Good year
Tony Blair: Labour’s third election victory secured his place in the history books and gave him the chance of radical school reform.
Jane Davidson: still popular with educationists, and spearheading a national debate on pedagogy and good practice in Wales.
Early years: the foundation phase may have been delayed in Wales, but there was more cash for under-threes.
Faith groups: October’s white paper will allow churches to create new schools on the cheap, while Islamic schools are being encouraged to join the state sector.
Classroom teachers: prophets of doom who claimed schools could not deliver on the promise of half-a-day per week non-contact time were proved wrong in September.
Current teachers: they will still be able to retire on a full pension at 60 after ministers’ U-turn.
Bad year
Tony Blair: a reduced majority and rebellious Labour MPs put in jeopardy plans to promote choice by creating a new category of trust schools.
Jane Davidson: the election put Labour in a minority in the Assembly government, allowing the opposition parties to win key votes on student fees, school funding and support for small schools.
God: He is being edited out of religious education lessons to avoid boring pupils.
Heads: while PPA cut teachers’ workload, heads complained their burden was increasing with extra teaching duties, Estyn self-assessment and staffing reviews.
Future teachers: will have to work until 65 to qualify for a full pension.