Matthew Maughan teaches at Bassaleg School in Newport, one of the ‘Innovation Schools’ testing approaches to introducing the new curriculum and helping refine the curriculum based on feedback received on the draft.
Here Matt talks about how it feels to be involved at this stage, and what’s happening with the feedback. He also has views on the question of subject specialism and whether teachers should look forward to teaching to the new curriculum.
Take a look!
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Here in convenient tabular form is a summary of the engagement and feedback activity, with information on the timeline to publication.
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Following on from our earlier blog post, here are more common misconceptions and myths that surrounded the launch of the draft curriculum for Wales. It may be of course that some myths relate to elements of the curriculum that will change in response to the feedback received, but here are our responses as it stands.
Myth #1 – This is a Curriculum-only reform
Whilst curriculum reform has gained most of the recent publicity, it needs to be remembered that the proposed changes to the curriculum sit within a broader series of wider education reforms, which are designed to make sure the curriculum is realized in schools, reforms that are coherent and have a common underpinning philosophy. In countries that have successfully implemented reform, a holistic approach has been taken to support change, with time and space given to embedding the changes across the system. Continue reading
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Today I attended the National Assembly for Wales Children and Young People’s Committee to give them an update on progress with Curriculum reform. They play a key role in holding me as Minister for Education to account and scrutinising the development of our curriculum.
I will be publishing a report on the feedback exercise and what we propose to do as a result later in the autumn. But I want to share with you, as well as fellow Assembly Members, some early thinking.
The evidence paper to the Committee is here.
You can also watch the video of the Committee session
The development of the new curriculum for Wales 2022 is moving at pace. It was a significant milestone on our National Mission when in April we published the draft and invited feedback from practitioners and stakeholders to inform the next stage – the refinement activity.
The window for formal feedback closed on 19 July and the responses have been independently evaluated. Altogether there were 1,680 contributions from a diverse range of individuals and organisations. A significant proportion were from practitioners, teachers, senior leaders and governors. Another 116 responses were received in response to the Children and Young People’s Survey. Continue reading
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
This blog brings you updates about the new curriculum as it evolves, and case studies and examples of how schools are experimenting with the new model.
It’s also here to de-mystify the development process as it happens, and to show how complementary education reforms will support the curriculum so that it rolls out successfully.
Is it doing that job for you? Or are we missing something? Continue reading
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
As we pick up the pace on our education reform journey, the eyes of the international education community are upon us. Other countries are already keen to learn from Wales.
As they prepare to embark on their own curriculum reform, a delegation from the Ministry of Education in the Netherlands visited during the summer term, to enquire about how Welsh Government is preparing schools to implement the new curriculum. The team were keen to explore the differences to the current system and the effect on educational practitioners and their professional learning. Continue reading
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Thankfully, a lot of people care about education in Wales. It’s a national passion.
Whilst that’s a wonderful thing it creates a challenge for the core teams involved in the new curriculum; the teachers, officials, Estyn, external experts, Qualifications Wales…
That challenge is to engage and involve people and groups who have an influence on, or are affected by our education changes. It has been resolved through a host of activities that connect everyone with developments.
