Find out more about resources for teachers and our joint events for school leadership teams in the new year.
Earlier this term, we published statutory guidance on 14 to 16 Learning under Curriculum for Wales (CfW) to support schools to plan and design their curriculum for the first cohort of year 10 learners under CfW from September 2025.
The 14 to 16 Learning Guidance also complements the publication of the first wave of reformed GCSE exam specifications from WJEC.
Responding to the feedback, we have worked with school leaders to create a package of professional learning support to support schools to design and deliver a curriculum for learners in year 10 and 11 that makes best use of qualifications and meets the expectations set out in the 14 to 16 Learning Guidance. This package complements the work of WJEC to support the delivery of the new Made-for-Wales qualifications.
The Director of Education recently wrote to headteachers of secondary aged learners inviting them and their leadership teams to attend our 14-16 Leadership Conferences which will be held across Wales at the beginning of 2025.
The conferences will give space and time for leaders to discuss our 14-16 Learning Guidance within the context of 3-16 Curriculum for Wales and its significance in supporting all learners in making effective transitions to post-16; but to also consider implications for:
Self-evaluation and improvement (including the use of data, information and evidence)
Pedagogy (including curriculum, progression and assessment, learner effectiveness and dealing with barriers to learning)
Curriculum and timetabling (including a consideration of curriculum time and resources, and the balance of NEA/examination across the suite of qualifications)
We are aiming for these conferences to take place on the agreed INSET days and in conjunction with the WJEC Professional Learning events for the new ‘wave 1’ GCSEs. Further details on location, agenda along with registration links will be shared with senior leaders in the coming weeks.
We are working with Dr James Mannion, and senior leaders across Wales, to develop a research informed professional learning programme, ‘Embedding Learner Effectiveness’, designed to support schools with teaching learners and young people how to become more confident, proactive and self-regulated learners.
The programme is being trialled and reviewed for publication in the summer term 2025, for schools to use from September 2025.
We will also publish a number of case studies to sit alongside the publication of the programme, to showcase the important impact of this work throughout curriculum design.
A consultation on some of the proposed changes for 2025 opened on 4 November and will run until 20 December, your feedback is welcomed.
The revised sections of guidance under consultation have been developed by practitioners and other partners and are aimed at making the guidance clearer and more user-friendly.
The guidance supports schools, PRUs and other education settings with the practical steps of designing, implementing, and maintaining the ongoing review of their curriculum.
When designing your curriculum and making decisions about learning and teaching you will be drawing on a range of sound evidence. This will include disciplinary-specific expertise, learning from professional enquiry, intelligence from research, including local, national and international information.
The Camau i’r Dyfodol project is working with practitioners to move forward our shared understanding of progression and assessment. You can read about the project in our previous blog.
The Schools as learning organisations (SLO) model in Wales has been developed over the course of several years, based on work with the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development).
The Collaborative Evidence Network (CEN) involves higher education institutions and other organisations that have looked at impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of the education system and on particular groups of learners. They examine ways to mitigate those impacts, as well as ways practitioners and learners can be better supported moving forwards.
In our blog post in June, we told you that the Welsh Government was working in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to support evidence-informed practice. Lizzie Swaffield, from the EEF, met with Curriculum for Wales Policy group members in Swansea recently to look at the opportunities and challenges of using EEF resources in the Welsh context and in the context of the Curriculum for Wales.
Using reliable evidence and expertise can support schools’ confidence that their approaches are appropriate. For example, there is evidence, of learners’ progression in literacy when explicit and systematic teaching of phonics is part of a wider whole-school approach that also supports their comprehension, vocabulary and spelling development in a language rich environment.
A new literacy area on Hwb will make it easier for practitioners to find supporting materials, resources and case studies related to learner progression in listening, speaking, reading and writing. As part of this, all schools will be able to access information about Microsoft tools which help learners develop literacy. More will be added to the literacy area in the coming months.
If you are a practitioner in a school or setting that uses the Curriculum for Wales and have a passion for working with others to co-construct solutions, please complete the Expression of interest form for the Policy Group reserve list.
During her Oral Statement in the Senedd, the Cabinet Secretary outlined the key improvement priorities for schools, as well as more funding for initiatives to improve attainment in literacy, maths and science.
The Cabinet Secretary speaking in Plenary on Tuesday 5 November
Medr is the new arms-length funder and regulator for tertiary education and research in Wales. We have oversight for further education, higher education, work-based learning and apprenticeships, adult education, research, and school sixth forms.
