Context

Ysgol Gymraeg Aberystwyth is situated on the outskirts of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion.  There are 400 pupils, including 54 part-time nursery-age children.

A very few pupils are eligible for free school meals.  Many pupils speak Welsh at home and a very few are from ethnic minority backgrounds.  The school has identified that a minority of pupils who have additional learning needs, but very few have a statement of additional learning needs.

Stage 1:  Evaluating the current curriculum within wider self-evaluation arrangements

Leaders are given unhindered freedom by the headteacher and governors to be creative in order to develop an innovative curriculum.  They are passionate about providing regular opportunities for staff to experiment with diverse teaching approaches that strengthen their ability to develop pupils’ skills.  This is supported by the school’s vision to ensure that staff have a thorough and successful understanding of its strengths and weaknesses in pedagogy.  Leaders work hard to deliver effective support and training when necessary so that every member of staff is aware of their teaching capabilities.  In order to do this effectively, the headteacher uses the new professional standards for teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching and provision.

In September 2015, the school decided to consider one area of learning and experience (AoLE) at a time in order to evaluate the current curriculum.  The school started with the expressive arts.

The first step was to scrutinise pupils’ books and to ask “What could we take out – what is unnecessary?”  Leaders noted that music is often pulled into thematic work, but that teachers do not plan co-operatively in order to develop pupils’ skills effectively.  Therefore, staff decided to trial ‘creative music days’, which focused on composing using ICT and focused clearly on developing literacy skills.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this provision, teachers observed one another over the course of a term.  Working closely in teams of four, one of the four teachers taught a lesson.  The other teachers observed the lesson and provided feedback.  The following week, it was another teacher’s turn to be observed teaching.  After providing feedback, teachers edited the planning, and the outcomes of the observations influenced future lessons.  The teachers planned activities that would foster the development of pupils’ literacy and ICT skills through the creative music lessons.  Once all teachers had been observed, staff discussed the outcomes at a staff meeting and agreed on recommendations that are now priorities in the School Development Plan.  The following term, ICT and health and wellbeing were the focus of the observations.

In September 2016, following a year of monitoring specific aspects of the six areas of learning, the school was ready to experiment through planning themes based on humanities, expressive arts, health and wellbeing and science and technology. 

Leaders ensure that themes develop pupils’ understanding of the key skills through first hand experiences.  An example of this was the use of the work of ‘T Llew Jones’ as a central theme for drama, dance and music activities.  The school also developed ICT skills through poetry and creative writing rich tasks.  Such regular activities enable pupils to develop their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills to a consistently high level.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the curriculum, its suitability, relevance and impact on raising standards, has been an integral part of the school’s self-evaluation processes for two years.  Teachers from both key stages have evaluated the breadth and content of the activities available to pupils.  The school’s self-evaluation processes look specifically at the pupils’ theme books and consider the aspects that are relevant to the four purposes.  They also evaluate what curriculum content needs to be reduced or omitted from each academic year. 

Leaders continually focus on ensuring that all members of staff understand the importance of skills progression so that each activity develops skills as a starting point.  As a result, every lesson throughout the school is now a numeracy, literacy or ICT lesson.

In order to support this work, a member of staff and a member of the senior management team attends every pioneer school meeting.  This means that everyone hears the same messages from the Welsh Government.  As a result, every member of the teaching staff developed a solid understanding of the requirements of Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), as well as the necessary knowledge to evaluate the effectiveness, suitability and feasibility of their current curriculum provision. 

Stage 2:  Planning and preparing for change

The governors have responded sensibly to Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), and are eager to avoid rushing to instigate change until the curriculum has been presented in draft form.  They encourage staff to explore its current approach to pedagogy by empowering staff with further skills. 

All stakeholders work together through a ‘Sharing Learning’ processes in order to identify good practice and aspects that need to be improved or changed.  All members of the senior management team have contributed fully to the school’s pioneer involvement, and ensured that the school development plan has suitable priorities to instigate change.  For example, building on Pioneer Schools strategies and partnerships by using the Digital Framework as a cross-curricular tool is one of the school’s four main priorities.  Additional funding from the Welsh Government has enabled the school to address this priority effectively and leaders regularly evaluate progress and impact on teaching and learning.  The school uses this funding effectively to give all members of staff valuable non-contact time to monitor teaching within the school and to further their own professional development through training and research.  This has developed a deep understanding amongst the staff of the fundamental elements of effective pedagogy that has enabled them to develop new planning ideas with staff at St David’s University at Trinity in Carmarthen and Arad Goch Theatre Company.  Staff have benefited from working closely with specialists in the field of dance and ICT, which has enriched the experiences available to the pupils.  An innovative project ‘Quantifying Skills Through Expressive Arts’ involved 15 university students working closely with teachers from the school in order to plan arts activities based on the work of Welsh authors.  They focused on creative writing and drama workshops using the expertise of Arad Goch Theatre Company’s artistic director.  Teachers work with the students from the university to provide valuable opportunities for them to observe lessons for four weeks before planning their own literacy and numeracy skills activities through expressive arts. 

