Ysgol Evan James Curriculum Summary
Our school's vision was created over the course of a year in consultation with our stakeholders. Through staff meetings, impact meetings with the school governors and parent questionnaires, we worked collaboratively to formulate a vision for our school. Our pupils' voice, wishes and aspirations are central to our vision. Our vision was shared at a special evening for parents and governors in June 2022 and subsequently on our website. The school is grateful to all stakeholders for supporting all pupils both in and out of the school. We understand that we work as a partnership and this will ensure success for all pupils. We do not work in isolation and remember our school motto:
“Gyda’n gilydd, gallwn...”
Our vision and our community's input
Our curriculum enables us to realise our vision.
Curriculum design:
In curriculum design all school staff have benefited from professional learning since the launch of Successful Futures.
The development of knowledge and understanding of the curriculum has been given due attention in our School Improvement Plan from the very beginning. INSET days have been planned to develop work on the Four Purposes and all Areas of Learning and Experience.
We draw on the expertise of staff internally and have also invited numerous experts to the school to help us design a broad and balanced curriculum.
The context of the school and the community we serve informs the experiences we want our pupils to have. We celebrate the talents and qualities of all pupils and do our utmost to meet their needs. We do all this with the Four Purposes central to learning.
Teachers have worked with staff from the cluster schools to support each other in planning our curriculum, ensuring progress along the 3-16 continuum. This work will continue and evolve as we reflect on successes and challenges that will arise over the next year.
We will continue to involve all learners in discussions at the beginning and end of learning themes, giving our learners an opportunity to be at the heart of our planning.
The school collaborates and consults with a range of providers from the local and wider community to ensure that it provides unique and enriching experiences for learners relating to Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) and Careers Education and Work-related Experiences (CWRE).
Here at Ysgol Evan James we celebrate all pupils and understand that they are all unique. As a result, our school curriculum is a suitable for all learners and will enable them to develop as learners, and realise the Four Purposes. What kind of learners do we want to nurture? As a school we will facilitate their development as individuals. We remember the school's vision :
“Teulu hapus a chroesawgar sy’n annog Cymru Cymraeg balch”
Our curriculum considers and responds to the unique opportunities and challenges that present themselves to individuals and groups of learners in our school. Our school curriculum is broad and balanced and includes learning opportunities within and across all of the Areas of Learning and Experience. It encompasses the concepts in all of the statements of what matters and provides appropriate progression in accord with the principles of progression. It also aligns to the mandatory requirements of teaching English, Welsh and Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE). The mandatory elements of Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) and the cross-curricular skills of literacy, numeracy and digital competence are embedded throughout the curriculum.
The Four Purposes
We believe progression and assessment are key to ensuring that we achieve our school's vision. Our assessment arrangements are informed by these principles of progression. We use a range of evidence-based assessment strategies to enable each individual learner to make progress at an appropriate pace.
We ensure our processes identify learners who require further support or challenge and provide rich qualitative information for us to inform next steps in learning for individuals and groups of learners. Our assessment arrangements ensure active engagement between learners and teachers and are based on ongoing reflection on where a learner is, what their next steps are and what is required to support them in achieving these.
Progress and assessment
Our school curriculum will be kept under review to ensure that it meets the needs of our learners and reflects our school's vision. Throughout the year there will be a range of self-evaluation activities to inform our understanding of the effectiveness of our curriculum and the required review. 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 common understanding of progression and to ensure a high quality 3-11 continuum of learning for all.
Review