The following six AoLE workshops are a first step as you start to engage with the vision of Curriculum for Wales, before embarking on the design process. The six areas of learning and experience are a requirement for all schools and are to be regarded as a vehicle for enabling schools and settings to realise the vision and principles of Curriculum for Wales. Therefore, the overarching guidance and the guidance for the areas of learning and experience must be considered together throughout the design process. It is important to remember that the guidance for each Area includes only what is unique to each AoLE.
These six areas of learning and experience bring different disciplines together through opportunities that support learners to make meaningful connections not only within Areas but also across Areas. This allows for recurrence and transference to different contexts, which leads to breadth and depth in learning for the learners as they progress towards the four purposes. Whilst the distinct nature of each Area is important, collaboration within and across the Areas is essential if we are to build a holistic and integrated curriculum for every learner.
The essential learning required to realise the four purposes in each AoLE is encapsulated in the 27 statements of what matters. They represent the sum of what learners need to know and understand when they leave compulsory education and should be viewed together so that connections can be made across the areas of learning and experience to provide a coherent framework of learning.
These workshops will offer opportunities to reflect on the vision and key principles of each Area, to gain a clear understanding of what is new, and to consider fresh approaches to pedagogy. They include suggested activities, which you can undertake individually or collectively and should provide a starting point as you create your own vision for your own learners.