In order to plan effectively for curriculum development, the headteacher has developed an observation package to be used by all teachers.  It identifies clearly which aspects need be documented and evaluated.  This places a very firm focus on developing teachers’ leadership skills in relation to the new professional standards and motivates them to take responsibility for their own development.  During the first term of curriculum review, teachers scrutinised books in teams of four, in the same way that they observe each other teaching.  During the second term, a teacher from another school was invited to join the process and the outcomes of the evaluations were shared on the Welsh Government’s digital learning platform, HWB360.  

Stage 3:  Realising change

The school has revised the way that teachers plan activities in order to work within short, punchy projects, creating sub-themes around aspects of creative music, creative writing, dance, art, ICT, poetry and drama.  The school shares the planning work for ICT and creative writing nationally with other schools via Hwb360.  Staff share all changes to planning at staff meetings, which stem from book scrutiny and team observations of each other’s lessons.  These changes ensure that the realisation of change is gradual.  All staff are included in the decision-making and are not under pressure to change their planning too quickly.

Members of the senior management team present detailed reports to the governing body, who are very well informed about the work that is done at the school.  This enables them to support other governing bodies through practical presentations on curriculum development at their meetings. 

Stage 4:  Evaluating change

The school is constantly evaluating the curriculum provided and is moving towards ‘days of learning’ based on the Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), agenda.  This allows teachers to be more flexible in their approach to planning and delivering rich curricular experiences.

Context

Ysgol Heulfan is in Gwersyllt near Wrexham.  Currently, there are 380 pupils, including 40 pupils who attend the nursery.  There are 15 classes in the school, which includes a specialist resource base for pupils with additional learning needs. 

A minority of pupils have additional learning needs.  A very few have a statement of special educational needs.  Most pupils are of white British ethnicity and speak English as their home language.  A minority of pupils are eligible for free school meals and a very few speak Welsh at home.

Stage 1:  Evaluating the current curriculum within wider self-evaluation arrangements

Following a thorough evaluation of the current curriculum, leaders concluded that, as a result of learning through foundation phase philosophy, pupils entering key stage 2 had different skills and learning habits from previous cohorts.  They were more independent and had a growing capacity to direct their own learning.  To continue to develop these learning behaviours and meet pupils’ needs, the school trialled learning zones.  Initially this work was limited to a mixed Year 2 and Year 3 class.  Further monitoring of teaching and learning identified high levels of pupil engagement, motivation and high standards of work in the learning zones, so leaders extended this provision to all key stage 2 classes. 

Evaluating the current curriculum showed that effective foundation phase provision proved to be a key starting point to the evolution of the school’s pedagogy for teaching and learning.

Stage 2:  Planning and preparing for change – learning zones

Teachers at Heulfan plan purposeful activities that are carefully organised into areas of learning and experience (AoLE) that match those outlined in Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015).  They set out stimulating resources within these areas that match pupils’ needs and interests well so that activities reflect the topics covered currently or previously in class.  This encourages pupils to consolidate their skills, knowledge and understanding in a wide range of contexts.  Examples include Space, Adventurers and Explorers and Chocolate.  Pupils generally choose which area they would like to work in, for example the mathematics or digital areas.  Staff monitor pupils’ work carefully to ensure that they access a broad range of experiences and produce work of an appropriately high standard.  Pupils also choose whether to carry out independent project work or to respond to challenges.  

The learning zones are available to pupils at all times of day.  For example, pupils do not have to go outside at break time.  Instead, they may choose to visit the gym and soft play areas, to play with resources on offer or continue with project work.  The school places a high priority on providing opportunities for pupils to play at key stage 2.  The school draws upon research and pupil requests to stock play boxes with suitable toys and resources. 

The school has changed its staffing structure to support curriculum development and improve teaching and learning.  The leadership team comprises a headteacher and three assistant headteachers who have a good balance of departmental and whole school responsibilities.  They play a key role in supporting other staff to fulfil the cross-curriculum responsibilities of teaching literacy, numeracy and digital competence. 

One assistant headteacher has overall responsibility for school planning.  This supports effective continuity and progression and high levels of flexibility in curriculum delivery that responds well to pupils’ needs and interests.  This approach has led to considerable reduction in ‘paper planning’ for class teachers and enabled them to think about suitably challenging activities that pupils will enjoy.