Wales the first place in the UK to have brought all those areas together in one place – we’re leading the way!
2.Why was Medr created?
Although Medr officially went ‘live’ on 1 August this year, the journey to get to this point began almost a decade ago, when the Welsh Government commissioned Professor Ellen Hazelkorn to undertake a review into the post-compulsory education and training system in Wales.
The review looked at gaps in provision across the tertiary sector and identified the need for better coherence and more joined-up thinking. It recommended the establishment of a new national body with responsibility for the regulation, oversight and co-ordination of the post-compulsory sector. We have explored systems with similar models (such as those in New Zealand and Norway), and we are confident that implementing this approach in Wales will lead to better strategic alignment across the tertiary sector.
The overarching goal is a system that delivers for learners and for Wales, and Medr has been created to enable that by facilitating clearer pathways for learners and encouraging collaborative working across the sector.
3. How are you making sure that learners’ interests are being represented? Will they have an opportunity to give their views about the education and training they receive?
One of the aims in our draft Strategic Plan (which we’re currently consulting on – you have until 25 October to get a response in!) is about focussing the sector around the needs of the learner and ensuring that they are involved in decision making. We recognise that giving learners the opportunity to share their views on their education and training is key to ensuring that the system delivers for them, and we are looking at how we can capture the learner voice across all parts of the sector.
We are currently in conversation with learners on our strategic direction, and we have a learner representative on our Board. At an institutional level, we are working to develop a learner engagement code for providers, which will ensure that learners are able to contribute to decision making that directly affects them.
4. What will you be doing to make sure post 16 learners with additional learning needs experience a quality education?
We want to ensure that learners find the best learning pathway for them – whatever and wherever that is. An important part of that is ensuring that barriers for learners with additional learning needs are removed whenever possible.
Alongside the work happening elsewhere in the sector, and in the Welsh Government, Medr has work to do to keep identifying and mitigating those barriers. Promoting equality of opportunity is one of our strategic duties as set out in legislation and a key focus for us in our draft Strategic Plan. I hope that responses to the consultation will identify ways we can improve our work around additional learning needs, and that by working in partnership with the sector we will continue to improve our understanding and support for learners with additional learning needs.
5. What does this change mean for school sixth forms?
On the face of it, there won’t be any significant immediate changes. School sixth forms will receive funding from Medr via their local authority, and Estyn will continue to have responsibility for quality and inspections.
Medr is taking over the Welsh Ministers’ existing powers in relation to sixth form organisation. We know that sixth forms are an integral part of the tertiary sector and a key part of the education journey for many learners. We want pathways to be clear, coherent, and impactful, so we are really glad that school sixth forms are in our remit, and we’re looking forward to working in partnership with the sector to ensure that provision across Wales is the best it can be.
6.What are your plans for making sure learners can carry on their post 16 education in the medium of Welsh?
We are working with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol as the designated organisation under the Tertiary Education and Research Act to advise Medr on our statutory duty to promote and ensure sufficient provision of Welsh-medium tertiary education.
Our commitment to the Welsh language is reflected in our Strategic Plan; we will be developing a national plan for the Welsh language across the tertiary sector and working with Qualifications Wales and other stakeholders to ensure that there are routes available into Welsh-medium education and assessment.
7. What’s in your in box for this term?
Having launched on 1 August, we’re full of energy and are going full steam ahead this term! Our first Strategic Plan is a huge priority for us, and an important one to get right as we consider what we need to focus on over the next few years. We’ve worked hard to ensure that the draft Plan reflects the conversations we’ve had with our partners about the opportunities and challenges ahead, and we’re looking forward to gathering more views through the formal consultation.
As part of our consultation activity, we are engaging with learners and employers to gather their views in preparation for submission of a final draft of the Plan to Welsh Ministers in December.
8. When and how will we start to see the impact Medr is making?
Without getting ahead of ourselves, I think we’re already starting to see it in the way organisations and providers are thinking. We’ve been talking about this for a long time now – it’s been eight years since the Hazelkorn review into our tertiary system. In the conversations we’ve been having with the sector, we’ve heard people’s concerns about the challenges ahead, but we’ve also sensed real optimism about the possibilities for the future.
It may be a while before we start to see tangible impacts of Medr’s work. Our strategic duties are ambitious and we’ll be working hard to deliver them, but we don’t expect to see changes immediately. In our Strategic Plan we’ve outlined our founding commitments, which we hope to achieve in the next two years, and our growth commitments, to be achieved by the end of the Plan’s life in 2030.
