupils’ progression and attainment
  • school improvement priorities identified in the school development plan
  • other training and professional learning on matters that the school considers appropriate to include in INSET days. This can include safeguarding (where the Welsh Government’s statutory guidance keeping learners safe requires all staff to receive safeguarding training that is appropriate to their role and updated regularly), Prevent duty or health and safety training, which may be supported through local authorities. However, overall, the majority of INSET time must relate to the first 4 of the 5 purposes listed here. This other training must not take up the majority of INSET time over a school year

In line with this, we suggest that schools should ensure that at least 4 INSET days each year are used wholly or mainly to deliver professional learning focused on learning and teaching. This ensures that the majority of INSET time directly supports improvements to classroom practice.

When planning INSET provision in line with the prescribed purposes:

  • Schools should consider how to link INSET provision to the objectives of Cymraeg 2050 and the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025.
  • Schools with a religious character should consider how to use INSET provision to maintain the school’s religious ethos.
  • Schools should consider how to align INSET provision with the statutory guidance framework on embedding a whole-school approach to emotional and mental well-being and with inclusion, so that the wellbeing of both staff and learners is promoted. It is recommended that schools consider how INSET provision aligns to the Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality and Human Rights Commission) and the duties in the school’s statutory Strategic Equality Plan (Equality and Human Rights Commission).

This can either be done in relation to the specific purposes listed (ALN, curriculum and assessment, national priorities and school improvement priorities) where relevant, or as other training.

Planning for INSET

When should INSET be taken

Schools can continue to decide when it is most helpful to hold their INSET days. Schools should consult with their local authorities in doing so. When planning these dates, schools may want to think about how the time can best support their development needs across the year, making sure staff have space for meaningful professional learning when it will have the most impact. It can also help to spread INSET days out so that the learning feels manageable and supports ongoing improvement.

Taking INSET days in blocks

Some schools have previously chosen to take several INSET days together as a block. While this may feel convenient from a scheduling point of view, taking too many INSET days in a row can make it harder for staff to engage with professional learning in a paced and meaningful way. It can also create challenges for families, especially when several non‑teaching days fall together.

To support a more balanced pattern of professional learning, schools are encouraged not to schedule more than 2 INSET days as a block within the academic year. Keeping blocks of INSET days to a small number of days helps ensure time is spread out across the year, giving practitioners regular opportunities to reflect, plan and build on their learning. This approach also makes it easier for parents and carers to plan ahead and supports smoother organisation across the school community.

Twilight INSET

Some schools use a series of shorter, after‑school sessions, often three 2‑hour ‘twilight’ sessions across a term, to make up the equivalent of 1 INSET day. In some cases, schools choose to use twilight sessions to give staff, including teaching assistants, greater flexibility to take part in professional learning. When staff have attended twilight sessions after normal school days to make up the equivalent of an INSET day, this means they don’t have to attend school on a non-teaching day when learners do not attend. Some types of professional learning or preparation are well-suited to shorter, after-school sessions.

However, schools are encouraged to use twilight sessions for no more than 1 or 2 INSET days across the academic year. Keeping this to a small number helps ensure professional learning remains well‑paced and purposeful, while also avoiding confusion about how INSET time has been allocated. Where twilight sessions are used, it is important to share this information openly with parents and carers, so they understand how the hours contribute to INSET time.

Collaborative approach to INSET

Working collaboratively on INSET planning can be beneficial for both schools, practitioners and families. Schools within the same local authority area, diocesan authority or cluster may find it helpful to align some of their INSET days, which can reduce disruption for parents and carers who have children in more than one school and create opportunities for schools to come together.

Aligning INSET days provides valuable opportunities for collaboration between schools, giving practitioners the chance to share effective practice, explore common priorities and learn from one another’s approaches. Coming together in this way can support work on national priorities and strengthen learning across the 3 to 16 continuum, in line with the school improvement guidance.

Schools are encouraged to work with their cluster colleagues and local authority to agree shared timing of some or all INSET days, where it is practical and aligns with their professional learning priorities.

Communicating with parents and carers about INSET days

There is no set notice period for INSET days, but sharing dates with parents and carers as early as possible makes a real difference. We encourage schools to set their INSET days at the start of the academic year, or the end of the previous academic year, while acknowledging plans may need to change or be finalised during the year. Giving families plenty of notice helps them plan ahead and reduces pressure, especially where childcare arrangements need to be made.

Clear communication about why particular dates have been chosen, and where possible, about the intended purpose of the INSET days, also supports a better understanding of how INSET contributes to learners’ experiences and attainment.

We acknowledge that professional learning needs may vary or emerge during the year, and the availability of external providers may affect the final content. Where plans need to be adjusted, schools should update parents or carers as soon as possible.

INSET days may place an additional financial burden on parents who may need to arrange childcare for their children. Transparent and clear communications between schools and the community may help to dispel some parental misconceptions such as INSET days being a 'day off', particularly if schools use a twilight model and parents are not aware. Communication with parents and carers can be undertaken in a number of ways including through newsletters, emails and social media.

Communication within schools

All school staff should be informed of the aim and purpose of planned INSET and how it aligns with the priorities set out in the school development plan. Staff should have a clear understanding of what to expect from each INSET day, how the activity will support their professional learning, and how it connects to their individual development journeys. It is also recommended that governing bodies are kept informed of the purpose and intended outcomes of INSET activity.

Who should attend INSET

All school practitioners should attend and benefit from INSET.