Key features of planning that the school has changed:

• There are no formal timetables for lessons – pupils carry on with learning experiences that engage them for a sequence of lessons rather than moving on to another activity to satisfy a content led timetable.
• Areas of learning are mapped carefully to ensure full curriculum coverage and are taught in blocks that may last several weeks.
• There is a whole school thematic approach to planning that relates very closely to real life contexts.
• The whole school follows the same main topic at any given time.
• Activities include extensive opportunities for purposeful outdoor learning to develop skills and understanding of concepts.
• Following pupil consultation, teachers and other staff plan activities that pupils would enjoy.
• The assistant headteacher with responsibility for planning collates ideas to create a whole school plan.
• At the beginning of each new theme, there is an ‘Entry Point’ day.  These include events such as food tasting and treasure hunts.  There is also an ‘Exit Point’ event to celebrate and reflect upon pupils’ learning and achievements.  These include events such as fashion shows, creating a museum, or market place activities to sell pupils’ produce.
• In addition to these themes, each year group learns about a specific historical period, a faith and a foreign country.  Pupils make links between topics such as healthy living and the country they are learning about, often through independent research.  For example, they learn about healthy living in Pakistan or France and draw comparisons with Wales.

Stage 3:  Realising change – Teaching styles and pedagogy to support the four purposes

School leaders have supported staff effectively at all levels to develop a shared understanding of how the four purposes can be included in the school’s work.  In addition, the staffing structure includes teams with responsibility for each of the AoLE.  Each team has a leader with responsibility for observing lessons, analysing performance information and identifying next steps for improvement.  Throughout the school, there are many visual reminders for staff and pupils about the purposes of the curriculum and of teaching and learning.

Regular staff meetings develop a shared understanding of curriculum reform.  They provide valuable opportunities for discussions about the theory behind approaches to teaching.  For example international research from Finland encourages teachers and pupils to try new ideas and approaches by placing curiosity, imagination and creativity at the heart of learning.

Leaders make sure that teachers use proven teaching strategies effectively.  For example, they create many opportunities for peer-to-peer teaching and learning in shared lessons for foundation phase and key stage 2 pupils.  Such opportunities contribute well to achieving the four purposes, for example by enabling older pupils to take responsibility for their actions.  Individual learning sessions do not last longer than 45 minutes.  Within this time, the pace of teaching and learning is sharp.  Teachers use assessment for learning strategies well to ensure that pupils are clear about the purpose of their learning.  They provide a good balance of direct teaching, pair and group work within structured sessions.  For example, they teach phonological and mathematics skills directly to cover essential content and develop skills.  They provide valuable opportunities for pupils to develop and apply these skills in learning zones throughout the foundation phase and key stage 2. 

Teachers use the whole-school thematic plan to give a context for learning.  They use pupil assessment information purposefully and to good effect to plan lessons that challenge all pupils to achieve highly.  This includes provision to support pupils to move on with skills set out in the Literacy and Numeracy Framework and, more recently, the Digital Competence Framework.  Pupils, particularly in key stage 2, have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve their key skills, for example to improve the quality of their writing.

In addition to the thematic planning, the school has recently introduced a series of ‘Super learning Days’.  Topics have included problem solving through ‘Alien Invasion’ and ‘The Rainforest’.  Each day begins with a ‘Wake Up, Shake Up’ activity and an inspirational presentation, for example from university lecturers.  Such experiences have given pupils opportunities to develop their own ambitions and to identify what they need to do to achieve them.

The school’s approach to family and community engagement supports recent developments to the curriculum and pedagogy particularly well.  Leaders plan valuable opportunities for all parents to work with their child at the school each year.  Nearly all parents engage in these activities enthusiastically.  For example, they cook with their children as part of the healthy eating project.  The school also offers learning walks for parents to share curriculum developments and to help them to support their children with their learning. 

Context

Ysgol Cynwyd Sant is in Maesteg.  There are 300 pupils on roll, including 40 nursery-aged pupils.  There are 11 classes, included five mixed-age classes.

A few pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes.  The school has identified that 23% of pupils have additional learning needs, including a very few who have a statement of additional learning needs.  A few of the pupils are eligible for free school meals.  Very few pupils come from ethnic minority or mixed backgrounds. 

Stage 1:  Evaluating the current curriculum within wider self-evaluation arrangements

The school has developed rigorous and effective self-evaluation procedures that are central to the leaders’ ability to plan and ensure improvement.  All stakeholders play an active role in the process of identifying strengths and areas for further development.  Pupil voice is a strong feature of the school’s self-evaluation arrangements.  Pupils contribute meaningfully to the process by carrying out lesson observations, contributing to curriculum planning and helping to formulate policies.  Their voice has a strong influence on ensuring a successful curriculum and securing successful arrangements for the creative arts.  The system of teachers observing lessons in triads is also an excellent feature of this process.  Staff are given clear guidance on how to evaluate the effect of teaching on pupils’ progress through peer observations in established triads.

