Inspire, Aspire, Make a Difference
Be Honest
Be Kind
Be Happy
Be Healthy
Be Creative
Be Curious
Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn
Curriculum Rationale
Our Vision & Values
Learning together at Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn to motivate and inspire our pupils to be the best they can be and to live happily and be confident in an ever changing world!
We listened to learners, parents, staff, governors and our local community. These 10 key words occurred most frequently when discussing our vision.
Inclusive, Family, Inspire, Ambition, Community, Nurture, Happy, Safe,
Supportive and Encouraging.
Be Ready
Be Safe
Be Respectful
Ffordd Dyffryn Four Purpose Squad
Exciting Opportunities
Learners will have a strong voice to influence their learning. Teachers will consider the needs, views and stages of learners and design exciting, challenging and progressive experiences across all AoLEs.
Learning Outdoors
Learning experiences will develop and embed the four purposes. The curriculum will provide authentic and fun learning experiences within our local community always encouraging pupils to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Classroom Climate
Learners will influence the design of their learning environment. They will have opportunities to work in ways that enhance their learning and also to present their work in their own unique personal way.
Digital Learning
Pupil led Enquiry
Play and Explore
Growth Mindset
Active Learning
Problem Solving
Learning for Sustainability
Caban y Mor - Beach School
Community Involvement
Ffordd Dyffryn
Learners celebrate the Welsh language, culture and heritage throughout their work.
Learners supporting each other to be confident and resilient, embracing challenge and persevering to achieve their goals.
Developing skills for learning, life and work.
Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn - Designing our Curriculum
Phase 1: Principles and Purpose – Determining the intent of our curriculum
We began by establishing the curriculum principles that reflect Ffordd Dyffryn’s values, context, pedagogical approaches and needs. We discussed and defined our curriculum principles, vision and intentions with all stakeholders.
Phase 2: Entitlement and Enhancement – Developing our learner offer
After clarifying our principles and purpose, we set out our learner offer. We considered our Ffordd Dyffryn non negotiables and how we intend to broaden our curriculum with educational visits, extracurricular activities and other curriculum enhancement experiences. We considered what learners will experience as they move through school and thought of ways to capture this.
Phase 3: Breadth and Balance – Determining the content of our curriculum
We use the descriptions of learning to collate a broad range of experiences, knowledge and skills. They are explored through a range of contexts, topics and activities selected in the process of curriculum design. We also make links across Areas as appropriate. We also support learners to engage with descriptions of learning in increasing depth and sophistication over a period of time. We assist learners to apply the descriptions of learning in increasingly challenging contexts and allow for diversion, reinforcement and reflection as their understanding and application of the key learning develops and becomes more sophisticated over time, provoking deep thinking, discussion and inquiry.
Phase 4: Pedagogy – Planning the delivery of our curriculum
We have sought to develop a strong vision of learning and teaching which considers the ‘why’- our curriculum rationale, the ‘what’- our curriculum design as well as the ‘how’- our curriculum planning. Our vision will recognise the integral role of the learning environment in supporting effective learning.
Phase 5: Progression and Assessment – Planning for Progression
Learner progression along a continuum of learning from ages 3 to 16 is central to Curriculum for Wales. We will utilise various assessment strategies which will enable each individual learner to make progress at an appropriate pace, ensuring they are supported and challenged accordingly.
Phase 6: Review and Evaluate – Decide what works well and what areas need development
Now that we have established our Ffordd Dyffryn curriculum an important step is to regularly review its impact on teaching and learning, making any adaptations or changes you need to improve it further. We will consider further professional learning opportunities for staff e.g. further developing the knowledge and understanding of AoLE team leaders, opportunities to work with HEI on teacher action research.
Phase 1: Principles and Purpose
Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn – Our Vision and Values
Learning together at Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn to motivate and inspire our pupils to be the best they can be and to live happily and be confident in an ever changing world!
We listened to learners, parents, staff, governors and our local community. These 10 key words occurred most frequently when discussing our vision.
Inclusive, Family, Inspire, Ambition, Community, Nurture, Happy, Safe, Supportive, Encouraging.
Our Vision and Values
Our Values | Our Behaviours |
Be Honest | Everyone at our school is unique – our learners and families, staff and stakeholders. We will be honest and open in our work and respect the views and feelings of everyone. |
Be Kind | Our school community promotes a caring and nurturing environment, as we treat each other with respect. |
Be Happy | We support every individual learner’s well-being needs to ensure they enjoy their learning every day. |
Be Creative | Our learners are encouraged and empowered to be creative, innovative and entrepreneurial. |
Be Curious | Learners are supported to influence their own learning as we facilitate and encourage a thought provoking and challenging learning environment. |
Be Healthy | We will be active and fully involved in the life of our community and we will encourage our learners to build their mental and emotional well-being by developing confidence, resilience and empathy. |
Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn is located in the heart of the beautiful seaside town of Llandudno. We can walk across the road to the beach, and we are a stone’s throw away from the Great Orme. Each class incorporates walks in our local environment as an essential part of our curriculum. We want to be able to give our pupils opportunities and experiences above and beyond their expectations. We want to help our pupils realise that there is a world of opportunities available to them.Â
Our educational philosophy has inclusion at its core. Our school provides a stimulating and happy environment in which children are encouraged to become independent learners. All children are valued as individuals and are provided with a broad and balanced education in order that they become mature, responsible and happy learners, who contribute to the culture and ethos of the school and the wider community.