From my point of view, one of the key measures of our impact will be conversations with learners to hear their reflections on their educational journey, and whether our system has equipped them with the skills and knowledge they need to lead a fulfilling life – whatever that looks like.
The Seren Academy is a fully funded programme from the Welsh Government which supports the aspirations and ambitions of our most able learners, helping to widen their horizons, develop a passion for their chosen field of study, and reach their academic potential.
It is available to years 8 to 13 learners from state schools and further education colleges across Wales who have been identified by their institution as meeting the eligibility criteria.
Being part of the Seren Academy offers our most able learners’ opportunities to immerse themselves in an established super curricular experience to:
ignite their curiosity and motivation for their learning
empower them to make ambitious, informed choices about their future educational pathway and
advance their ability to reach their potential and succeed at highly selective universities.
In the last academic year, the Seren Academy has supported approximately 23,000 Seren learners from across Wales, and, thanks to collaboration with schools and colleges the programme has evolved.
More flexibility has enabled teaching leads to identify learners for the academy in Y8 and Y9.
New programme pack
You can access the Stage One teacher Programme pack by registering on Seren Space
A resource to help teachers break down barriers to participation so that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds can participate in the academy during the school day.
An online platform, for year 10 to 13 learners. Teachers can also register to be part of the Seren Teacher’s community where they can access resources and communications.
Building relationships with Universities
Seren can now offer a Cambridge University residential and Cardiff University dental residential as part of the suite of six residential experiences for year 12, and there is now a new Exeter University reduced offer for Seren graduates.
Universities in Wales
Building on our established partnerships with Universities in Wales, five “Uni Intensive” days were held across Wales for Y10.
Swansea University’s leadership for future generations events
This year 280 Seren learners participated with the former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, her husband, former US President Bill Clinton and former First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Debating competition
The first national year 9 Seren debating competition was held with 16 schools from across Wales participating in the final at Jesus College, Oxford. Make sure your school/s are entering this year! Your hub coordinator will be organising the interschool competitions in your area.
Super-curricular toolkit
A super-curricular toolkit was created in collaboration with Oxplore, containing classroom guides, resources and worksheets for teachers to challenge learners with debates and ideas that go beyond what is covered in the classroom.
Axiom Maths
40 schools are now partnered with Axiom Maths to deliver an additional super-curricular maths programme to Y8 Seren learners from September 2024. Following a teacher-led maths challenge pilot in Pembrokeshire, we are launching a national maths challenge for all Seren schools to take part this year.
Taith is Wales’ international learning exchange programme, creating life-changing opportunities to learn, study and volunteer all over the world. On 3 October Taith opens its next call for funding applications – this will be a ‘Pathway 2’ funding call.
What is Pathway 2?
Pathway 2 funding is available to any non-profit educational or training organisation based in Wales who is looking to fund an international collaborative project. Organisations within the schools, youth, adult education and further education/vocational education and training sectors are able to apply.
To qualify for funding a project must support educational innovation and address a specific issue or sector priority in Wales.
Pathway 2 projects offer staff and learners with opportunities to enhance their understanding, knowledge and application of a key theme or topic whilst developing a project output from their learning in collaboration with international partners.
Project Output
Whilst visiting an international partner, known as a mobility, is a component of Pathway 2 projects, the primary focus of these projects is not the personal benefits to individual participants. Rather, international mobilities are intended to facilitate the development and successful completion of project deliverables which addresses a specific issue or sector priority in Wales. Pathway 2 projects are all about creating and sharing results that bring lasting benefits – not just for the organisations involved, but also for the applicant’s sector, as well as for Wales and the international partner countries.
Themes
To qualify for Pathway 2 funding your organisations’ projects must align with at least one of the identified Taith themes. For Pathway 2 2024 the themes are ‘Developments in Education’, ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ and ‘Sustainability and Climate Change’. It is worth noting that Taith themes are set annually so you may see them change in future years.
Taith is dedicated to making international exchange more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Its strategy focuses on helping people who have been underrepresented in international exchange – such as those from disadvantaged or ethnic minority backgrounds, Disabled individuals, and people with additional learning needs – gain access to these valuable opportunities.
Looking for inspiration?
Pencoed Primary School, joined together with two other schools, Ysgol Y Gogarth and Ysgol Pen Rhos to apply for Taith Pathway 2 funding to support the development and sustainability of community focused schools in Wales.
