Professional learning will be central to ensuring that all school staff have the professional knowledge and skills to deliver on the education reforms that are well underway in Wales. In this blog, we describe the programme of professional learning that Consortia will provide to prepare schools for the challenges ahead.
The learning will be free to access and includes common national elements complemented by regional elements. It will be available to senior leaders from January 2020 and to others from later in Spring Term.
Regional teams have designed the programme such that it maps to the National Approach to Professional Learning. It is differentiated by career milestones so that practitioners at different milestones receive relevant knowledge and skills to effectively realise the curriculum.
Who will support the delivery of the programme?
The programme will be co-designed, constructed and delivered in partnership with existing Innovation, Quality Improvement and Lead Enquiry Schools, supported by regional consortia staff and their link Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Schools from outside the existing ‘pioneer’ network will also be engaged to support the development and delivery.
How can I access the materials if I am unable to attend a live session?
All materials will be available via an e-learning option on the Hwb platform. They will be divided into manageable sections, so that leaders, teachers and support staff are able to break their learning in to digestible pieces.
What will be available?
| Milestone | Programme Areas |
| Headteachers / SLT | Leading Change (theory into practice)
Developing a shared vision centered on the learning of all learners for the new curriculum Planning for curriculum change (curriculum planning and timetabling) Creating time and space for Professional Learning Curriculum design (3-16 continuum; progression; collaborative approaches; working in clusters; understanding subsidiarity; evaluating disciplinary, interdisciplinary and integrated approaches) Leading Pedagogy (Schools as Learning Organisations and Leadership Standards) |
| Middle Leaders and Teachers | Curriculum for Wales: engage with the curriculum framework with questions to support thinking and discussion (questions to support initial engagement)
Curriculum for Wales: what’s different? How is the CfW similar to / different from the existing National Curriculum? Reconsidering pedagogy in light of the new Curriculum for Wales Using the planning guidance materials Progression (principles, to underpin curriculum design) – Assessment for Learning Curriculum design: (3-16 continuum; progression; collaborative approaches; working in clusters; understanding subsidiarity; evaluating disciplinary, interdisciplinary and integrated approaches. Long and medium-term planning (AOLEs) Cross-curricular responsibilities and Wider Skills Pedagogic content knowledge (AoLE / disciplinary specific) – A consideration of the required disciplinary knowledge and the most appropriate pedagogies to support learning within (and across) AoLE Assessment (developing approaches to assessment in the transition period between curricula 2020 – 2022). |
Where do I begin?
At school level the starting point for deciding on the pedagogies and practices required to implement the new curriculum is The Schools as Learning Organisations Model.
Schools should access the SLO survey via their regional consortia, who can also provide pointers to digital resources that can help with the SLO journey. To support the survey and the National Approach to Professional Learning, a Professional Learning Journey (PLJ) model is being developed, which integrates the various models already available, including the Professional Teaching and Leadership Standards and also aligns to the national professional learning programme delivered through the Regional Consortia. The PLJ will be hosted via Hwb and will consist of a set of resources to help schools in planning and implementing professional learning.
At individual level, the 5 Professional Teaching and Leadership Standards are a natural starting point.
National Professional Enquiry Project – How are schools enquiring about the new Curriculum?
The regions are also supporting the development of a cohort of ‘Lead Enquiry Schools’ to help the wider schools network build on last year’s pilot with Higher Education Institutions. The work explores the professional implications of the new curriculum. Ongoing enquiries will be captured and published through the various stages of development and shared with all schools through Hwb this autumn. Lead Enquiry Schools will champion the approach to national enquiry and use their funding to support schools with best research practice.