| The Camau i’r Dyfodol project team recently hosted a symposium to showcase the work of schools across Wales designing curricula as part of the project. Marc Bowen, from Raglan CiW VC Primary School, described how his school’s curriculum design is evolving. As part of the Camau i’r Dyfodol project, our school has transformed how we approach curriculum development. What began as a frustration with knots – those tangles in shoelaces and classroom equipment – has evolved into embracing ‘knots’ as essential features in curriculum design. Phase three of the Camau Project offered schools like ours the chance to experiment with process-driven curriculum without predetermined templates. The guiding principle was ‘Worthwhileness’: Is the learning context meaningful? Do experiences develop skills aligned with the four purposes? Are these purposes genuinely at the heart of learning? This approach transformed how we utilise our local environment. Our village castle, previously just a standard learning theme, became a rich vehicle for deeper exploration. Pupils investigated historic settlement patterns, power shifts from feudal systems to modern democracy, and ethical questions about land use and sustainable development. The castle on our doorstep opened conversations about tourism’s impact on our community. The results were remarkable. Learners developed a profound understanding of their community and their potential influence as active citizens. Their passion drove independent questioning and self-directed enquiry. Teachers gained valuable insights into pupils’ development of integral skills and their ability to transfer learning across contexts. Most importantly, we developed a more comprehensive understanding of what makes our learners tick. Challenges inevitably arose – the ‘knots’ in our thinking that disrupted our linear process. However, we learned to reframe these obstacles. Rather than seeing knots as problems to eliminate, we untied their threads and rewove them into our design, creating meaningful learning experiences tailored to our community. The project’s most valuable insight is that ‘worthwhileness’ can be universally applied across diverse school settings. Despite unique challenges, every school found purpose for their learners and felt empowered as educators. Our advice? Embrace the knots! Here, Kate Watkins-Freeman from Ribbons Preschool, who has no previous experience of the Camau i’r Dyfodol project reflected on what she got out of attending the symposium. The symposium had a energising atmosphere — open, collaborative, and refreshingly honest. The messages were consistent. Progression, both for learners and for educators, starts with the courage to try, to reflect, and to grow. This ethos of experimentation, taking time and trusting in the process really stood out for me. It was powerful to hear experienced professionals speak candidly about the importance of taking informed risks, testing ideas, and learning together. Another highlight was hearing from practitioners who are already embedding the process approach into their teaching. Their stories, grounded in real classroom experience, were a reminder that change doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. There was a shared understanding that progression isn’t linear – it’s complex, contextual, and personal. That nuance was respected and embraced, echoed by keynote speakers, in breakout workshops, and in casual corridor conversations. The workshops created space for genuine dialogue. We didn’t shy away from difficult questions, and the willingness of participants to reflect openly created a sense of trust. My only real criticism? The quality and variety of sessions on offer was so strong, one day just wasn’t enough time for all the workshops I was interested in. To view the presentations from the symposium please visit: Camau Apr 25 symposium – Google Drive |
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