Wales confirms new Estyn inspectors from 20 Nov 2025
From 20 November 2025, seven people join His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education and Training in Wales. A short Order in Council confirms the appointments and, in line with Wales’s bilingual law‑making, gives the title in Welsh too: Arolygwyr Ei Fawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru. The Order was made on 12 November 2025 and comes into force on 20 November 2025.
Here’s the legal route in plain English. Section 19(2) of the Education Act 2005 lets the King appoint inspectors for Wales by Order in Council. In practice, ministers advise and the Privy Council formalises the decision. That’s why the Order’s opening lines mention Buckingham Palace and the Privy Council.
Who’s been appointed? The Order lists Andrew Brassington, Dean Curtis, Matthew Goulding, Nathan Horleston, Gerallt Jones, Lisa Lewis and Penny Peet. With appointment, each becomes one of Estyn’s HM Inspectors able to lead and quality‑assure inspections across Wales.
Let’s place this in the system you work in. Estyn is Wales’s independent inspectorate for education and training, led by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Owen Evans. Estyn inspects from early years to adult learning and publishes reports and thematic advice for Welsh Government.
What changes for you? The inspection framework itself doesn’t shift because of new names on the team. Since September 2024, maintained schools have a core inspection and an interim visit within each six‑year cycle. Interim visits are designed to be supportive and light‑touch; core inspections bring the full evaluation and published judgements.
If you lead a school or college, use this as a reminder rather than a curveball. Keep improvement planning live, stay close to Estyn guidance for your sector, and expect regular professional dialogue. The appointments add capacity; they don’t rewrite the rules overnight.
Devolution context matters. Education is devolved to Wales, and the 2005 Act sets out the Welsh inspectorate and the appointment route. After the Government of Wales Act 2006, functions that sat with the National Assembly transferred to Welsh Ministers-one reason Wales has Estyn while England appoints Ofsted inspectors under different legislation.
Quick explainer for class: an Order in Council is a formal legal instrument approved by the King at a Privy Council meeting. It’s commonly used for appointments and secondary legislation, which is why you’ll see the royal style and the Clerk of the Privy Council’s signature on education inspector orders.
Media literacy tip: dense pages get easier when you know where to look. Find “Citation and commencement” for the effective date, then scan the Schedule for names. Compare Wales’s order with a recent England order to spot how wording stays formal while the institutions differ.
Why inspection matters to learners. Estyn’s work gives the public a view on quality, shares effective practice and advises ministers. If you’re studying policy or teaching it, use the new appointments to talk about accountability, improvement, and how bilingual law signals who Wales makes its decisions for.