New Curriculum
Our Curriculum
The world is changing at a very fast pace. At Cwmdar Primary School we want to make sure Learners have the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to live in today’s rapidly changing society.
Teachers and education experts from across Wales have been working together to develop the Curriculum for Wales. ‘Curriculum for Wales’ requires each school to develop its own bespoke curriculum.
The new Curriculum for Wales will be followed by children from the ages of three to 16. There won’t be a separate curriculum for primary and secondary schools; rather, it will be a continuum across all stages. The new curriculum will be taught in all schools and funded non-maintained settings up to Year 7 from September 2022. It will then roll out year by year until it includes Year 11 by 2026.
Please watch this introductory link here
New Curriculum Information
The Four Core Purposes
The four purposes are at the heart of our new curriculum. They are the starting point for all decisions on the content and experiences developed as part of the curriculum to support our children and young people. They are the reason WHY we teach our bespoke curriculum, which is to support our pupils to become...
1) An ambitious capable learner, ready to learn throughout life.
2) An enterprising, creative contributor, ready to play a full part in life and work.
3) An ethical informed citizen, ready to take part in Wales and the world.
4) A healthy confident individual, ready to lead a fulfilling life as a member of society.
Cwmdar Primary school’s curriculum is everything a learner experiences in pursuit of the four purposes. It is not only what we teach, but how we teach and most importantly, why we teach it.
Meet our Four Core Purpose Characters designed by our pupils.
The pupils also designed and created two further characters to reflect our vision.
World Wide Will - A focus upon Welsh Language.
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Griff – A focus upon Welsh Language.
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Key Elements of our Curriculum
The new curriculum will include:
- 6 Areas of Learning and Experience from 3 to 16.
- 3 cross curricular responsibilities: Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Competence.
- Progression reference points at ages 5, 8, 11, 14 and 16.
- Achievement outcomes which describe expected achievements at each progression reference point.
The curriculum will be organised into 6 Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE’S)
Click on the AoLE to find out more
1. Expressive Arts incorporating art, dance, drama, film and digital media, and music. It will encourage creativity and critical thinking, and include performance.
2. Humanities incorporating geography, history, RE, business studies and social studies. It will be based on human experiences and will also cover Welsh culture.
3. Health and wellbeing: this covers the physical, psychological, emotional and social aspects of life, helping students make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing and learn how to manage social influences. It will include PE.
4. Science and technology incorporating biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and design and technology.
5. Mathematics and numeracy: in the early years, this will involve learning through play. In later stages, it will include working both independently and collaboratively with others.
6. Languages, literacy and communication: this will include Welsh and English, literature and international languages. Welsh language teaching will still be compulsory (as an additional language for children who don’t use Welsh as their first language.
What Matters Statements
There are 27 What Matters Statements across the 6 AoLE:
Each AoLE contains statements of What Matters, which shape learning for all pupils. Our curriculum will develop pupils’ knowledge, skills & experiences of each What Matters Statements in the 6 AoLE’s. These What Matters statements help our pupils think about what they are learning and how concepts/threads link to each other, work and life. The statements of what matters also support pupils to progress as they build upon their understanding and skills.
The 3 Cross-Curricular Skills:
Click the headings below to find out more
1) Literacy (Oracy, Reading & Writing)
2) Numeracy (Numerical reasoning, Number, Measuring and Data skills)
3) DCF (using technology and systems confidently, creatively and critically)
Learners have opportunities to develop, extend and apply these cross curricular skills across the curriculum.
The Four Cross-Cutting Themes
Our curriculum will also look at 4 Cross-Cutting Themes:
1) Local, national and international contexts
2) Careers and work-related experiences (CWRE)
3) Human Rights education and diversity
4) Relationships and Sexuality education (RSE)
The curriculum also aligns to the requirements of teaching Welsh & Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE)
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)
Please watch the following videos from Welsh Government to explain the RSE curriculum. RSE is statutory and will be taught through the curriculum in subjects such as science, wellbeing, humanities and religion and values education. The curriculum will be taught in an age appropriate and sensitive way.
Please watch these videos for further information:
Assessment and progression
Our school curriculum is underpinned by principles of progression which describe what it means for learners to progress. Assessment will be part of your child’s learning every day. This will focus on ensuring that all pupils understand where they are, and what they need to do next to progress. This is important to help them see where they are in their learning, to plan their next learning steps and to identify any additional support they may need or how they could be challenged further to achieve their full potential. Our curriculum acknowledges that learning is not always linked to age and it will not happen in the same way or at the same time for everyone. Our pupils’ knowledge and understanding will deepen, their skills will grow and their experiences will widen, allowing them to make links within their learning thus progressing at a pace that suits them. There may be times when they move forward quickly or slow down to make sure they understand a concept/ thread in their learning.
Evaluating and reviewing our approach to the new curriculum
Our approach to the new curriculum is evolving, and as such, will be continually revisiting, reviewing and updating. Continuing to develop a bespoke curriculum to meet the needs of our pupils will be a school improvement priority 2023-2024. We will plan staff development opportunities, collaboration activities and regular feedback to parents, governors and the wider community on the progress we are making towards achieving the aims of the new curriculum. We will regularly review our school curriculum by monitoring the impact it has on teaching and learning, which includes listening to learners, learning walks, book looks and lesson observations. The findings from this will inform our understanding of the effectiveness of our curriculum and the required revision. We will also ensure we listen to staff, parents, governors and the wider community to ensure we are providing our pupils with the highest possible teaching and learning experiences. We will always strive to refine our curriculum based on the evidence gathered to provide impact statements of our current provision.