Skip to main content

Headteacher conference: Curriculum for Wales and School Improvement

See this post in Welsh

A tightly-packed 90 minute conference explored curriculum implementation and the evolving approach to school improvement on March 23rd.

Opening addresses by Minister Jeremy Miles and Estyn’s Owen Evans were followed by a vibrant panel discussion featuring three headteachers: Owain Gethin Davies from Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, Edward Jones from Pencoed Comprehensive School, and Michelle Jones MBE from Lansdowne Primary School; along with Professor Graham Donaldson and Professor Dame Alison Peacock.

See the full recording below:

And see the resource page from the day here.

Publishing a Curriculum Summary – useful examples

See this post in Welsh

Once a school has developed its Curriculum for Wales, by law it must publish a summary for interested parties to see.

Each school and setting’s context is different and so there are no fixed templates, no absolute rules about how summaries should be presented. As to content, currently the recommendation is that they show:

  • how practitioners, learners, parents, carers and the wider community have been engaged to inform the curriculum’s development
  • how the curriculum meets the required elements set out in the national Framework, starting from the four purposes
  • how the school is approaching learning progression and its arrangements for assessment
  • how the curriculum will be kept under review, including the process for feedback and ongoing revision

Being inventive and responding to differing contexts, colleagues have used various ways of presenting curricula. With wholehearted thanks to them and the education partners who forwarded their examples, we’re pleased to share them below.

Ysgol Gymraeg Gwenllian (Welsh medium primary) – combines Welsh Government context with an engaging video story of the four purposes brought to life through the story of Gwenllian, and encourages a feedback cycle to inform their iterative design.

Ysgol Pen Rhos (Dual langauge primary) – a rounded example that shows how the curriculum is put together, describes assessment and ongoing review with stakeholders to make sure the curriculum is working.

Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr (Welsh medium secondary) – the clear structure shows section by section how the curriculum blends the school’s vision for pupils with mandatory requirements, including Assessment.

Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Gellionnen (Welsh medium primary) – thorough and clear, with the clickable options to look deeper, showing the four purposes in full.

Heronsbridge School (Special school) – a thorough introduction to the curriculum in a school that has learners with a wide range of additional learning needs including a centre for pupils with autism. More detail available behind accessible top-level slides.

Coety Primary School (English medium primary) – a brief clear introduction offers the option of a PDF with a detailed but accessible overview of the school’s approach across each aspect of the curriculum.

Corpus Christi High School (English medium secondary) – the School isn’t introducing the Curriculum for Wales until September, but this shows the thought processes about curriculum and assessment design as they plan for introduction.

Ysgol Iolo Morgannwg (Welsh medium primary) – engaging and clear, this summary shows how stakeholders have been involved in shaping the curriculum, and how local aspirations have been blended with the national framework.

Ysgol Nantgwyn  (English medium all-through school) – Clear and easy to understand, from engagement and priorities through to curriculum, this also describes a 3-16 curriculum where some pupils are experiencing Curriculum for Wales whilst some older pupils remain on the previous curriculum.

Chepstow school (English medium secondary) – Chepstow has chosen a six minute video featuring teachers and pupils to describe their curriculum. It relates mandatory elements to the school’s context and exemplifies learning in curriculum Areas.

New case study films: curriculum, transition, assessment, progression…

See a similar post in Welsh

Even as the curriculum resource review work continues at pace – see our recent blog post – some great new material is being added.

Below, Jubilee Park Primary School describe their approach to transition. Fitzalan school explain their approach to curriculum design, progression, assessment, pupil progress meetings and quality assurance.

See the case study area on Hwb or use the links below.

Developing our approach to transition at Jubilee Park Primary School

How has curriculum design been developing at Fitzalan High School

Developing a shared understanding of progression at Fitzalan High School

Read more

See the case study area on Hwb or use the links below.

Developing our approach to transition at Jubilee Park Primary School

How has curriculum design been developing at Fitzalan High School

Developing a shared understanding of progression at Fitzalan High School

Read more