Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

Our mission at BookTrust Cymru is to get every child in Wales reading for pleasure. So it probably won’t surprise you that we were thrilled to see ‘literature fires imagination and inspires creativity’ as one of the statements of what matters in the Languages, Literacy and Communication Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE).

But it may surprise you to hear that for us the really exciting and potentially transformative content was in the Area of Health and Wellbeing. It contains an understanding that reading and literacy have a key role to play in supporting mental health, emotional wellbeing and holistic development. Continue reading →

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

The new curriculum will succeed only through the passion and commitment of our teaching profession.

But I understand that passion must be supported by professional learning if we’re to realise the curriculum’s potential for our pupils.

And amongst the many important factors in bringing that about is funding. That’s why we have allocated the biggest single financial investment in professional learning for all practitioners since devolution, funding that is already being spent and will run for two more years.

We are also making available extra Inset days, the first taking place in the Summer term when all schools will explore the new curriculum using free national resources that will be available on Hwb. Here is my letter to Heads which explains in full.

Continue reading →

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

Following the Atlantic Rim Collaboratory (ARC) Summit, hosted by the Welsh Government in the autumn, a delegation from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) returned to Wales to take a closer look at the progress being made across the Education System to implement the new curriculum.  

The delegates were joined by Claire Sinnema, an Associate Professor from the University of Auckland, New Zealand; such is the global attention that curriculum reform in Wales is attracting.

The visit was part of a wider assessment of Wales’ education reforms, due to report in March this year.

During an action-packed week, the delegation met Welsh Government policy leads, and education consortia representatives as well as HEI partners responsible for pioneering the professional learning aspects of curriculum reform. There was also a working breakfast with Kirsty Williams, Education Minister, and conversations with other key education stakeholders. Continue reading →

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

The new curriculum, introduced below by Education Minister Kirsty Williams A.M, is available on Hwb now. It will be used in all schools from 2022 in primary and Year 7, and will roll out year by year until it includes Year 11 by 2026.

In response to feedback received on the draft, the Guidance is now shorter and clearer, with content included about how to design curriculum at school level.

It also incorporates an updated Literacy and Numeracy Framework and Digital Competence Framework.

To help teaching practitioners bring the new curriculum to life, free professional learning programmes and resources will be provided. Details will follow in the Spring.

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

Q: What does the National Academy for Educational Leadership (NAEL) do?

A: Its mission is ‘Inspiring Leaders: Enriching Lives’, but essentially it’s there to help Wales achieve its ambitions for learners by supporting and developing leaders in Wales. Their website covers it in detail.

Q: So what is an Associate?

A: Associates enable the Academy to deliver on its aims by doing things like helping other leaders develop their capability at school, cluster or consortia level, endorsing leadership provision (or not!), supporting design of provision, and research. Two cohorts are in place, and the next is recruiting now – it’s a real opportunity for colleagues. 

Q: When did you become an Associate – and why? Continue reading →

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

Routes for Learning materials help practitioners assess the early communication and cognitive skills of learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

As part of the wider reform of curriculum and assessment arrangements, and to reflect the latest research in the field, the materials are now being updated. On 28^th January, revised materials will be made available for feedback. In February, practitioners are invited to join events to discuss the developments and offer feedback in person.

The materials currently in use were published in their original form in 2006 and are well regarded across the UK and internationally. They have been translated into various European languages and used as far afield as Nigeria. The suite of materials includes: Continue reading →

Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg

The Curriculum for Wales is an opportunity to think differently about education. With the launch of Qualifications Wales’ first public consultation on qualifications to support the curriculum, Chief Executive Philip Blaker says tomorrow’s 16-year-olds need the right offer.

Testing the future

As Wales’ ambitious new curriculum moves closer to becoming reality, it’s inevitable that questions will arise about how the curriculum will be enacted.

As the independent regulator of qualifications, we know the change in approach intended by the curriculum offers the opportunity to re-think how we expect 16-year-olds to demonstrate their attainment. Without doubt, we have skin in the game.

How do we measure success in learning? What do we want our young people to know by the time they leave school? What should they be able to do? How can we give Wales’ learners their best chance of success? Qualifications can’t answer all these questions. Indeed, we shouldn’t ask them to – qualifications can only be part of someone’s educational experience and shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for a rounded curriculum and broad educational experience. Continue reading →