'Urgency' needed to make schools safer after paedophile head jailed

Safeguarding recommendations made after a "depraved" paedophile head teacher was jailed for sexually abusing girls have not been implemented quickly enough, the children's commissioner for Wales has said.

Rocio Cifuentes said only three of 13 recommendations made after Neil Foden was jailed for 17 years in 2024 have been completed by the Welsh government.

A year after the review - titled Our Bravery Brought Justice - Cifuentes said: "I'm disappointed with the pace of progress on the whole safeguarding governance landscape."

The Welsh government said "no work had been paused" and it was making progress across the recommendations.

Foden was convicted of 19 charges in total, including 12 counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child while he was in a position of trust.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said Foden, from Conwy county in north Wales, was "depraved, arrogant and a bully".

In November 2025, a report found more than 50 opportunities to stop Foden had been missed.

The highly critical 108-page report made 27 recommendations to various agencies, including the Welsh government.

Child safeguarding expert Jan Pickles, who led the review, said the recommendations were "designed to bring about the most significant change in safeguarding in schools in Wales in a generation".

A former pupil who was groomed by Foden previously described the findings of the report as "shocking, devastating and hard-hitting".

But a year on, BBC-produced Newyddion S4C has discovered less than a quarter of the recommendations directed at the Welsh government have been completed.

It can also be revealed that consultation on some points would not begin until April 2027.

The Children's Commissioner for Wales Rocio Cifuentes said: "I'm disappointed with the pace of progress on the whole safeguarding governance landscape.

"It's a year from the publication of that review; it's three years since Neil Foden's crimes first came to light and two years since he was sentenced.

"While it is important to make sure there's enough time to undertake the review properly, I think the issues we are dealing with are so significant that we have to inject a bit more urgency into actually moving to a place we can be assured children in schools are actually safer."

The report said it was "appalling" that some safeguarding failings identified in Foden's case were similar to those found by the Clywch inquiry 20 years previously, after paedophile teacher John Owen killed himself while awaiting trial.

Cifuentes said a review of the school governance system had been started by the previous Welsh Labour Welsh government, but she felt work had stalled since Plaid Cymru were elected in May.

"We can't wait for review after review after review to see change happen," she said.

"The Neil Foden Child Practice Review uncovered some serious deficiencies with the school governing body system, in particular, which was a theme that was picked up 20 years ago through the Clywch inquiry...

"The previous Welsh government did start a piece of work looking at how school governing bodies function, however that work has been on pause seemingly since the new government started.

"It's really crucial we hear from the Welsh government what their plans are to conclude that piece of work, because it's a crucial part of the jigsaw."

Helen Mary Jones was a Plaid Cymru Assembly Member when the Clywch report was published, and since then has become an advocate for children's rights.

She said it was better to take time and get the changes right rather than rush them, and "end up with bolt-ons that don't shift the culture" but added she could see why it was "frustrating".

"It's obviously frustrating that it's taking the time that it is," she said.

"I think the important thing is ministers continue to really keep an eye on all of this and make sure it's a priority.

"I'd like to see a clear timetable set out so that we know when to expect these changes.

"I hope that in six months' time we'll be in a position where all the changes have been made."

Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language Anna Brychan said the findings from the report "continue to inform work to strengthen safeguarding arrangements in education across Wales".

"This case was incredibly shocking and my thoughts remain with all those affected," she said.

"As a government we are committed to addressing the recommendations within the report and progress is being made across a programme of national work designed to strengthen safeguarding arrangements and support lasting improvement.

"We are taking this work forward with purpose and at pace, while ensuring that the changes we make are evidence-based, effective and sustainable."

The Welsh government said: "The timing of consultation on key education policies and guidance reflects the sequencing of interdependent pieces of work to ensure any national guidance consulted on reflects the current position from the outset, rather than consulting on changes prematurely and potentially having to revisit them."

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