These arrangements have enabled the school to implements change quickly.  School leaders engage regularly with other stakeholders to evaluate current provision in order to develop a broad and exciting curriculum for all pupils.  Initial monitoring reports identified that schemes of work were not comprehensive enough to meet the needs of all aspects of the curriculum.  For example, the scheme for science did not provide enough challenge for pupils, and opportunities for them to use their investigative skills to work independently were limited.  As a result, the school stopped using commercial schemes of work to plan lessons, and developed their own planning in line with the school’s vision to provide a wide range of experiences and opportunities for pupils, so that they make informed choices and decisions based on these experiences in the future. 

Stage 2:  Planning and preparing for change

A strong feature of planning for improvement at the school is the staff’s understanding of their own role and responsibility.  School improvement priorities include specific objectives and actions to develop a knowledgeable workforce that will deliver the new curriculum.  Leaders ensure specific times for the teacher triads to meet in order to plan and evaluate their work regularly.  They regularly consider research and practices from other countries, such as the provision for expressive arts in Quebec, Canada, for support and guidance on revising the curriculum.

The school includes all stakeholders successfully in the process of establishing the new curriculum.  Effective communication with staff, governors and parents ensures their understanding of and commitment to any developments or changes in provision.  The positive attitude of all stakeholders towards becoming involved in continuous improvement is a key part of the school.  As a result, teachers trial and implement any changes, such as whole-school themes that promote the four purposes and 12 principles of innovative pedagogy.  Working together in cross‑phase triads reinforces this work effectively and allows staff to plan collaboratively and to observe each other’s lessons.

The oldest pupils have a very good awareness of the new curriculum and of the four purposes.  When preparing pupils for change, the school provides worthwhile opportunities for pupils to discuss the four purposes and contribute towards the preparations.  The learning mats created by them are a good example of this.  Pupils also contribute effectively to whole-school project planning.  For example, pupils in Year 6 share ideas for themes such as “Penguins”, “Big Science Questions” and “Oh, no problems!” by proposing multimedia activities to develop elements of the digital competence framework. 

Leaders plan purposefully to develop effective pedagogy that reflects the 12 pedagogy principles of Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015).  Lesson observations by triads lead to challenging feedback and specific training on how to develop aspects of pedagogy.  The school is a training hub for teachers across all four consortia, and staff who deliver the training benefit from learning and sharing good practice with delegates.  This has a very positive effect on their own teaching skills as they strengthen their awareness of teaching styles outlines in the 12 pedagogy principles.  Leaders offer high quality support for staff and make decisions jointly about what, how and when to introduce new styles by considering and acting upon measured risks. 

Stage 3:  Realising change

As well as implementing new teaching strategies across the school, the staff have written their own definitions of the 12 pedagogical principles identified in Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015).  Teachers use a range of teaching styles that encourage the development of pupils’ thinking skills and their ability to use assessment for learning methods to improve their own work.  This is shared successfully with other schools in assisting them to identify their own steps for curriculum development. 

Staff are encouraged to experiment with different ways of providing ambitious experiences for their pupils that promote the four purposes and the digital competence framework.  Members of the school council have created and branded stickers and posters to represent the four purposes.  These are presented to pupils when their peers or members of staff feel that they have been ambitious, capable learners or if they have acted as ethical citizens.  For example, pupils were awarded an ‘ethical citizen’ sticker, having established a food bank in the town.  In addition, staff have been given freedom to plan a series of lessons on a whole-school theme in order to try to include the pupil voice, the four purposes and the 12 pedagogy principles in planning.  A short whole-school project on ‘penguins’ ensured valuable opportunities for pupils to develop their numeracy, literacy and ICT skills, and to familiarise themselves with the four purposes.  Pupils in Year 6 created a plan for a ‘lip balm’ business, conducted market research, marketed the product and calculated profit and loss.  This project enabled the pupils to practise their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in a real-life context, and encouraged them to use their creative and performing skills for a purpose.

The school works closely with the Arts Council to plan exciting activities to develop pupils’ oracy skills, their self-confidence and creativity.  Pupils work collaboratively with other schools as well as a creative agent and practitioners.  Leaders have a clear focus on developing members of staff as creative practitioners.  In order to inspire the creative nature of staff and pupils, the school believes strongly that there is a need to eliminate the fear of being wrong, in the first instance.  This is central to the school’s pedagogy in order to develop a creative and innovative learning community. 

