Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Curriculum summaries are more than just a tick-box exercise. Done well, they can be powerful tools for communicating your school or setting’s ethos, curriculum thinking, and learner experience to a wide audience – from parents and carers to governors and community partners.
So, what does a good curriculum summary look like? And what should we steer clear of?
Characteristics of an effective curriculum summary
1. Clear, accessible and audience-focused
A good summary speaks to its audience. That means:
- Using plain language that’s free from jargon.
- Tailoring the language to suit parents, carers, and non-specialists.
- Being concise – it’s a summary, not a policy document.
2. Visually appealing and well-presented
First impressions matter. A well-designed summary:
- Uses layout and branding that reflect the school or setting’s identity.
- Incorporates photos, colours, and even video to bring the curriculum to life.
- Is easy to navigate, with clear headings and structure.
3. Bespoke and reflective of your school or setting
Avoid generic content. Instead:
- Showcase your school or setting’s unique ethos, vision, and values.
- Include authentic examples of learning and pupil experiences.
- Demonstrate the thinking behind your curriculum decisions.
4. Useful and linked to key information
Make it practical:
- Include links to statutory frameworks and curriculum guidance where appropriate.
- Allow those that want to delve deeper into aspects they’re interested in.
- Highlight connections to wellbeing, pastoral care, and community involvement.
5. Up-to-date and transparent
Trust is built through transparency:
- Clearly state when the summary was first published and last updated.
- Ensure links and references are current.
- Show how staff and stakeholders have contributed to its development.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Even with the best intentions, some summaries miss the mark. Here’s what to watch out for:
1. Jargon overload
- Avoid unexplained acronyms and technical language.
- Don’t assume your audience has a background in education.
2. Content copied from elsewhere
- Resist the temptation to lift text directly from the Curriculum for Wales framework guidance.
- Generic summaries that could belong to any school lack authenticity.
3. Too much detail
- Keep it focused – this isn’t the place for full schemes of work.
- Overly long documents can overwhelm and disengage readers.
4. Outdated or vague information
- Make sure your summary is regularly reviewed and updated.
- Avoid references to old documents or resources that no longer reflect current practice.
5. Disconnected presentation
- Ensure the summary reflects your whole school or setting, not just an individual class or certain subject areas.
- Avoid promotional content that doesn’t explain curriculum progression or intent.
Examples
Thank you to the schools, PRUs and nursery settings below for letting us share their published curriculum summaries:
Gelliswick VC School Pembrokeshire
Llangan Primary School Vale of Glamorgan
St David’s RC primary school Swansea
Y Gynradd Gymraeg Gellionnen Swansea
Ysgol Bodhyfryd Wrexham
Ysgol Gellifor Denbighshire
Ysgol Glan Aber Flintshire
Ysgol Iolo Morganwg Vale of Glamorgan
Ysgol Maes y Coed Neath Port Talbot
Ysgol Pen Rhos Carmarthenshire
Ysgol Raglan VC Primary school Monmouthshire
Ysgol Santes Dwynwen Isle of Anglesey
All-through schools:
Abertillery Learning Community Blaenau Gwent
Ysgol Bro Pedr Ceredigion
Ysgol Nantgwyn Rhondda Cynon Taf
Special schools:
Crownbridge Special School Torfaen
Ysgol Robert Owen Powys
PRUs:
Y Deryn Family of Schools Cardiff
New Start Centre Powys
Secondary:
Chepstow School Monmouthshire
Corpus Christi Catholic High School Cardiff
Llanwern High School Newport
Risca Community Comprehensive School Caerphilly
Ysgol Aberconwy Conwy
Ysgol Glan y Môr Carmarthenshire
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd Bridgend
Ysgol Pen y Dre Merthyr Tydfil
Non-maintained nursery settings:
Cylch Meithrin Ruthin Denbighshire
Sticky Fingers Nursery Monmouthshire
Final Thoughts
A curriculum summary should be a window into your learning journey – clear, engaging, and rooted in your values. By focusing on clarity, authenticity, and accessibility, you can create a summary that not only informs but inspires.
The summary of legislation section on Hwb sets out the requirements for publishing a curriculum summary.
The statutory guidance notes that the published summaries should include:
- information on how practitioners, learners, parents, carers and the wider community are being engaged to inform the curriculum’s ongoing development
- how the curriculum meets the required elements set out in this Framework, starting from the four purposes
- information on how the school is approaching learning progression and its arrangements for assessment
- how the curriculum is being kept under review, including the process for feedback and ongoing refinement
and should be published before the start of each academic year.
Practical support for curriculum and assessment design is available on Hwb.
There is no duty on non-maintained nursery settings to design a curriculum; Welsh Ministers are required to provide this for settings. These are the curriculum and assessment arrangements for those settings. Like schools and PRUs, settings need to publish a summary of their curriculum. Guidance for settings on publishing a summary can be found within the engagement toolkit.