Phase 1: Principles and Purpose
Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn – Context
Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn is a primary school in the heart of Llandudno in the county of Conwy. We provide education for approximately 200 learners from three to eleven years old, we offer nursery provision during the afternoon sessions. There is an on-site morning playgroup, Seren Superstars and wrap around care is offered for all our learners.
The three-year average for pupils eligible for free school meals is around 44%. We have identified about 23% of pupils as having additional learning needs.Â
We have a specialist on-site Foundation Phase Resource Base for learners from across the LA with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and a specialist KS2 Resource Base for learners across the LA on the autism spectrum.
At Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn we teach predominantly through the medium of English but with significant use of the Welsh language. The home language of nearly all pupils is English.
Learners celebrate the Welsh language, culture and heritage throughout their work. We ensure we incorporate the principles of the Siarter Iaith into all aspects of our curriculum. During their time in KS2, learners have opportunities to attend residential trips to Cardiff, Glanllyn and Nant Bwlch yr Haearn.
Outdoor Learning is a central part of our Ffordd Dyffryn ethos. We endeavour to give our learners opportunities to develop their skills through experiences within their local environment.
Phase 2 - Entitlement and Enhancement
What do we mean by ‘Curriculum’?
Over the next seven years, I will be at Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn more than anywhere else... What will I learn?
What do we mean by 'Curriculum'?
A curriculum should be considered at the ‘heart’ of any school. Our curriculum is a joined up way of thinking to realise our vision to ensure our learners are ambitious, enterprising, ethical and healthy citizens.Â
Our curriculum is broad and balanced and suitable for learners of different ages, abilities and aptitudes. It provides for appropriate progression for learners and includes a range of provision to ensure this.
So what should we teach and why? How should we teach it? How will this help us to realise the four purposes?
Why do we teach it?
To provide high quality teaching experiences, which excite and motivate children in the classroom and beyond.
How do we teach?
Teachers will be the facilitators of learning. Considering the needs, views and stages of learners they will design fun, challenging and progressive experiences. Learners will have opportunities to influence their learning. Teaching staff as the experts will coach the learning in an appropriate direction considering the views and ideas of learners.
Learners will influence the design of their learning environment. They will have opportunities to work in ways that enhance their learning and also to present their work in their own unique personal way.
Our Ffordd Dyffryn Curriculum contains the 6 Areas of Learning and Experience, it encompasses the Statements of What Matters and reflects the Principles of Progression. It includes the required curriculum elements and embeds the mandatory cross-curricular skills and the integral skills which underpin the four purposes of the curriculum.
Our Ffordd Dyffryn curriculum embeds the mandatory cross-curricular skills and the integral skills which underpin the four purposes of the curriculum.
Literacy, numeracy and digital competence skills are essential in enabling learners to realise the four purposes. These three mandatory cross-curricular skills are embedded and developed across all areas of learning and experience, to enable learners to access the whole curriculum and to use them in the future.
Our learners are given opportunities across the curriculum to:
Phase 2 - Entitlement and Enhancement
Curricular Responsibilities
While designing our Ffordd Dyffryn curriculum we have included the five cross-cutting themes. We have considered the statutory elements within the CfW framework:
When planning at Ffordd Dyffryn we want to ensure our learners are given high-quality, rich, broad and balanced learning experiences. We also plan to ensure that our provision and teaching develops the integral skills, which are essential to achieve the four purposes.
At Ffordd Dyffryn we carefully consider the mandatory elements of the curriculum when planning.
We detail our intention of these elements within our policies.
Phase 2: Entitlement and Enhancement
Our Ffordd Dyffryn ‘Non Negotiables’
At Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn we aim to enrich and broaden our curriculum through experiential learning opportunities within our locality and further afield. Our learners are entitled to a variety of non-negotiables that enhances their personal development.
which ensures every child has access to an intervention whether it’s ELSA for
    nurture support, a session with Dyffi, our School Well-being dog, BUZZ group
for our MAT learners or one of many others we offer.
It empowers children and adults to build resilience, creative confidence, and
social-emotional skills through engagement with the 10 Principles of Creativity.
Phase 3: Breadth and Balance
AoLEs - Statements of What Matters
We have collated a broad range of experiences, knowledge and skills that are explored through a range of contexts, topics and activities selected in the process of curriculum design. We have AoLE Teams who have collaborated to design one-page AoLE policies and to unpack the 27 Statements of What Matters to make links across all Areas of Learning and Experience as appropriate.Â
We support learners to engage in their learning with increasing depth and sophistication over a period of time. We assist learners to apply their learning in increasingly challenging contexts and allow for diversion, reinforcement and reflection as their understanding and application of the key learning develops and becomes more refined over time, provoking deep thinking, discussion and inquiry.