Context

Llanishen Fach Primary School is in Rhiwbina, in the north of Cardiff.  There are 494 pupils on roll, including 78 part-time nursery children.  There are two mixed ability classes in each year group.  The school also has a special resource base unit for pupils from across the city that have a wide range of additional learning needs.

Almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  A very few speak Welsh at home.  A very few pupils are from minority ethnic or mixed race backgrounds.  No pupils receive support for learning English as an additional language.  A very few pupils are eligible for free school meals. 

The school identifies a few pupils as having additional learning needs, including the pupils in the special resource base unit.  A very few pupils have a statement of additional learning needs.

Stage 1:  Evaluating the current curriculum within wider self-evaluation arrangements

Following the publication of Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), school leaders have involved the school’s community in evaluating its overall purpose, vision and values.  Leaders ask all stakeholders to consider and reflect upon three questions:

• What kind of school do we aspire to have?
• What are we trying to achieve?
• What do we want our pupils to be like when they leave Llanishen Fach?

Stakeholders were surprised to find that their views on what they were trying to achieve for the pupils of Llanishen Fach and what kind of school they aspired to have aligned well with those outlined by Professor Donaldson.  The outcome of this process resulted in an immediate ‘sign up’ from staff and an instant commitment to curriculum development.  Staff felt that the proposed Curriculum for Wales finally matched the genuine values and aspirations of practitioners. 

As a result of this process, staff also concluded that, for a number of years, they had been teaching a “hidden” curriculum whereby they would plan and build experiences to achieve the school’s values in addition to the statutory national curriculum.  Although teachers were developing values such as co-operation, adaptability and risk-taking, it was done mainly through discrete activities.  Following a whole school training day to discuss this “hidden curriculum”, staff decided to conduct an audit of the school’s current provision to evaluate the extent to which the four purposes were already being developed.  Staff recognised the importance of including many current activities in the new curriculum and wanted to ensure that they did not “throw the baby out with the bath water”, as had occurred with previous change to the curriculum.

The first stage of the audit was for senior leaders to carry out a series of learning walks, observing and listening to pupils in order to capture the temperature of everyday learning experiences that already realised the four purposes of the curriculum.  This was recorded into a digital photo journey, which was produced and displayed widely across the school giving the four purposes a high profile.

Leaders focused on capturing more succinctly how frequently the four purposes were being met.  They evaluated teaching and learning to note how often the four curriculum purposes were evident in current provision.  They considered where the gaps existed and talked about what needed to be adapted with all staff.  All members of staff worked in small focus group sessions with a cross section of the school’s community, and groups reflected on the learning experiences already provided.  Staff were keen to discover where their current curriculum encouraged pupils to build on each of the characteristics of the four purposes.  This process developed from a post-it note activity to a web-based version integrated into the school’s website.

Stage 2:  Planning and preparing for change

During a curriculum training day, staff considered their interpretation of a ‘rich context’.  Leaders circulated copies of Chapter 5 of Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), and asked two groups to extract key words and phrases that would identify clearly the features of a rich context.  They compared the two lists and drew up a list of criteria for ‘meaningful and authentic learning’ to take place.  The staff concluded that a ‘meaningful and authentic context’ should:

• include a dynamic method of teaching an aspect of learning that provide a world of experiences and opportunities for learning in an exciting environment full of possibilities
• provide hands on experiences that are engaging and challenging, that develop determination, adaptability, confidence building, risk-taking and enterprise
• provide planned opportunities to revisit and embed skills in different ways so that learning becomes almost subconscious

With their existing beliefs and Donaldson’s principles in mind, teachers and teaching assistants worked in cross phase groups in carousel based activities.  They shared ideas on adapting and updating current contexts to develop a rich and creative curriculum.  This included encouraging staff to take risks, think outside the box and put the ‘wow’ factor into learning.  Teachers considered pupil voice fully by asking pupils what they wanted to learn.  Most importantly, they encouraged them to think of inspiring and creative ways they would like to learn, such as using parents in the classroom to set problems that they would encounter in their workplace.  This evolved into the school’s “Inspire a Generation” project, which allows parents to attend school to discuss their career challenge and inspire children in their field of work.

In order to establish an ethos where staff make learning more irresistible, leaders ensured that staff had sufficient time to enable that to happen.  Leaders realised that they needed to help teachers to manage their workload more efficiently and change their expectations around planning.  The school has abolished weekly plans in favour of “Pacer Sheets” as a planning tool.  Pacer Sheets take the context’s “wow” factor and entry point, so that teachers map the skills to be covered in all areas of learning over half a term.  Planning combines cross curricular learning that covers a number of subject areas where appropriate, but maintains a focus on standards and skills progression.  The focus is on pedagogy and developing irresistible learning experiences for the children.

