Pembrokeshire Learning Network

Welcome to the Pembrokeshire Learning Network - a space to find resources, approaches and insights from Pembrokeshire classrooms and wider evidence bases to support our development of Curriculum for Wales (CfW).  The site is overseen by the Pembrokeshire Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (CPA) strategy group.  We hope you find it useful and would welcome your thoughts, suggestions and requests* as we continue to develop content that celebrates and inspires positive learning experiences for all of our learners.

The Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Strategy Group formed in February 2020, and builds upon the work of the former Teaching and Learning Strategy Group.  The group consists of leaders from each cluster (at least one secondary and usually at least two primary colleagues) and meets half-termly to share updates on local, national and international opportunities and how schools/clusters are progressing with their Curriculum for Wales collaborative work.

The terms of reference are being reviewed in Summer 2023 and will be updated with current membership for first meeting of 2023-24 at Ysgol Greenhill School in September.  Co-chairing is moving from the Milford cluster (Daryl John - MHS, and Leanne Prevel - Gelliswick) to the Pembroke cluster (Dylan Lawrence - Monkton, Michele Thomas - PDCS, and Sarah Smith - YHT).  

We are committed to securing equity of access to excellence for all.

In order to do this we are aligning our thinking to the School Improvement Guidance published in June 2022 and related resources published by WG, as well as an Estyn resource (March 2023) - see below.   These resources can focus our thinking to support effective self-evaluation and improvement planning to fulfil the ambition of CfW.   Resources and workshops to support governors in their evidence-informed improvement planning, by gathering first-hand evidence to identify learners' current strengths and areas for development, are in development.

This site also links to the:

• Leading My Learning Google site, which includes some of our resources for growing increasingly effective learners and developing peer tutoring.  There is a resourced spiral curriculum designed for years 5-8 spanning five strands that reflect the Progression Code principle of  increasingly effective learners and the four purposes.  The programme develops independent and interdependent learning, through the pedagogical principles.  

• LA Language Strategy site which includes our approaches to developing multi-lingual learners within CfW.

An overview of learning in CfW from this site is below, as well as an overview of effective revision that refers to most year groups, not just exam classes, as we build a culture of independent and interdependent learning 3-16.  

*please send comments to Sian on RowlesS5@hwbcymru.net

Below are 4 documents that overarch the work in separate pages, such as the sections for the pedagogical principles.

1. An overview of learning in CfW

2. A profile of an effective learner - what do they consistently do?

3. How could brain development stages inform purpose-driven learning experiences?  ( 0-2, 2-6, 6-10, 10-14, 14-25)

4. How to revise like a boss

1. This overview of learning in CfW attempts to support us in developing a shared understanding.  It is supplemented by a profile of an effective learner that can be used to assess learners' progress in becoming increasingly effective in leading their own learning. 

2. The profile of an effective learner below highlights the importance of teaching the knowledge and understanding in the first column with transfer in mind.  Within a successful curriculum, the behaviours on the right become more consistent over time through planned learning experiences, self-assessment, goal-setting, deliberate practice and reflection, and eventually become habits.  

3.  As we consider learning as we develop CfW, we can be informed by key messages from neuroscience to ensure we create healthy, constructive learning environments that enable learners to thrive throughout their distinct stages of development 0-2, 2-6, 6-10, 10-14 and 14-25.

4. As we consider progression 3-16, we consider how we can develop a culture of learners building their knowledge and skills systematically.   Taking the principles of effective revision below across the 3-16 age range complements our overview of learning in CfW above and creates a more cohesive and coherent experience for learners.  The concept of revision should be understood and implemented with learners at all ages as they become increasingly effective and build systematically on their prior learning.  Pembrokeshire has invested in Carousel Learning from September 2023 to provide schools/clusters with the opportunity to develop interactive resources that will support retrieval practice and purposeful assessment that informs curriculum and pedagogical planning.