A PURPOSEFUL, AUTHENTIC & RELEVANT CURRICULUM

We believe that every member of the school community at Carreg Hirfaen is a learner - pupils, staff and parents.  Together we develop as a learning organisation, using information from research, other schools, businesses and the real world to build a culture for improvement.

A new curriculum is being developed for settings and schools in Wales and will be used throughout the country from 2022.

The principles underpinning every Area of Learning and Experience (AoLE) in Carreg Hirfaen ensures that our curriculum is:-

• authentic: rooted in Welsh values and culture and aligned with an agreed set of stated purposes
• evidence-based: drawing on the best of existing practice within Wales and from elsewhere, and on sound research
• responsive: relevant to the needs of today (individual, local and national) but also equipping all young people with the knowledge, skills and dispositions for future challenges as lifelong learners
• inclusive: easily understood by all, encompassing an entitlement to high-quality education for every child and young person and taking account of their views in the context of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and those of parents, carers and wider society
• ambitious: embodying high expectations and setting no artificial limits on achievement and challenge for each individual child and young person
• empowering: developing competences which will allow young people to engage confidently with the challenges of their future lives
• unified: enabling continuity and flow with components which combine and build progressively
• engaging: encouraging enjoyment from learning and satisfaction in mastering challenging subject matter
• based on subsidiarity: commanding the confidence of all, while encouraging appropriate ownership and decision making by those closest to the teaching and learning process
• manageable: recognising the implications for and supported by appropriate assessment and accountability arrangements.
• rights-based: underpinned by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We believe that to get the best out of all our learners (and that includes staff) we have to offer rich and exciting experiences. As a school we are committed to developing a curriculum which engages, enthuses and inspires our pupils and staff. We encourage teachers to have the freedom to teach in ways they feel will have the best outcomes for their learners. 

All children have a voice here at Carreg Hirfaen and contribute to their curriculum. We ensure that they have ownership over their learning through class planning at the beginning of each term.

We study a whole school topic each term and have a strong emphasis on the acquisition and application of skills and knowledge through experiential and active learning.

Across all Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLEs), the application of numeracy, literacy and digital competency is robustly planned for.  Teachers are expected to plan and deliver learning objectives pitched appropriately to the needs of the learners.  

Lessons have success criteria (which also include numeracy, literacy and/or digital competency) to ensure the learners are aware of the particular skills they are looking to develop within that lesson. In addition to literacy, numeracy and digital competence, teachers plan for opportunities to address relationships and sexuality education in line with the new CfW.

Every whole school topic is launched at the beginning of each new term either through mystery trips, school based activities or use of visitors to ensure effective learner engagement from the first day of each term. We also celebrate the work achieved by our pupils through a celebration day at the end of each term. 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is at the heart of our school’s planning, policies, practice and ethos.

As a rights-respecting school we not only teach about children’s rights but also model rights and respect in all relationships.  Our belief in “restorative approaches” ensures that every child is listened to. 

There is a whole school approach to well-being enabling pupils to understand their own and others’ emotions.  This is in line with the Health and Well-Being AoLE, and is integrated throughout the school day, and through out the curriculum itself.