‘A SCHOOL’S CURRICULUM IS EVERYTHING A LEARNER EXPERIENCES IN PURSUIT OF THE FOUR PURPOSES. IT IS NOT SIMPLY WHAT WE TEACH, BUT HOW WE TEACH AND CRUCIALLY, WHY WE TEACH IT.’

(CfW Guidance)

Our school vision was devised in consultation with stakeholders

The school held INSET days and meetings to create a final version of the vision. Our school vision was launched in line with the trial year of Curriculum for Wales in Through meetings with stakeholders, a fina3l draft was created. This was shared for feedback with the school community. Many responses were received and considered. Our school vision was launched in 2021 and underpins all areas of school life. Our curriculum enables us to realise our vision.
As part of curriculum design, our school leaders and teachers undertook reading and research and attended professional learning on curriculum.
Our whole staff team agreed key features of our school context, pupils and community to inform the approaches and experiences best suited for the needs of all learners at our school and considering the four purposes.

 

Through surveys, all governors, staff, parents and pupils were asked to consider what all pupils should know and be able to do, and which values they should develop during their time at the school.
All staff worked together to identify the required changes to our current cultures, provision and practices.
Teachers have worked with staff from the cluster schools to support one another in planning our curriculum, ensuring progression along the 3-16 continuum.
All learners engage in discussions, providing them with a voice in what and how they learn.
The school regularly shares information with parents/careers on the curriculum and ways they can support their child within and outside of the school environment.
The school collaborates and consults with a range of providers from the local and wider community on providing learners with distinct and enriching experiences including related to religion, values and ethics (RVE) and careers and work-related experiences (CWRE).

RATIONALE: WHY WE TEACH IT

Prestatyn High School provides a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based. The curriculum includes timetabled activities and extracurricular experiences and activities which promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of all its students and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life – so that they are ‘ready to thrive in the wider world’.
Aims: Why we teach it
The aim of our curriculum is to support all of our students to become:
  • 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; and
  • healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

HOW WE DESIGN OUR CURRICULUM

The Governing Body endorses the fundamental principles which must be applied to the curriculum. In this context the curriculum must have the following qualities:
‘Freedom of choice should be underpinned by robust, evidence-based process of curriculum design, where the aim is always to help learners to realise the four purposes.’ (CfW Guidance).
Our Approach
In Prestatyn High School, we have taken a disciplinary approach to planning and delivering Curriculum for Wales. We have taken this approach for several reasons:
  • We believe this approach helps prepare learners for options and exams, and then for further education.
  • We believe in the benefit of having subject specialists teaching our learners, in order for them to master skills and understanding.
  • We believe keeping the subject specialisms will help learners to realise the connections between different areas of learning.
  • We believe this approach best supports the principles of progression.

We will:

Cater for the needs of individual children from all ethnic and social groups, including those with Additional Learning Needs

Facilitate children's acquisition of knowledge, skills and experiences which will help them to progress.

HOW WE DESIGN OUR CURRICULUM

The Governing Body endorses the fundamental principles which must be applied to the curriculum. In this context the curriculum must have the following qualities:
‘Freedom of choice should be underpinned by robust, evidence-based process of curriculum design, where the aim is always to help learners to realise the four purposes.’ (CfW Guidance)

Our Approach

In Prestatyn High School, we have taken a disciplinary approach to planning and delivering Curriculum for Wales. We have taken this approach for several reasons:
  • We believe this approach helps prepare learners for options and exams, and then for further education.
  • We believe in the benefit of having subject specialists teaching our learners, in order for them to master skills and understanding.
  • We believe keeping the subject specialisms will help learners to realise the connections between different areas of learning.
  • We believe this approach best supports the principles of progression.
Our school curriculum is suitable for all learners and will enable them to realise the four purposes. It takes account of, 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 accordance with the Principles of Progression. It also aligns to the mandatory requirements of teaching Welsh, English 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.

