Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Today, we are publishing the new curriculum and assessment materials for feedback.
This is an important moment in our reform journey, as set out in Education in Wales: Our National Mission. These documents are the product of three years of extensive co-development with the education profession through pioneer schools, in partnership with regional consortia, Estyn, Qualifications Wales and a range of other stakeholders and experts. I would like to thank the network of professionals who have been involved in the development for their expertise and dedication. This collective effort has truly represented what the national mission – working together for the good of Wales – can be.
The documents being published today consist of: a Guide to Curriculum for Wales 2022; six draft Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE) guidance documents and Assessment proposals to inform the development of statutory guidance . These can be found at: https://hwb.gov.wales/.
For the first time, Wales will have a curriculum that is based on four purposes that articulate what we want our young people to be at 16: ambitious and capable; enterprising and creative; ethical and informed and healthy and confident.
The teachers and other practitioners and experts who have been working on the draft AoLE documents have built them on the basis of what they think really matters for learners – the knowledge, skills and experiences that form a well-rounded, high standard of education and prepare learners for employment in a fast-changing world.
Curriculum for Wales 2022 is designed as a national framework for learners age 3 to 16 to support professionals to develop their school level curricula: allowing them with flexibility to provide teaching and learning which meets the specific needs of their learners in their contexts and communities.
Today signals a new phase of co-construction in the development of the new curriculum.
I am calling for the widest possible range of views on this draft framework, from universities and colleges to industry; from youth organisations to businesses and employers from across the public, private and third sectors.
This will be essential as the refinement of the AoLE guidance documents will be based on this feedback. The refined Curriculum for Wales 2022 will then be made available in January 2020 for use in September 2022 by primary schools and for year 7. The new curriculum will then be rolled out on year by year basis in secondary schools.
The feedback phase follows on from our consultation on the Our National Mission: A Transformational Curriculum Proposals for a new legislative framework. That consultation closed on 25 March and I am grateful to all of those who responded. The consultation generated over 2000 responses, including campaign responses, which I am currently considering.
I will be reflecting carefully on the feedback from the consultation to inform decisions on the legislative framework for the curriculum and in relation to the more specific issues we consulted on. However, based on the feedback, I am minded to provide some additional clarity in the legislation about national expectations in relation to the scope of school level curriculum and progression.
I will publish a full summary of the consultation responses and confirmation of proposed policy approach in due course.