Curriculum for Wales 2022Professional Learning Programme

Why does Wales need a professional learning programme?Wales is currently undergoing a series of wide-ranging yet integrated reforms, which have the power to transform the education landscape. At times of such significant change, it is essential that all practitioners have the opportunity to work collaboratively, to make sense of how these changes will impact on their roles and how schools can derive the most benefit from these reforms in the interest of their learners. The cross-regional programme has been designed to provide this opportunity.

An integrated professional learning programme Whilst the key focus of this professional learning programme will be the realisation of the Curriculum for Wales 2022, it is essential that connections are made across all aspects of the education reform programme. This needs to include a consideration of the Schools as Learning Organisations (SLO) approach, the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership and our collective commitment to the Excellence, Equity and Wellbeing agenda.

The four enablers of the National Mission

How will professional learning be organised? Professional learning will be organised broadly by leadership milestones, to ensure that content is nuanced suitably to empower practitioners within specific roles. A common set of professional learning materials will be developed nationally, through a process of co-construction between schools, regional consortia and their link HEIs. The delivery mechanisms for professional learning may vary across regions.

All programmes will be free at the point of delivery and made accessible via e-learning on the Hwb platform.

What will the programme cover?Headteachers and Senior Leaders

Key theme Summary of Professional Learning

Leading change

As with all change programmes, it is essential that change is managed appropriately and with due regard to well-established change management approaches. This part of the programme will link change management theory to the educational practices in schools to support the implementation of reform.

Developing a shared vision for the new curriculum 

The emergence of a ‘purposes-driven’ curriculum provides an ideal opportunity for schools to re-visit their vision for the curriculum and learning with all stakeholders.

Planning for curriculum change

(curriculum planning and timetabling) 

Having established a renewed vision, there may be the opportunity to re-think the way that schools organise learning. This section of the programme will consider some different models and examine the practice emerging in schools across Wales and beyond.

Creating time and space for professional learning

It is essential that all staff are given time to make sense of the new curriculum and that there is time to reflect and plan collaboratively. Examples of how schools have achieved this will be presented and discussed to ensure that headteachers have a variety of models and approaches to reflect upon.

Collaborative approaches to curriculum design

There are a number of other professionals with whom we will need to collaborate in order to make the curriculum a success. This includes schools within the cluster (e.g. developing common pedagogical approaches across the 3-16 continuum) or other schools in the same phases, within and/or across the areas of learning and experience.

This section of the programme will consider a range of approaches to designing an effective school curriculum.

Leading pedagogy

(linking to SLO and Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership)

“We know that principals who participate as learners, with teachers focusing on teacher leadership for improving pedagogy have the greatest impact”(Fullen 2019)

This section of the programme will focus on how schools are utilising the outcomes of the SLO survey and the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership to identify areas for development in teachers’ professional learning and the crucial role of school leaders in leading this work.

Middle Leaders and Teachers Key theme Summary of Professional Learning

The final Curriculum for Wales 2022 – What’s different? 

It is essential that all teachers understand the similarities and differences in terms of both the underpinning philosophy and essential features of this curriculum in comparison to previous iterations of the National Curriculum.

Using the planning guidance materials  

The Curriculum for Wales 2022 will be presented with supporting planning guidance materials. This section will explain the purpose of these materials and how they should be used to best effect.

Long and medium-term planning

How will the curriculum be organised in the medium to long term? It is important that the ‘big ideas’ and overarching concepts of the curriculum are carefully mapped and sequenced to best promote pupil learning, avoid duplication and build meaningful sequences of knowledge and skills.

The cross-curricular skills

This section of the programme will consider how the revised cross-curricular and wider skills should be most meaningfully embedded across the school curriculum.

Disciplinary, Interdisciplinary and integrated approaches

It is important that both middle leaders and teachers can critically explore a variety of approaches to planning in the new curriculum. This part of the programme will consider where disciplinary, inter-disciplinary or integrated approaches to curriculum delivery may be most appropriate within and across areas of learning.   A key consideration here will be differences across the existing educational phases, especially with regards to disciplinary specialism.

Progression

(principles to underpin curriculum design)  

The Areas of Learning and Experience within the Curriculum for Wales 2022 have been built upon well-established principles of progression. It is important for teachers to understand how progression is framed to support their planning and ensure that the framework supports effective formative assessment and helps teachers and learners to identify next steps in learning.

Links within and across Areas of Learning and Experience 

Opportunities to exploit the links within and across Areas of Learning and Experience (and their constituent disciplines) are an important consideration. It is crucial to ensure that where links and connections are made, that these are authentic and allow learners to deepen their understanding.

Pedagogic content knowledge

(Areas of Learning and Experience and disciplinary specific) 

Pedagogic content knowledge can be defined as “the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations and demonstrations, in a word, the most powerful ways of representing and formulating the subject that makes it comprehensible for others.” (Royal Society of Chemistry).  Therefore, from the teacher’s perspective it is important to understand the key misconceptions that learners have across different subject areas and what the most effective teaching methods are that can be utilised to overcome these. This will require both a good knowledge of subject content and carefully selected (evidenced-based) approaches to teaching and learning (this will include an understanding of the most appropriate experiences within which to frame the learning).

Assessment Following the publication of the Assessment Guidance in January, this section of the programme will consider how approaches to assessment should be

developed from the descriptions of learning within and across areas of learning and experience.

HLTAs and TAsA programme designed to meet the requirements of HLTAs and TAs will also be facilitated. This will ensure that all support staff have an appropriate understanding of the education reform programme and Curriculum for Wales 2022 and how this links to the Practising Assisting Teaching Standards.

GovernorsSupporting workshops for chairs of governors and governing bodies will also have access to workshops that will cover all key themes from the headteacher programme that are commensurate with their role.

When will programmes commence?Programmes for senior leaders will commence in January 2020, with programme for all other stakeholders available from the second half of the spring term 2020 onwards. Please consult your regional Professional Learning Offer for more details.

The seven dimensions of the SLO model with supporting stakeholders in middle tier

Who to contact for further information?

Should you require any further information about this programme, please contact natalie.a.gould@cscjes.org.uk