An analysis of these trailing activities highlighted the fundamental link between the purposes of the curriculum and pedagogy.  They created a teaching template, unpicked each of the areas of learning and experience and considered the 12 pedagogical principles.  Leaders have developed a bespoke program of professional learning that interpreted and delivered these 12 areas through training sessions.

This enables staff to model new skills and strategies; to practise and trial new ideas in their classrooms so that they are constantly sharing and refining pedagogy.  The focus is on teachers actively researching and learning in the classroom, taking risks and working outside their comfort zones in a safe and supportive environment.

Llanishen Fach has developed a strong culture of sharing practice and staff have the freedom to organise and observe each other’s practice, focusing on specific skills development.  More recently, lead practitioners have developed a structured coaching model, with staff focusing on developing and strengthening pedagogical skills in the classroom.  Using coaching principles, staff work together in year group teams before collaborating on pedagogical development with a cross phase group.  Leaders focus on excellence in learning and teaching to ensure that the school sets a firm foundation to realise the four purposes of the curriculum in the future.

Stage 3:  Realising change

The response to Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), from staff has been one of necessity and positivity and seen as an opportunity to revisit the reasons why they chose to teach in the first place.  Staff appreciate the ownership they have in influencing and determining changes.  Although staff were initially cautious in taking risks and thinking outside of the box during the early stages of evaluating the curriculum, they are now embracing reform and consider how they will evaluate impact on standards of teaching and learning.

Leaders recognise that keeping the school’s vision at the heart of the process and promoting an ‘anything is possible mind-set’ is vital to encourage those who were comfortable with familiar approaches, to embrace change.  Continuing the focused coaching model, opportunities to observe good practice, a relevant program of professional development and networking with other schools ensure that staff have the required skills to implement the new curriculum.

At Llanishen Fach, teachers have harnessed the ‘hidden’ curriculum to shape and steer the new curriculum.  The values of the school are in line with four purposes and take centre stage of everything they do.  Meaningful experiences provide rich contexts to deepen learning that embrace pupil voice to ensure that learning is irresistible.  Staff manage workload more effectively and ensure that learning is the focus and remains the focus.

 

Context

Since June 2016, all primary schools in the Barry cluster in the Vale of Glamorgan have been working together to prepare for curriculum development.  Romilly Primary School and Cadoxton Primary school, both situated in Barry, have facilitated this collaboration. 

Stage 1:  Evaluating the current curriculum within wider self-evaluation arrangements

Each school in the cluster has nominated a ‘Donaldson champion’.  This is not a paid post attracting additional salary, nor are the champions all members of their schools’ senior leadership team.  However, the teachers who have taken on the role in each school have the commitment, drive and enthusiasm to move the project forward and influence others.  The representatives from each school meet every month throughout the school year.  From the outset, headteachers agreed to resource the project properly.  This has ensured that staff, governors and other stakeholders understood the value and high status of the group’s work.  It means that the group meet at an appropriate venue away from the members’ schools, and dedicated a full half day to each agenda without being disturbed. 

Group meetings always have a clear agenda and an intended output, although there is always enough flexibility built in to discuss issues that individuals raise from the work schools carry out in between meetings.  Meetings have a positive, working ethos, like a workshop, and generate lots of ideas.  The structure of sessions is flexible and has changed over time, responding to where schools are on their curriculum development journey, or the way in which different people want to work.  For example, the group started by developing specific areas of interest within the curriculum, such as cultural awareness, outdoor learning and creative development.  However, members found that this was not working as well as they had hoped, so decided to change direction and work specifically with the four purposes outlined in Successful Futures (Donaldson, 2015).  Each meeting enables considerable discussion and debate, and members raise important questions, such as:

• What is a big question and how prescriptive is it?
• How do we ensure that the experiences we provide pupils help them to learn more effectively?
• Is it enough that a pupil takes part in an experience or do we expect them to respond to that experience or prove they have learnt something from it?

Members leave each meeting with a clear idea of what they intend to do in their school before the next meeting.  This always includes feedback to school staff, followed by tasks to complete.  Tasks might, for example, be to carry out a piece of action research in the classroom in a particular area of learning and experience, to create and trial some resources, or to implement a new teaching approach. 

Stage 2:  Planning and preparing for change

Back in their schools, Donaldson champions deliver sessions to teachers, learning support assistants, pupils and governors.  To ensure consistency of message and understanding, schools have shared approaches and resources.  For example, all schools in the cluster considered what the four purposes meant to them in one of the areas of learning and experience.  One primary school led the way by using the outline of a gingerbread person to illustrate their thoughts about health and wellbeing.  Teachers, support staff and pupils thought about the sort of activities their pupils should experience as part of health and wellbeing and considered how they contributed to developing the four purposes.  They included activities like running a mile, taking part in a residential visit to an outdoor pursuits centre and cooking a healthy meal.  Other schools took these ideas and adapted them to suit their own contexts and the needs of their staff and pupils.

