Article 29- You have the right to an education which tries to develop your personality & abilities as much as possible.
Everything we do at Blaengwrach Primary School and all of the activities and experiences that our pupils undertake are called our curriculum.
In the past, schools had to teach the National Curriculum which was written and distributed by the Welsh Government; this is the case in most countries. From September 2022 a new statutory framework for learning in Wales was introduced, which gives each school express permission to design a bespoke curriculum for the needs of each child in the context of the school setting, all within a new national framework called ‘A Curriculum for Wales’.
This framework, for the first time, has a guiding ‘purpose’ – in fact there are four purposes and these underpin all of the learning and teaching in the school. It is a priority at our school to ensure pupils demonstrate the purposes when they move onto the next phase of their education. Topics and themes will change from school to school but the curriculum consists of six Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs) as well as cross-curricular themes of literacy, numeracy and digital competency.
At Blaengwrach Primary School we have made progress towards learning and teaching through the new curriculum framework because we’ve always wanted to do the best for our pupils. We believe the opportunities provided by the Curriculum for Wales are exciting and inspiring but are also in line with the teaching and learning philosophy and approach we have provided at Blaengwrach Primary School for many years. Learning themes across each year group will change and be adapted over time to reflect the pace of change in the society in which we live.
(You can click any of the images below to see examples of our learning in this area)
Termly Learning Themes at Blaengwrach Primary School
Our termly themes are co-constructed by staff and pupils and take into account local knowledge and experiences. Pupils have an opportunity to take learning in a direction that is of interest to them and enables coverage of the Areas of Learning & Experience.
Pupils develop literacy, numeracy and digital skills through the study of a range of carefully mapped non-fiction and fiction text types, number and problem solving activities supported by the use of a range of technology. Development of skills is essential in order to apply learning confidently and independently across the curriculum.
Assessment & Progression at Blaengwrach Primary School
Assessment at Blaengwrach Primary has three main roles in enabling learner progression:
- It supports individual learners on an ongoing, day-to-day basis through verbal and written feedback.
- It identifies, captures and reflects on individual learner progress over time through termly assessments, in addition to assessment and monitoring of progress against the progression steps.
- It considers group progress in order for staff to reflect on their practice through regular pupil progress meetings, teaching triads, lessons observations, book looks and listening to learners.
Assessment at Blaengwrach Primary School focuses on identifying individual pupil’s strengths, achievements and areas for improvement. This involves identifying pupils’ next steps alongside learners to move learning forward. We feel it is important to understand how learners learn, as well as what they have learned and can demonstrate. Pupils are encouraged to use Assessment for Learning strategies to develop their critical thinking and as a result develop integral skills that are key to developing life long learners. Assessment informs parents and carers of pupil progress through an end of year school report in addition to the opportunity to meet with class teachers 1:1 on a termly basis.
When pupils start their learning journey at Blaengwrach Primary School they are assessed using a Child Development Profile assessment tool . This captures milestones met on entry and areas for development. Younger pupils are tracked using this assessment tool throughout their early years to ensure next steps are identified and specific targets are set to support their development.
The principles of progression will guide our curriculum design, learning and teaching with assessment and classroom practice being an integral part of both. This will ensure our curriculum is bespoke to every child and progression steps ensure we understand where pupils are in their learning and the progression they have made to date.
Pupils in Years 2 to 6 carry out personalised assessments in the summer term and this information is used as part of our wider assessment arrangements and are designed to help pupils, parents and teaching staff understand how a learner’s reading and numeracy skills are developing and their next steps.
Pupils are supported in their transition into primary school and onto secondary school, key milestones in their learning journey. Staff at Blaengwrach Primary School work closely with cluster primary schools and Llangatwg Secondary School to ensure we have a shared vision and that the four purposes underpin our vision and approach to curriculum design. As a 3-16 curriculum our cluster working is paramount in ensuring our pupils realise the four purposes and make progress in and across each phase. Information shared as part of the transition process focus on the overall needs and well-being of the learner. A clear, holistic picture of pupil progress across the school curriculum is provided to support the continuing journey along the continuum of learning. Pupil Voice is very important to us at Blaengwrach Primary School and identifying barriers to learning especially in the transition process.
We feel that communicating effectively with our parents and carers is very important to foster positive relationships. We believe strong links with our parents and carers ensure pupil progress and creates a bridge between school and home.
Staff and Governors at Blaengwrach Primary School are committed to ensuring a shared understanding of progression amongst all stakeholders through regular consultation and review of the curriculum we deliver, therefore feeding into our curriculum and assessment design, planning and self-evaluation and improvement process.