Phase 4: Pedagogy
Planning the delivery of our curriculum
At Ffordd Dyffryn we provide our learners with discipline specific knowledge and skills by directly teaching them, at the start of each day in the mastery of languages and mathematics in age and stage related classes and groups. For the rest of the day learners choose and pursue a termly ‘Big Question’
The Power of Pupil Voice
Learners play a central part in the planning of the termly ‘Big Questions’.
EPIC – Everyone Planning in Class sessions are held fortnightly to ensure learners are involved in the enhanced planning for the Learning Zones.
Learning Zones
All classrooms have six Learning Zones: Maths Zone, Language Zone, Discovery Zone, Happy Zone, Digital Zone & Creative Zone. We have adopted a Foundation Phase approach across the school where Big Question sessions involve a focus task group with the teacher while other learners are exploring challenges within the Learning Zones to enhance their learning while developing their independent skills. Learners present their work in their own unique personal way using their Inquiry journals.
Phase 4: Pedagogy
Inclusiveness
ALN
As a school we ensure the needs are met of all learners through high quality teaching and learning provision. Our Universal Provision includes: whole class teaching, effective differentiation, collaborative group work, individual and small group interventions, appropriate and reasonable adjustments to enable access to the school environment, curriculum and facilities.
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During their time at Ffordd Dyffryn, most learners will make expected progress in their learning from their starting points. If a child is not progressing, we will gather observations, use assessment data and seek to work in collaboration with outside agencies / professionals to identify any additional learning needs. Â
Inclusiveness
We pride ourselves on the inclusiveness at Ffordd Dyffryn.
‘This school cares passionately about the wellbeing of all pupils, and the inclusive nature of the school permeates all aspects of its work.’ Estyn
Our school will continue to develop strong relationships with our families and community.
Our Autism Ambassadors play an important role out in the community, working with local businesses to create awareness and understanding of autism
Health & Well-being
Health & Well-being of all is a focus and a high priority across everything we do at Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn. All learners have well-being journals and reflection time along with outdoor learning opportunities to enhance their learning. Growth mindset is an important key element of our curriculum. We promote a Pivotal approach to positive behaviour management and we use KiVa as a successful anti-bullying programme.
MASH (Monthly Advice, Support & Help) sessions are offered to parents.
Phase 5: Progression and Assessment
Steps of Progression
We have appointed a Leader of Learning for each ‘Phase’.
Explorers Adventurers Innovators
→ Progression Step 1 Progression Step 1→2 Progression Step 2→3
Nursery & Reception Years 1, 2 & 3 Years 4, 5 & 6
Leaders of Learning are responsible for supporting Curriculum Design within their phase including ensuring appropriate coverage of the AoLEs and appropriate continuity and progression within their phase.
Leaders of Learning work with the SLT to contribute to the ‘bigger picture’, ensuring continuity and progression throughout the whole school.
Our learners are at the centre of the transition process. We support all learners along the learning continuum, as they move between different groups, different classes, different years and different settings. We ensure that the well-being of all learners is an important and integral part of our processes, recognising the needs of individuals, while also supporting both continuity and progression in their learning. The understanding of each individual learner gained from our assessment strategies is crucial in supporting this process.
Our role in the transition along the 3 to 16 continuum
Phase 5: Progression and Assessment
Assessment
Learner progression along a continuum of learning from ages 3 to 16 is central to Curriculum for Wales. We will utilise various assessment strategies, which will enable each individual learner to make progress at an appropriate pace, ensuring they are supported and challenged accordingly. Initially we will be using Taith 360 as an assessment and tracking tool.
We utilise various assessment strategies as an overarching purpose within the curriculum to support every learner to make progress.
In addition to this, assessment is a fundamental role in ensuring each individual learner is supported and challenged accordingly and we use the strategies to contribute to developing a holistic picture of the learner – their strengths, the ways in which they learn, and their areas for development – in order to inform next steps in learning and teaching.
Our assessments support individual learner progression on an ongoing, day-to-day basis (AfL); identifying, capturing and reflecting on individual learner progress over time; and understanding group progress in order to reflect on practice.
We also assess and monitor each learner’s well-being (PASS) and cognitive development (CAT4). These assessments are used to formulate an accurate snapshot which provide attainment, progress and well-being targets.
We communicate effectively with parents/carers on an ongoing basis to foster positive relationships in order to engage them in purposeful and meaningful dialogue. When undertaken well, this can help aid learner progression by helping parents/carers to understand how they can support learning within and outside the school environment.
We have developed and implemented processes which support effective two-way communication and engagement with parents/carers. When developing these processes, consideration has been given to using a wide variety of different communication means, e.g. face-to-face, digital through SeeSaw and email.
Information on any support, interventions or additional needs required for the learner’s development is shared with parents and carers.
Communicating and engaging with parents/carers