Another interim task for schools involved thinking about the four purposes more critically and considering how a pupil might develop all four as they move through school.  The staff of each school considered which of the purposes they felt was strongest in their school and they tried to explain why.  Then they tried to illustrate illustrated what, for example, a healthy, confident individual would look like in their school each year group from nursery to Year 6.

As a result of the work that has taken place so far, some schools have reviewed and amended their medium term planning to reflect the changes made.  In addition, all schools have signed up to The Barry Pledge.  This is a series of experiences, linked to each of the four purposes outlined in Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), that all schools involved have agreed that their pupils need as they move through their school career.  It means that any pupil who attends a school in Barry will receive the same opportunities.  The schools consulted with pupils to create this list of experiences.  For example, to encourage pupils to become healthy, confident individuals, all pupils will take part in a variety of outdoor learning experiences, including putting up a tent and camping outside, flying a kite, and star gazing.  They are considering creating an application for mobile phones that will enable pupils to collect e-badges to recognise their achievements. 

Many strengths have emerged from the extensive and mature collaboration between the schools in the cluster.  The high level of trust that headteachers have put in the individuals involved in the group has helped to develop the leadership skills and confidence of those teachers.  They feel empowered to make decisions on behalf of their schools, and motivated to sustain the partnerships that have been created.  It has been important that the designated person from the pioneer school has provided strong leadership at meetings.  This ensures that the group has clear direction, remains on task, and makes progress.  However, representatives from other schools have now grown in confidence and are beginning to take on leadership responsibilities within the group, including planning agendas, leading sessions and co-ordinating approaches between schools. 

Despite its successes, the group is realistic enough to identify that there remain a few barriers.  Each school has to encourage the involvement of sceptics amongst the staff, who are reluctant or slow to respond to change.  Members’ approach to this has been, in the main, to remind colleagues that the new curriculum is about doing the very best for the pupils in their classrooms and preparing them for the world in which they will live.  Members also acknowledge that it is sometimes challenging to ensure that agendas remain stimulating to ensure the continued success of the project.  However, they believe that the following elements of their work have enabled it to succeed so far and sustain it into the future:

• appointing a dedicated, nominated Donaldson Champion in each school
• regular meetings at the same time and same venue every month, so that schools and individuals commit to it and plan around it
• clear direction and agendas so that all members know what they are going to do at meetings and what is expected in the interim period between meetings
• gradual building up of communication and confidence within the group
• non pioneer schools committing to the project and releasing people to attend
• genuine collaboration between schools, with a willingness to share successes and failures and an ethos of honesty and integrity
• including in the group teachers of different ages with different perspectives and a wealth of experience from a range of backgrounds and a diversity of schools
• readiness of the pioneer school to share feedback from AoLE group meetings and to gather information to go back to those groups
• equality within the group, in which there is no sense of status and all opinions are valued
• strong facilitation of the group by class teachers
• financial and professional commitment of headteachers, senior leaders and governors in all schools involved, including release time for meetings and INSET time to carry out interim activities
• building on existing networks, including clusters, school improvement groups, informal groups of schools
• responding positively to feedback from senior leaders and other staff in each school to shape future work

Context

Since June 2016, all primary schools in the Barry cluster in the Vale of Glamorgan have been working together to prepare for curriculum development.  Romilly Primary School and Cadoxton Primary school, both situated in Barry, have facilitated this collaboration. 

Stage 1:  Evaluating the current curriculum within wider self-evaluation arrangements

Each school in the cluster has nominated a ‘Donaldson champion’.  This is not a paid post attracting additional salary, nor are the champions all members of their schools’ senior leadership team.  However, the teachers who have taken on the role in each school have the commitment, drive and enthusiasm to move the project forward and influence others.  The representatives from each school meet every month throughout the school year.  From the outset, headteachers agreed to resource the project properly.  This has ensured that staff, governors and other stakeholders understood the value and high status of the group’s work.  It means that the group meet at an appropriate venue away from the members’ schools, and dedicated a full half day to each agenda without being disturbed. 

