What is EWC (Education Workforce Council)?

The EWC keeps a register of education practitioners in Wales, sets a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice, and investigates fitness to practise concerns. It also awards qualified teacher status (QTS) to teachers who train in Wales.

The register has several categories, including school teachers, school learning support workers, further education staff, work-based learning practitioners, youth workers, and teachers and learning support workers in independent schools. It is a legal requirement on both the employer and the individual that the person is registered in the correct category before they begin the work.

For independent schools, a teacher who plans, delivers or assesses lessons, or leads teaching and learning, must usually be registered as an independent school teacher. Staff who support that work must usually be registered as independent school learning support workers.

England and Wales

The EWC covers Wales only. England has no equivalent register for all school staff. Teachers in England are identified by their teacher reference number (TRN), and teacher misconduct is handled by the Teaching Regulation Agency.

Why it matters for your setting

• If you operate in Wales, check each practitioner’s EWC registration and category before they start.
• Registration can lapse or carry conditions, so recheck periodically.
• Estyn and commissioners may ask how you confirm registration.

How PupilDB helps

PupilDB records each staff member’s EWC number alongside their DBS details, TRN, references and training certificates.