Plan International UK applied for funding to deliver a virtual project which will empower Welsh youth sector professionals to create supportive environments for essential discussions, address sensitive topics, and help young people. It will provide resources to challenge attitudes and behaviours that contribute to Gender-Based Violence.
Disability Sport Wales will create two resources to help people identify available para sports pathways and understand the impairment profiles and requirements of National Governing Bodies when recruiting athletes.
Cardiff and Vale College will develop an innovative resource to boost employment rates for individuals with ALN by helping employers and support networks provide meaningful, sustainable opportunities for neurodiverse people.
ColegauCymru/CollegesWales will address issues from Estyn’s June 2023 report on peer-on-peer sexual harassment among 16-18-year-olds in further education. The project will focus on preventing misogynistic attitudes and cultures in FE learners and developing a transnational Community of Practice.
In line with Taith and the Welsh Government’s equality objectives, particularly the vision for an anti-racist Wales, Diverse Cymru applied for funding to develop inclusive, community-led resources. These resources aim to address the acknowledged inequities faced by minority ethnic communities in the adult education sector across Wales.
Taith’s website makes it easy to filter project summaries. Use the left-hand column to filter by Pathway, and click the magnifying glass icon next to the Organisation Name to view brief summaries of projects funded in previous calls.
Get ready to apply
Timelines for applications
3rd October 2024: Opening of Pathway 2 (2024) funding call.
21st November 2024, 12pm: Application deadline.
March 2025: Outcome notifications will be sent to all applying organisations.
1st May 2025: Projects can commence.
Want to know more? Why not sign up to one of Taith’s webinars?
In these webinars Taith will provide an overview of Pathway 2 2024 funding call and share details of the eligibility criteria, eligible activities and costs as well as providing guidance on how to prepare for your application.
This will also be a great opportunity for organisations to raise any questions with the Taith team.
With the new school year in full swing, the Cabinet Secretary for Education has outlined her priorities and how children and young people will remain at the heart of education policy. She also welcomes Vikki Howells, the new Minister for Further & Higher Education to the Education Wales team.
Education Secretary, Lynne Neagle said:
“In my six months as Cabinet Secretary for Education I have been privileged to see the excellent work done in our schools and colleges. It is clear we all share the same priority, in always putting the interests of children and young people first in our decisions.
I’m very much looking forward to working with you all again this term, as I renew my focus on raising standards and attainment, continuing to improve attendance and ensuring the wellbeing of all learners.
Listening and talking to you is something I have really valued, in ministerial roundtables, on visits and at events. Last term this helped me in my decision not to press ahead with changing school term dates, providing additional support for the curriculum and ongoing work to simplify ALN implementation. And the value we place upon our public servants and your commitment to improving the lives of our learners is reflected in the Government’s decision to award above inflation pay rises.
The First Minister has set out her priorities for the remainder of the Government following a listening exercise during the Summer, with improving standards in schools and colleges high up the agenda.
Later this term I will set out clear priorities aimed at improving standards for all learners. This will focus on demonstrable improvements in literacy, and numeracy with well-being and equity at the forefront.
We are supporting schools to adopt innovative approaches to teaching numeracy and literacy and putting our literacy and numeracy framework on a statutory footing. This is alongside our Mathematics Support Programme which provides comprehensive teaching resources and activities for all learners.
Phase two of our Attainment Champions pilot, begins this month and will see more partner schools recruited to the scheme which shares innovative practices to improve the educational experiences for learners facing disadvantage.
I know there is a strong link between school attendance and attainment, our reforms can only succeed if children are in school.
We have seen an improvement in attendance, and there is plenty of good practice happening in schools. However, I know there is more we can do, and I will be making sure efforts are targeted towards the groups of pupils who we know are most likely to be not attending school, those from lower income families, secondary age children and pupils in key exam years.
This month marks the start of the final year of the initial implementation of the ALN system. I have witnessed incredible progress and commitment from the education workforce, and wonderful examples of schools, children and families putting the needs of every child first. There have been more than 10,000 statutory Individual Development Plans (IDPs) agreed in the past 12 months, an incredible testament to our workforce.
However, I know from what you and parents are telling me that we also face challenges in implementing ALN reform, which is why I have taken action, including commissioning an examination of the legislative framework to ensure it is delivering for learners.
