New Curriculum for Wales launched today (Tuesday 30th April 2019). The new curriculum will be statutory from September 2022 with schools preparing and making implementations over the next 2 years.
For more information – https://hwb.gov.wales/draft-curriculum-for-wales-2022
New Curriculum for Wales – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U0fsT0gH7U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jEaastz224&t=14s
Why is the curriculum changing?
- Essential features of our curriculum devised in 1988 do
not reflect our world of technology and globalisation. - Relatively low performance in PISA surveys.
- Perceived shortcomings in the current curriculum and assessment arrangements.
- The perception of highly prescriptive content allied to increasingly powerful accountability mechanisms has diminished the creative role of schools and professionals.
What were the key recommendations from Successful Futures?
- Four purposes of the curriculum.
- Six areas of learning and experience.
- Three cross-curricular responsibilities.
- Progression steps at ages 5, 8, 11, 14 and 16.
- Achievement outcomes.
- A range of pedagogical approaches.
- Refocusing assessment on learning, including learners’ self- and peer-assessment.
- Monitoring performance of the system at a national level through annual sampling.
The purpose of the new curriculum is to support our children and young people to be:
- ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
- enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
- ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
- healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
The new curriculum is:
- a purpose-led curriculum – the four purposes are the heart of curriculum development at a national and local level
- organised as a continuum of learning from ages 3 to 16 – all children and young people will make progress along the same continuum
- organised around progression steps, articulated as achievement outcomes
- inclusive of the three cross-curricular responsibilities
- the basis for thinking of the 14–16 phase, qualifications and beyond.
Our new curriculum will not be:
- overly prescriptive or specific; it will not dictate time allocations for areas of learning and experience, subjects or disciplines driven by content coverage, defining detailed inputs for learners or groups of learners
- biased towards either knowledge or skills; it has been developed to allow schools to provide a balance of knowledge, skills and experiences
- based upon programmes of study; subjects and disciplines will work as parts of the areas of learning and experience to ensure that meaningful links are made.
Progression (of learning)
- Progression should be described along a continuum of learning in each area of learning and experience.
- It is formative and involves the learner actively in the process.
- Curriculum, assessment and pedagogy are seen as parts of an integrated whole.
- The model has been developed based upon research and evidence alongside the CAMAU project.
- Progression of learning is described through achievement outcomes at five steps on the continuum.
- Progression steps relate broadly to expectations at ages 5, 8, 11, 14 and 16.
- Progression steps should be reference points, providing a ‘road map’ for each individual learner’s progress in their learning, not universal expectations of their performance at fixed points.
- Authentic learning opportunities that connect aspects of the curriculum and make connections to ‘everyday life’.
- Achievement outcomes are not to be used directly for assessment. They should be used:
– for school-level and class- level curriculum design, development and planning
– to support practitioners’ understanding of moving learning forward.
Areas of learning and experience
Each area of learning and experience is organised into a suite of what matters statements which prioritise the important concepts about which learners must have experiences, knowledge and skills
Achievement outcomes
- Described from the learner’s perspective, using terms like ‘I can … ’ or ‘I have … ’.
- Describe the broad knowledge, competency or experience a learner needs to gain.
- Should contribute clearly to the four purposes of the curriculum and have emphasis on achievement in a broad sense, rather than narrow measures of assessment.
- Allow learners to make progress along the same continuum, regardless of any additional learning needs they might have, though they may move between progression steps at a different pace.
- Should be used as the basis to build assessment approaches,
e.g. formative, summative, self, peer, portfolio. - Should provide agency for professionals in developing curriculum and helping learners realise the achievement outcome.
Achievement outcomes are not:
- narrow measures of attainment
- qualification specifications
- granular learning objectives
- shallow descriptions of content
- criteria for a single assessment piece.
What can you do now?
- Begin to explore the areas of learning and experience in detail – available online at hwb.gov.wales
- Follow the Curriculum for Wales blog at https://curriculumforwales.gov.wales
- Inform parents/carers about the ‘Education is changing’ website at https://beta.gov.wales/education-changing
- Follow #educationreformwales on Twitter.
EXPRESSIVE ARTS
Vision and philosophy
- Allow the space for all learners to be creative.
- Make the offer fully inclusive.
- Link to positive health and well-being outcomes.
- Ensure that Expressive Arts skills are recognised
as transferable and that they have a direct link to careers and lifelong learning.
The rationale for change
- An arts-rich education is core to the whole-school experience of a learner.
- All learners need to have access to rich contexts in which they have time to explore, to respond and to create.
