A new curriculum for Wales
This is an exciting time for the young people of Wales. A new Curriculum for Wales is coming that will enthuse learners from 3 to 16, giving them the foundations they need to succeed in a changing world.
On 30 June 2015, the Minister for Education and Skills announced that the Welsh Government would accept, in full, all of the recommendations set out in Successful Futures, Professor Graham Donaldson’s independent review of the curriculum and assessment arrangements in Wales. Building on the Digital Pioneers model announced on 10 June 2015, this document sets out how, working in a new way with schools, local authorities, regional consortia, Estyn, leading academics and employers as well as other key stakeholders we will together build our new curriculum in Wales.
The 4 purposes will be at the heart of our new curriculum. They will be the starting point for all decisions on the content and experiences developed as part of the curriculum 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.
Key elements
The new curriculum will include:
- 6 Areas of Learning and Experience from 3 to 16;
- 3 cross curriculum 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:
- Expressive arts;
- Health and well-being;
- Humanities (including RE which should remain compulsory to age 16);
- Languages, literacy and communication (including Welsh, which should remain compulsory to age 16, and modern foreign languages);
- Mathematics and numeracy;
- Science and technology (including computer science).