We recognise that the terms of conditions of employment for teaching assistants are set by individual local authorities and differ from those of teachers and headteachers which are governed by the STPC(W)D. However, in order to establish a positive culture that encourages and supports practitioners to engage in professional learning, all practitioners should partake in INSET, including teaching assistants.

We would encourage teaching assistants and teachers to lead and engage in INSET together where appropriate so that they are able to develop a common understanding of how the school will address our national priorities and the school’s identified priorities.

Where teaching assistants or part-time teachers are not able to attend INSET, the senior leadership team should provide opportunities for them to engage in professional learning including signposting to both synchronous and asynchronous resources, including those developed by local authorities and their partnerships, Dysgu or Welsh Government. The Teaching Assistant Learning Pathway (TALP) is designed to support the professional learning of all teaching assistants in line with the professional standards for assisting teaching. Each programme builds on the knowledge and understanding of the teaching assistant at different points during their career.

Special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs)

We recognise that special schools and PRUs may need to organise and deliver INSET differently to mainstream schools due to the specialist nature of their provision and the complexity of learners’ needs. In some cases, these settings may need to allocate more of their overall INSET time to statutory or operational requirements than mainstream schools, and there may be fewer opportunities for collaboration with other similar schools.

However, the requirements in the amended 2003 Regulations apply to special schools and PRUs in the same way as they do for mainstream schools, and they should also adopt the general principles and good practice set out in this guidance in a way that is aligned with the school’s development priorities and the needs of its workforce.

Links and information for use on INSET days

This is some of the guidance available to help schools in the planning and delivery of INSET in line with the section above on the use of INSET days.

Additional learning needs system

The Welsh Government’s additional learning needs (ALN) area is a central source of up to date guidance, statutory information and practical resources aligned to the ALN Code. The site supports INSET planning by signposting professional learning, policy updates and tools to help all staff understand their roles in delivering inclusive, learner centred provision.

A suite of guidance to supplement the ALN Code, designed to support transparent, evidence informed decision making and consistent application of the ALNET legislative framework across Wales:

Curriculum and assessment arrangements

A range of national and practitioner-facing guidance is available on Hwb to support schools in developing and refining their curriculum and assessment arrangements. These can be used to structure professional learning, support enquiry and inform whole-school curriculum design.

Practical tools to support schools in designing and reviewing their curriculum, including planning templates and exemplification materials:

Materials designed to support schools to build a shared understanding of Curriculum for Wales as a purpose-led, process-orientated curriculum:

A curated collection of materials to support schools at different stages of curriculum development and refinement:

Resources to support schools in developing a shared understanding of assessment culture and exploring alternative approaches to assessment practice:

Community focused schools

A starting point for discussion as a whole staff on the current provision in each of the 3 key areas with opportunities to identify priorities for each:

The impact of poverty on education achievement

The resources could inform staff discussion on:

Whole-school approach to emotional and mental well-being

An independent report 'Delivering a Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing: examples of practice schools' reported as helpful has been published to help all schools consider their delivery of support for learners’ emotional and mental well-being:

Children and young people’s rights in education

The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (legislation.gov.uk) places a duty on schools and settings to promote knowledge and understanding of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities among those who provide teaching and learning.

The professional learning resources on Hwb can support schools to meet these duties. 

Pedagogical principles

Resource for leaders to support professional dialogue and reflection to help shape pedagogy and practice.

Developing the Welsh language in your school

Professional learning resources

The Welsh Government has worked with a range of external partners and experts to develop new professional learning resources to support practitioners including:

Professional learning grant

This grant, paid via local authorities, enables schools to fund professional learning in accordance with their school development plan.

The main purpose of the funding is to create time in schools for all practitioners to develop their skills and practice to deliver high-quality teaching and learning for all learners. It also enables schools to continue to adapt and access necessary support, including the national Curriculum for Wales professional learning programme.

It is essential to allow time and space for practitioners and leaders to work together across schools and networks to continue to roll out Curriculum for Wales and continue to access the necessary support. With this in mind, the funding conditions are sufficiently flexible to enable schools to work together in ways to meet the specific needs of their own settings.

Examples of how the professional learning grant funding can be used

A collection of school focused case studies on Hwb demonstrate a range of innovative approaches to maximise enhanced professional learning funding. Schools can also access a range of professional learning resources via the Hwb repository.

Examples of how the funding can be used include:

  • releasing and covering staff to be involved in collaborative professional learning and planning, at a school level and across clusters and networks
  • incentivising and rewarding staff to investigate the implications of Curriculum for Wales for their own teaching and assessment practice, at individual level, by funded release for professional enquiry or professional learning
  • creating roles and posts dedicated to the mission, and especially to supporting colleagues, departments and whole schools through professional enquiry, change management and schools as learning organisations activities
  • development of the role of a school or cluster level professional learning coach

The funding should not be used to fund activities or purchases not related to professional learning for Curriculum for Wales and other Welsh Government priorities. Please note that a random sample of schools will be selected to provide evidence of appropriate expenditure of the professional learning funding allocation.

Who should benefit from the grant funding

Professional learning is an entitlement for all practitioners in schools, not just teachers.

The professional learning funding is not reserved exclusively for teachers and leaders and should also be used to also facilitate access to professional learning for teaching assistants and supply teachers, for example.

Therefore, the expectation is that while the funding formula has been based on the number of FTE teachers in schools, all practitioners (teachers, teaching assistants and leaders) are to be given the opportunity to engage with professional learning and utilise the funding to deliver high-quality teaching and learning.

  • Last updated 02 July 2026