- Learners need access to all Expressive Arts disciplines.
How is it different?
- It encompasses dance, drama, film and digital media, music, and visual arts linked by a common creative process and transferable skills.
- Learning is linked through the creative process enabling a deeper understanding of individual disciplines to be developed.
- Progression is not linear.
- A focus on rich, authentic contexts for learning runs from ages 3 to 16.
- Learner voice is encouraged.
- Collaboration across the area of learning and experience and across other areas of learning and experience.
- Flexibility – variety of delivery models.
What Matters in Expressive Arts?
- Exploration through and of the Expressive Arts deepens our artistic knowledge and contributes to our understanding of identities, cultures and societies.
- Responding and reflecting, both as artist and audience,
is a fundamental part of learning about and through the Expressive Arts. - Creative work combines knowledge and skills using the senses, inspiration and imagination.
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Vision and philosophy
- Designed to equip learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and productive lives.
- Enables successful learning and fulfilling relationships.
- Focuses on the physical, psychological, emotional and social aspects of our lives.
- A holistic approach to help schools address their priority areas.
The rationale for change
- Aligns with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
- Education on mental, emotional and physical health needs to be more integrated – growing challenges.
- Current provision is inconsistent.
- Supporting and developing the health and well-being of all learners in Wales cannot be left to chance.
How is it different?
- Holistic – Health and Well-being is an area of learning and experience but should be everyone’s responsibility.
- Experiences, knowledge and skills that lead to healthy and active lifestyles.
- Supports physical and mental health.
- Develops learners so they engage in lifelong physical activity.
- Must reflect local needs as well as national and global issues.
What Matters in Health and Well-being?
- Developing physical health and well-being has lifelong benefits.
- How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being.
- Our decision-making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others.
- How we engage with different social influences shapes who we are and our health and well-being.
- Healthy relationships are fundamental to our sense of belonging and well-being.
HUMANITIES
Vision and philosophy
- Encompasses history, geography, religious education, business studies and social studies.
- Holistic, integrated and interdisciplinary approach.
- Rigour and specialisation at Progression step 5 prepares learners for further studies.
- Develops a sense of heritage and place through their cynefin, Wales and as part of the wider world.
- Encompasses past, present and future, including the role of learners as citizens.
The rationale for change
- Autonomy, flexibility and creativity leads to authentic learning.
- Interdisciplinary approach supports development of knowledge and skills.
- Connecting experiences, knowledge and skills brings rich opportunities.
- Incorporates business and social studies.
- Religious education in the curriculum allows for parity.
How is it different?
- Holistic and interdisciplinary.
- Disciplines more visible from Progression step 4.
- Greater importance on authentic experiences.
- Focus on global citizenship and participating in social action.
- Earlier engagement with business studies and social studies.
- Balance between local, Welsh/British and global studies.
- Religious education included and statutory for learners aged 3 to 16.
What Matters in Humanities?
These what matters statements are linked and are not intended to be taken in isolation.
- Developing an enquiring mind enables learners to explore and investigate the world, past, present and future, for themselves.
- Events and human experiences are complex and perceived, interpreted and represented in different ways.
- Our natural world is diverse and dynamic, influenced by physical processes and human actions.
- Human societies are complex and diverse, and are shaped by human actions and beliefs.
- Informed, self-aware citizens engage with the challenges and opportunities that face humanity, and are able to take considered, ethical and sustainable action.
LANGUAGES, LITERACY AND COMMUNICATION
Vision and philosophy
- A celebration of languages and cultures, embracing a bilingual Wales in an international context.
- Bringing together Welsh, English and international languages and literature for all.
- Develop ambitious, capable and confident language learners who communicate effectively using both Welsh and English as well as international languages across a variety of media.
- Stimulated learners developing knowledge, skills, positive attitudes and motivation through meaningful contexts.
The rationale for change
- The citizens of modern Wales speak various languages reflecting diverse cultures; we want to celebrate and build on this.
- Exploring identities and cultures through languages can connect learners with people, places and communities in bilingual Wales and the multilingual world.
- Reverse the decline of modern foreign languages through positive, motivating experiences at a young age.
- Language skill sets promote understanding and development in all languages.
- Remove artificial distinction between Welsh and Welsh second language so all learners are able to use Welsh as per the four purposes of the curriculum.
- Differentiated achievement outcomes reflect the different pace and depth of learning, allowing learners and teachers to recognise progression pathways.
How is it different?
- Focus on the importance of learning about languages, and the way they relate and reflect our cultures and identities.
