A new curriculum for Wales

2022 was an exciting time for the young people of Wales. A new Curriculum for Wales became statutory and was designed to enthuse learners from 3 to 16, giving them the foundations they would need to succeed in a changing world.

The 4 purposes have been plced at the heart of the new curriculum which links directly to our 4 core values. They are 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

This curriculum includes:

• 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 is 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)

Our Core Four Characters