I recognise the financial challenges many families face. This is why we have several schemes in place such as the School Essentials Grant to help low-income families buy uniform and sports kits. We are the only nation in the UK to offer all state primary schools a free school meal to children, which help learning and makes sure they have a nutritional meal. We all know a healthy school meal can help with learner concentration and wellbeing enabling them to achieve their full potential, which is why during this school year we will review the nutritional content of school meals.
I’m delighted to be joined by a new Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells. Her appointment is part of the new Cabinet announced by the First Minister. The new team offers stability, draws on experience, and brings our collective talents together.
Alongside the Minister for Further and Higher Education, I look forward to working with Medr, the new commission for tertiary education and research which is now operational, over the next year on how we can improve post statutory education strategic planning, including increasing the numbers of learners in post 16 education.
I want to thank all of you for your continued hard work and commitment as we work together to ensure all learners are supported to achieve their full potential.”
The Pupil Development Grant (PDG) is a key enabler for tackling the impact of poverty on educational attainment and ensuring our national mission of high standards and aspirations for all.
Welsh Government guidance recommends schools and settings focus their spend on eight key areas which are of most benefit to children from low-income households.
Estyn highlight that effective schools reduce the impact of poverty by focusing on:
ensuring all pupils, especially those experiencing poverty, have access to the very best learning and teaching, and by
building relationships with ‘parents, the local community and specialist services to meet the needs of pupils and their families’ – the key tenets of Community Focused Schools.
Case studies
New video case studies show how PDG is being used to best support children and young people across Wales. The schools include Ysgol Plasmawr, Ysgol Borthyn, Ysgol Nant Caerau, Awel y Môr Primary School, Bridgend College, Craigfelen Primary School, Idris Davies School, Llandeilo Primary School and Parc Primary School.
From supporting high quality learning and teaching to engaging with families and raising aspirations, education practitioners in early years, primary and secondary schools and settings share how they plan and spend PDG to support the progression and wellbeing of learners impacted by poverty.
David Williams, headteacher of Parc Primary School in Treorchy, said:
“We’ve got around 65% of our children who are classed as vulnerable, so the PDG has really transformed how we support our vulnerable families and our low-income families. What it allows us to do is ensure there is equity for all our stakeholders; the pupils, the parents and carers of the school, the wider community.
“We’re very passionate and proud here about the opportunities we give the children and the parents. The children engage in a wide range of activities. They’re learning about the fire triangle, they’re growing and cultivating their own crops, they’re looking at the weather. There is plenty of evidence already of the impact.”
EEF Toolkits
The EEF Toolkits are another free to access resource for schools providing a evidence-based source of methods to improve learning for disadvantaged pupils.
Spread the word
When parents and carers register as eligible for free school meals with their Local Authority, this unlocks access to the School Essentials Grant. It also means schools get more funding.
With the introduction of free school meals for primary pupils, many parents and carers do not realise that schools will lose out unless they continue to register as eligible.
This complements the publication of the first wave of reformed GCSE exam specifications from WJEC later this month and aims to support schools to plan and design their curriculum for the first cohort of year 10 learners under CfW from September 2025.
What’s next?
From September 2025 the curriculum offer for 14 to 16 year olds should be organised around the four components of the 14 to 16 Learner Entitlement alongside qualifications during years 10 and 11.
What will be required of schools/practitioners?
To design a 14 to 16 curriculum offer that:
ensures everything a learner experiences is in pursuit of the four purposes.
includes an appropriate mix of general, vocational and skill-based qualifications at different levels, based on the needs of their learners, with all learners benefitting from challenging, stretching and ambitious qualifications in English, Welsh, Mathematics and the Sciences.
provides dedicated curriculum time to support their learners to understand their strengths, and to plan for their next steps post 16.
ensures all their year 10 and 11 learners continue to learn across all Areas and mandatory elements of the curriculum, and that they make progress in all four components of the Learner Entitlement.
As schools plan for September 2025, we will provide resources to support practitioners and senior leaders in designing their curriculum offer in line with the guidance. This will include process maps for curriculum design along with good practice case studies focusing on learner effectiveness. These supporting materials will be published throughout the Autumn term with the first available later this month alongside the publication of WJEC’s Made for Wales GCSE specifications.
We are also developing a targeted package of professional learning for senior leaders to support them as new qualifications and the Learner Entitlement are introduced from September 2025. This will complement the work of Welsh Government curriculum colleagues on curriculum design, progression and assessment, whilst supplementing WJEC’s professional learning schedule for the Made-for-Wales GCSEs. Full details of the package of professional learning will be publicised in Dysg by the end of September.
