From September 2022, a new curriculum will be introduced across Wales. Each school will have the opportunity to design their own curriculum that fits their individual school. Our curriculum has been co-constructed through engaging with all stakeholders and will meet the following requirements:
Our Vision
Our vision at Ysgol Betws is to provide rich educational experiences which ensures all pupils reach their full potential. Our purpose is to nurture enthusiastic children who will benefit from a variety of experiences during their time at our school. We will ensure that all children have ample opportunities to experiment and develop confidence in their play and work through developing independence at every opportunity. We will support each pupil to play an important role in our community and to understand the important role it plays in their lives. Our pupils will appreciate and respect our local community before venturing into the wider world. Our main objective is to ensure each child is multilinguistic, confident and ready for the challenges ahead. Ysgol Betws strives to be a welcoming, safe community where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do.
Our Values
- Respect and Trust
- Wellbeing and Care
- Happiness and Enjoyment
- Resilience and Confidence
- Wales and Welshness
- Community and Habitat
- Take risks and Innovate
- Support and Collaboration
Our Inclusive Curriculum
Our curriculum will raise the aspirations for all learners. As a school we have considered how all learners will be supported to realise the four purposes and to progress. We have considered our ALN provision and how we will meet the needs of different groups of learners.
The 4 Purposes
The 4 Purposes are the starting point and aspiration for our school curriculum design. Our school aims to support our learners to become:
- 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
The Statements of What Matters
Our curriculum will provide opportunities and experiences to develop the key concepts, knowledge and skills as described in the statements of what matters and in line with the Statements of What Matters Code. As with the “4 Purposes”, the “What Matters” Statements will be integral to our future planning, and influence the learning opportunities within our school.
Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE’s)
Our curriculum will provide learning experiences through the 6 AoLEs of:
- Languages, Literacy and Communication
- Expressive Arts (art, music, drama, dance, film & digital media)
- Science and Technology
- Humanities (Geography, History, R.E, Social Studies, Business studies)
- Maths and Numeracy
- Health and Wellbeing
Learning, Progression and Assessment
Our curriculum will support learning through designing learning opportunities that draw upon the pedagogical principles. Pedagogical principles are the approaches we will use to deliver our activities and experiences.
Our curriculum, supported by effective teaching and learning enables learners to make meaningful progress. Over time our learners will develop and improve their skills and knowledge. Our curriculum focuses on understanding what it means to make progress in a given area or discipline and how learners should deepen and broaden their knowledge and understanding, skills and capacities, and attributes and dispositions and is informed by the Progression Code. This in turn supports our approach to assessment, the purpose of which is to inform planning for future learning. Assessment will be embedded as an intrinsic part of learning and teaching. All learners will be assessed on entry to the school.
Welsh and English
Our school provides Welsh-medium education where we use Welsh to deliver the curriculum. English lessons are introduced in Year 3.
Cross Curricular Skills
Our curriculum will develop the mandatory cross-curricular skills of literacy, numeracy and digital competence. Our curriculum will enable learners to develop competence and capability in these skills and to extend and apply them across all Areas. Learners will be given opportunities across the curriculum to:
- develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills
- be able to use numbers and solve problems in real-life situations
- be confident users of a range of technologies to help them function and communicate effectively and make sense of the world
UNCRC: The Rights of the Child
Our school will promote knowledge and understanding of UNICEF and the Rights of the Child to all children.
CWRE: Careers and Work-related Experiences
Our curriculum will incorporate careers and work-related experiences for all of our learners.
Relationship and Sexuality Education RSE
Our school curriculum embraces the guidance in the RSE Code. Our RSE provision will have a positive and empowering role in our learners’ education and will play a vital role in supporting them to realise the four purposes as part of a whole-school approach. Helping learners to form and maintain a range of relationships, all based on mutual trust and respect, is the foundation of RSE. These relationships are critical to the development of emotional well-being, resilience and empathy.
Religion Values and Ethics RVE
Religion, values and ethics (RVE) is a statutory requirement of the Curriculum for Wales and is mandatory for all learners from ages 3 to 16.
There is no parental right to request that a child is withdrawn from RVE in the Curriculum for Wales.
As RVE is a locally determined subject, the agreed syllabus specifies what should be taught in RVE within the local authority and our curriculum will reflect this guidance.
Review and refinement
Our school curriculum will be kept under review in order to respond to the outputs of professional inquiry, the changing needs of learners and social contexts and needs. The reviews will take into account the views of stakeholders and will be signed off by the Governing Body. We will publish a summary of our curriculum and revise the summary if changes to the curriculum are made during the review process.
Chris Morgan, Head Teacher
11.07.2022