- By the end of primary school, learners will experience different languages and make progress in Welsh, English and at least one international language.
- When learners leave school, they will be able to use Welsh, English and their other languages in a meaningful way.
- Oracy, reading and writing have equal prominence.
- Literature for all learners: opportunities to explore and create a range of literature in Welsh, English and international languages.
Which achievement outcomes do we follow?
Bilingual schools | ||||
Achievement outcomes | Welsh-medium school | English-medium school | Welsh stream in a bilingual school | English stream in a bilingual school |
Welsh | X | X | ||
English | X | X | X | X |
Welsh in English-medium | X | X | ||
International language(s) | X | X | X | X |
What Matters in Languages, Literacy and Communication?
- Learning about identity and culture through languages prepares learners to be citizens of Wales and the world.
- Learners who listen and read effectively are prepared to learn throughout their lives.
- Learners who speak and write effectively are prepared to play a full part in life and work.
- Literature fires imaginations and inspires creativity.
MATHEMATICS AND NUMERACY
Vision and philosophy
- Mathematics is a critical part of life and for the country’s economy.
- Mathematics and numeracy experiences must be engaging, exciting and accessible, as well as challenging.
- To develop mathematical proficiencies, positive dispositions and the four purposes of the curriculum.
The rationale for change
- Research about mathematics performance: – Estyn– international – PISA.
- Too much reliance on procedural fluency (technique/tricks).
- Not enough conceptual understanding
How is it different?
- Organised around five mathematical proficiencies.
- Gives learners opportunities to use manipulatives and represent concepts in a variety of ways.
- Use verbs such as ‘explore’ and ‘derive’ to ensure balance between ‘breadth’ and ‘depth’.
Mathematical proficiencies
These inter-dependent proficiencies used in developing the descriptions of learning are central to progression at each stage of mathematics learning. Numeracy involves applying and connecting these proficiencies in a range of real-life contexts. The five mathematical proficiencies are:
- conceptual understanding
- fluency
- communication with symbols
- logical reasoning
- strategic competence.
A change in emphasis from ‘What’ to ‘What and How’ will influence pedagogy and result in teaching for conceptual understanding, as shown below.
Current curriculum (Product) | New curriculum (Process) |
Year 5 •Calculate fractional quantities, so ⅝ of 24 = 15. | Progression step 3 •I have demonstrated my understanding that a fraction can be used as an operator, or to represent division. •I understand the inverse relation between the denominator of a fraction and its value. |
What Matters in Mathematics and Numeracy?
- Learners will discover that the number system is used to represent and compare relationships between numbers and quantities.
- Learners will come to appreciate how algebra uses symbol systems to express the structures of relationships between numbers, quantities and relations.
- Learners will come to understand that geometry focuses on relationships involving properties of shape, space, and position, and that measurement focuses on quantifying phenomena in the physical world.
- Learners will see that statistics represent data, probability models chance, and that both support informed inferences and decisions.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Vision and philosophy
- Science and technology are intrinsically linked, and includes design and technology, engineering, computer science, biology, chemistry and physics.
- Science and Technology demands a coherent framework for learning across traditional domains, reflecting real-world needs.
- The underlying concepts of science and computational thinking enable technological advancement.
- Science and Technology supports progression in and across subject specialisms, and prepares learners to use science and technology in their every day lives.
The rationale for change
- Boundaries of science and technology are continuously changing.
- Economic imperative – huge opportunities for learners.
- Need for learners to meet twenty-first century challenges and opportunities irrespective of career choice.
- Current learner preparation insufficient to meet needs.
- Need knowledge and skills – contextualised through experiences.
- Need creators of and through technology, not just competent users – hence conceptual understanding of computation.
How is it different?
- Computation is a new element for ages 3 to 16.
- Guided learner-led approaches and ‘thematic’ learning.
- Better balance between knowledge acquisition and skills development through real-world learning experiences.
- Likely to require a multidisciplinary approach.
- More seamless transitions – with greater clarity over prior learning and next steps.
- Outdoor learning to enhance the learning experience.
- Emphasis on the impacts of science and technology on learners’ lives and the environment.
What Matters in Science and Technology?
- Being curious and searching for answers helps further our understanding of the natural world and helps society progress.
- Design thinking and engineering are technical and creative endeavours intended to meet society’s needs and wants.
- The world around us is full of living things which depend on each other for survival.
- Understanding the atomic nature of matter and how it shapes the world.
- Forces and energy determine the structure and dynamics of the Universe.
- Computation applies algorithms to data in order to solve real-world problems.