Transforming Your Curriculum - Organising the Learning

Organising the Learning

Organising the learning - National Level

As a next step, schools may wish to create a visual which reflects their understanding of the framework and which can then be used as a starting point for organising the learning in their settings, reflecting the vision of the four purposes.

This representation places the four purposes at the top of the triangle, conveying the message that they are the vision of the curriculum and the aspiration for all learners.

The 27 What Matters statements in the middle of the triangle are statutory and will ensure consistency and high expectations for all learners in Wales. The descriptions of learning embody the essence of learning and encapsulate the progression required as learners progress towards the four purposes.

The guidance is accompanied by the Designing your Curriculum document which provides key principles and considerations for practitioners as they select the most suitable contexts, content and pedagogy for their learners. These choices must provide opportunities for learners to develop the characteristics of the four purposes.

Organising the learning - Local Level

The four purposes drive all levels of curriculum design, as they are the vision of the Curriculum for Wales and should therefore permeate all decision making and planning.

This visual seeks to exemplify the planning that schools should undertake to build their local curriculum. Schools need to develop a shared understanding of the high level conceptual learning which will then be used to plan all learning activities at a whole-school level and through the AoLEs. Leaders and practitioners will be supported to do this by the Designing your Curriculum documents which provide the key principles and considerations when selecting contexts, content and pedagogy.

When making these decisions, schools need to understand that the curriculum encompasses all learning and experiences and use the descriptions of learning when planning progression for each learner. This planning will include decisions not only about the content but also about the way in which learning takes place and how it supports progress towards the four purposes.

Organising the Learning - Classroom Level

This pyramid places the essence of learning at the bottom, as the foundation of all learning activities. The essence of learning broadly articulates the concepts within each AoLE, and points to the core of what matters.

It provides opportunities for transference and recurrence, with links to learners’ own experiences and prior understanding. Learning itself is the product, which lies at the top of the pyramid, as the aspiration embodied in the four purposes.

The essence of learning elicits new understanding, new questions, discussion, deep thinking and enquiry. It sparks meaningful connections with prior learning and personal experiences. The essence of learning cannot be captured in one-off tasks and activities, as it takes time to develop deep and transferable learning.

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