Major review of Welsh school curriculum calls for 'radical' overhaul

A major review of the school curriculum in Wales has called for a 'radical' overhaul of how, and what, pupils here learn in the future.

The review recommends that 'digital competence' should become a key priority, and a responsibility for all teachers, alongside the existing literacy and numeracy. Computer science would also be introduced, with elements of coding and web design.

It also suggests a greater role for the teaching of life skills, like health and well-being, partly aimed at tackling obesity.

The review was commissioned by the Welsh Government last March, and carried out by Scottish academic Professor Graham Donaldson, with evidence gathered from over 700 people here in Wales, and further afield.

The Welsh Government is launching a 'Great Debate' to discuss the curriculum review, before announcing whether it will push ahead with its proposals.

Read More: Education Minister describes review as 'compelling and ambitious'

Today's report calls for the current structure of Key Stages (at the end of Years 2, 6 and 9) to be removed, to minimise the negative effects of big transitions. It recommends instead a more seamless 'continuum' of learning from 3 to 16, with new 'progression steps' to act as guidelines for pupils' development.

Professor Donaldson has said the need for change to what our pupils learn is compelling.

Professor Donaldson suggests standalone subjects should become less important, and be grouped into six wider 'Areas of Learning and Experience', similar to the system in Scotland, to encourage the learning of skills. Pupils would continue to be tested in separate subjects at GCSE level, though, for example.

There could also be changes to how pupils are tested, and particularly over the annual reading and numeracy tests for 7 to 14-year-olds.

Professor Donaldson says "there is scope to revise the current arrangements to reduce the negative impact of these tests while retaining their useful functions."

"External, standardised testing should be used in combination with school tests and teacher assessment. Its frequency should be kept to a minimum."

The proposed curriculum is designed as a national framework of expectations, giving schools and teachers more freedom on what and how to teach, to meet their pupils' needs.

The current curriculum dates back to 1988, and the introduction of the National Curriculum in England and Wales. Professor Donaldson warns "the need for change is very clear" as the curriculum "has become overloaded, complicated and, in parts, outdated."

England introduced its own new curriculum last September. Professor Donaldson says that implementing the changes he suggests for Wales would require phasing in, and perhaps take a decade to complete.

Read More: Teaching unions say curriculum review is 'potentially game-changing'

The review recommends four clearly-defined purposes to the curriculum, so that children develop as:

  • ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives

  • enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work

  • ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world

  • healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society

It proposes that traditional subjects are encompassed in six new areas of Learning and Experience:

  • Expressive arts - includes art, drama, music, dance, film and digital media

  • Health and well-being - includes physical activity, healthy eating, physical and emotional well-being, sex and relationships, and substance misuse

  • Humanities - includes history, geography, RE, business and social studies

  • Languages, literacy and communication - includes English, Welsh and modern foreign languages

  • Mathematics and numeracy - focuses on maths and numeracy skills

  • Science and technology - includes computer science, design technology and engineering

It recommends the Welsh language should remain compulsory from ages 3 to 16, and with a strengthened place in the curriculum, with a new focus on learning as a means of communication, especially for the workplace.

There are also recommendations for changes to assessment and accountability, with the proposals that the Welsh Government should no longer gather information about pupils' performance on a school-by-school basis, but should monitor performance in key aspects of the curriculum through annual sample tests.