Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report by GwE Core Leads and the Interim Head of Education (copy attached) on how the regional consortium, in partnership with the Local Authority, are supporting schools in the implementation of the New Curriculum for Wales following the publication of the Donaldson Report ‘Successful Futures’.

10.10 am – 10.55 am

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts (Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and Public Engagement) and the Interim Head of Education together with GwE Representatives Mair Herbert and Jacqueline Chan.  GwE as the Regional School Improvement Service was leading on the development and supporting schools in the implementation of the new curriculum for Wales following the publication of the Donaldson Report ‘Successful Futures’.

Councillor Hilditch-Roberts introduced the report (previously circulated) on how the regional consortium, in partnership with the local authority, were supporting schools in the implementation of the new curriculum, detailing the significant work undertaken in order to provide assurance to the Committee in that regard.  He referred to the new curriculum as a positive way forward for teaching and the four main aims to help children and young people to be: ambitious and capable learners, enterprising and creative, ethical and informed citizens and healthy and confident.  The impact of Covid 19 on schools and their preparation for implementing the new curriculum was highlighted together with work ongoing at various levels from individual schools, school clusters, across county, the region and nationally in order to share best practice.  The Interim Head of Education added that the focus of the new curriculum was for each child to learn in the way that was right for them.  The improvement and support offer for schools was aimed at supporting all practitioners with a focus on key themes around leadership, planning, vision, pedagogy and professional learning.  Consultative workshops had been held to ensure the best offer was provided to schools with an excellent response and positive feedback from head teachers in both primary and secondary sectors keen to work together and ensure consistency.  The work carried out by GwE was key to ensuring schools were ready for implementation of the new curriculum in September 2022.

The efforts to support schools had been detailed in the report and included –

·         working with other regional consortia to develop a national professional learning offer that integrated all aspects of the wider reform

·         a planned sequence of professional learning and training across the region with cluster-based sessions available for schools

·         facilitating sessions for schools within a cluster to work collaboratively to strategically plan for implementation of the curriculum with activities to support those preparations having been identified within School Development Plans

·         provided examples of planned activities to further prepare for the new curriculum including developing a shared vision; collaborating on common approaches to teaching and learning and within a specific Area of Learning and Experience

·         additional support from GwE would be available for schools to access at both cluster and individual level including tailored bespoke support where needed

·         further support included a series of ‘Think-Pieces’ written by GwE as part of the weekly reform sessions with Professor Donaldson covering key aspects of the curriculum reform journey being made available to schools

·         in readiness for September 2022 work was ongoing with partners to develop a wide range of qualitative indicators to allow schools to reflect on how they were implementing the four aims of the new curriculum

·         prior to lockdown over 90% of schools indicated they were either partly on track or better in their knowledge and understanding of the new framework; nearly all schools indicated they were partly on track or better with their engagement and participation in cluster work for preparing for the new curriculum.  Work had continued since then to ensure progress to implementation remained on track.

During the ensuing debate the Lead Member, Interim Head of Service and GwE Representatives responded to members’ comments and questions as follows –

·         the important  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6