Our school vision was created in consultation with stakeholders. The school held sessions with all staff, parents, pupils and governors to consider their ideas and suggestions for a draft vision. Our new school vision in line with the Curriculum for Wales was launched in September 2022 for the primary sector and September 2023 for the secondary sector for year 7 and 8 and underpins all areas of school life.  

Our curriculum enables us to realise our vision. As part of curriculum design:  

• Our school leaders and teachers undertook reading and research and attended professional learning on curriculum.  
• Our whole staff team agreed key features of our school context, pupils and community to inform the approaches and experiences best suited for the needs of all learners at our school and considering the four purposes.  
• Through surveys, all governors, staff, parents and pupils were asked to consider what all pupils should know and be able to do, and which values they should develop during their time at the school.  

All staff worked together to identify the required changes to our current cultures, provision and practices.  

• Teachers have worked with staff from the cluster schools to support one another in planning our curriculum, ensuring progression along the 3-16 continuum.  
• All learners in the Primary Phase engage in discussions at the beginning and end of learning themes, giving learners a voice in what and how they learn. In the Secondary Phase pupils termly engage in pupil voice activities and reflect on their learning.   
• the school regularly shares information with parents/careers on the curriculum and ways they can support their child within and outside of the school environment.  
• the school collaborates and consults with a range of providers from the local and wider community on providing learners with distinct and enriching experiences including related to religion, values and ethics (RVE) and careers and work-related experiences (CWRE).  

Areas of Learning

The Curriculum for Wales framework comprises 6 Areas of Learning and Experience. Across these are 27 mandatory statements of what matters. Young people will develop their learning via an exploration of the essential ideas and principles contained in these statements. As students move through their curriculum, teachers have created lessons that enable a more sophisticated understanding and application of the statements of what matters.

https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/

Our school curriculum will be kept under review to ensure that it is meeting the needs of our learners and Ebbw Fawr’s school vision. Throughout the year there will be a variety of self-evaluation activities to inform our understanding of the effectiveness of our curriculum and the required revision.  

We will work within our school, across the cluster and in partnership with governors, the regional consortia, the local authority and our ITE partnership to further develop a shared understanding of progression and to ensure a high-quality 3-16 continuum of learning for all.