Group meetings always have a clear agenda and an intended output, although there is always enough flexibility built in to discuss issues that individuals raise from the work schools carry out in between meetings.  Meetings have a positive, working ethos, like a workshop, and generate lots of ideas.  The structure of sessions is flexible and has changed over time, responding to where schools are on their curriculum development journey, or the way in which different people want to work.  For example, the group started by developing specific areas of interest within the curriculum, such as cultural awareness, outdoor learning and creative development.  However, members found that this was not working as well as they had hoped, so decided to change direction and work specifically with the four purposes outlined in Successful Futures (Donaldson, 2015).  Each meeting enables considerable discussion and debate, and members raise important questions, such as:

• What is a big question and how prescriptive is it?
• How do we ensure that the experiences we provide pupils help them to learn more effectively?
• Is it enough that a pupil takes part in an experience or do we expect them to respond to that experience or prove they have learnt something from it?

Members leave each meeting with a clear idea of what they intend to do in their school before the next meeting.  This always includes feedback to school staff, followed by tasks to complete.  Tasks might, for example, be to carry out a piece of action research in the classroom in a particular area of learning and experience, to create and trial some resources, or to implement a new teaching approach. 

Stage 2:  Planning and preparing for change

Back in their schools, Donaldson champions deliver sessions to teachers, learning support assistants, pupils and governors.  To ensure consistency of message and understanding, schools have shared approaches and resources.  For example, all schools in the cluster considered what the four purposes meant to them in one of the areas of learning and experience.  One primary school led the way by using the outline of a gingerbread person to illustrate their thoughts about health and wellbeing.  Teachers, support staff and pupils thought about the sort of activities their pupils should experience as part of health and wellbeing and considered how they contributed to developing the four purposes.  They included activities like running a mile, taking part in a residential visit to an outdoor pursuits centre and cooking a healthy meal.  Other schools took these ideas and adapted them to suit their own contexts and the needs of their staff and pupils.

Another interim task for schools involved thinking about the four purposes more critically and considering how a pupil might develop all four as they move through school.  The staff of each school considered which of the purposes they felt was strongest in their school and they tried to explain why.  Then they tried to illustrate illustrated what, for example, a healthy, confident individual would look like in their school each year group from nursery to Year 6.

As a result of the work that has taken place so far, some schools have reviewed and amended their medium term planning to reflect the changes made.  In addition, all schools have signed up to The Barry Pledge.  This is a series of experiences, linked to each of the four purposes outlined in Successful Futures, (Donaldson, 2015), that all schools involved have agreed that their pupils need as they move through their school career.  It means that any pupil who attends a school in Barry will receive the same opportunities.  The schools consulted with pupils to create this list of experiences.  For example, to encourage pupils to become healthy, confident individuals, all pupils will take part in a variety of outdoor learning experiences, including putting up a tent and camping outside, flying a kite, and star gazing.  They are considering creating an application for mobile phones that will enable pupils to collect e-badges to recognise their achievements. 

Many strengths have emerged from the extensive and mature collaboration between the schools in the cluster.  The high level of trust that headteachers have put in the individuals involved in the group has helped to develop the leadership skills and confidence of those teachers.  They feel empowered to make decisions on behalf of their schools, and motivated to sustain the partnerships that have been created.  It has been important that the designated person from the pioneer school has provided strong leadership at meetings.  This ensures that the group has clear direction, remains on task, and makes progress.  However, representatives from other schools have now grown in confidence and are beginning to take on leadership responsibilities within the group, including planning agendas, leading sessions and co-ordinating approaches between schools. 

Despite its successes, the group is realistic enough to identify that there remain a few barriers.  Each school has to encourage the involvement of sceptics amongst the staff, who are reluctant or slow to respond to change.  Members’ approach to this has been, in the main, to remind colleagues that the new curriculum is about doing the very best for the pupils in their classrooms and preparing them for the world in which they will live.  Members also acknowledge that it is sometimes challenging to ensure that agendas remain stimulating to ensure the continued success of the project.  However, they believe that the following elements of their work have enabled it to succeed so far and sustain it into the future:

• appointing a dedicated, nominated Donaldson Champion in each school
• regular meetings at the same time and same venue every month, so that schools and individuals commit to it and plan around it
• clear direction and agendas so that all members know what they are going to do at meetings and what is expected in the interim period between meetings
• gradual building up of communication and confidence within the group
• non pioneer schools committing to the project and releasing people to attend
• genuine collaboration between schools, with a willingness to share successes and failures and an ethos of honesty and integrity
• including in the group teachers of different ages with different perspectives and a wealth of experience from a range of backgrounds and a diversity of schools
• readiness of the pioneer school to share feedback from AoLE group meetings and to gather information to go back to those groups
• equality within the group, in which there is no sense of status and all opinions are valued
• strong facilitation of the group by class teachers
• financial and professional commitment of headteachers, senior leaders and governors in all schools involved, including release time for meetings and INSET time to carry out interim activities
• building on existing networks, including clusters, school improvement groups, informal groups of schools
• responding positively to feedback from senior leaders and other staff in each school to shape future work