Areas of Learning and Experience

All subjects are divided into Areas of Learning and Experience s which work collaboratively at covering the What matters statements, and make progress along the descriptions of learning.
Expressive Arts: Drama, Music and Dance
Languages, Literacy and Communication: English, Welsh MFL
Science and Technology: Science, ICT, Design Technology
Mathematics and Numeracy:  Maths
Humanities: History, Geography, RS
Health and Wellbeing: PE, PSE and Food Technology

MANDATORY CROSS-CURRICULAR SKILLS

The curriculum enables learners to develop competence and capability in literacy, numeracy and digital competence and, where there are opportunities, to extend and apply them across all Areas. The development of these skills is the responsibility of all practitioners.
It is the belief of the Governing Body that these are opportunities to develop these skills are meaningful and developed through authentic connections.
Students are given opportunities across the curriculum to:
  • develop listening, reading, speaking and writing skills;
  • be able to use numbers and solve problems in real-life situations; and
  • be confident users of a range of technologies to help them function and communicate effectively and make sense of the world.

Approaching Learner Progression and Assessment

We believe progression and assessment is fundamental to ensuring we achieve our school vision.  Our school curriculum is underpinned by the mandatory principles of progression which describe what it means for learners to progress and the capacities and behaviours our staff will seek to support, regardless of a learner’s stage of development. Our assessment arrangements are informed by these principles of progression. We use a variety of evidence to inform assessment, as well as 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 intelligence 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 is based on ongoing reflection on where a learner is, what their next steps are and what is required to support them in achieving these.
At present, we use the following progress indicators:
At the start of every unit of work / Learning Plan, learners will see a Progression Table in their exercise book or booklet. It helps them to see how they are going to develop their skills and knowledge.

THE WELSH DIMENSION AND CWRICWLWM CYMREIG

In planning the curriculum, the school provides a distinctive Welsh dimension, and Cwricwlwm Cymreig underpins the whole curriculum for all learners, helping learners to understand the distinctive quality of living and learning in Wales, enabling them to develop and apply knowledge and understanding of the cultural, economic, environmental, historical and linguistic characteristics of Wales.
We are currently working towards our Cymraeg Campus accreditation, where, as a school, we fully embrace the Welsh language and culture.

Relationships and Sexuality Education in our Curriculum

Throughout our Social Responsibility curriculum, and pastoral curriculum, learners at Prestatyn High School need to develop the understanding and behaviours that will support them to develop and maintain healthy, safe and fulfilling relationships throughout their lives. Parents are no longer able to withdraw their children from RSE lessons, so it is vital that communication with learners, parents and carers takes place. Learners need to be supported to recognise and value different types of relationships, including families and friendships, as well as the diversity within different types of relationships, including LGBTQ+ diversity, and that these can change over time. The statutory requirements of RSE are not only taught within Social Responsibility and pastoral sessions, but also across the curriculum in other subjects, ranging from Science to Humanities. RSE is vital to ensure that our learners are equipped with skills for life and become informed in matters of how to stay safe. The use of outside agencies is imperative with the delivery of sensitive topics and agencies such as Brook, NHS and Hafan Cymru, who assist in the delivery of key topics.
In order to ensure that the delivery of RSE is valuable and targeted within Prestatyn High School, we have used a number of surveys to aid our understanding of the learners needs e.g. PASS, SHRN, and our own student voice surveys.

Religion, Values and Ethics in our Curriculum

RVE is a statutory requirement in the Curriculum for Wales for all learners from age 3 to 16. The right to withdraw from parents has changed with the new curriculum and all learners must engage with the context. In order to ensure transparency learning plans and schemes of work will be shared on our website. The RVE guidance is statutory and published under section 71 of the Curriculum and Assessment Act and as a school we work closely with the local SACRE. Religion, Values and Ethics ensures that learners understand the world around them and is specific to our local context. The curriculum is reviewed regularly to ensure learners become ethically informed citizens.

Reviewing and Evaluating our Curriculum

Our school curriculum will be kept under review to ensure that it is meeting the needs of our learners and our school vision. Throughout the year, there will be a variety of self-evaluation activities to inform our understanding of the effectiveness of our curriculum and the required revision. We will work within our school, across the cluster, and in partnership with governors and all external agencies to further develop a shared understanding of progression and to ensure a high-quality 3-16 continuum of learning for all.
In line with this, departments have been using a range of quality assurance practices to ensure that the delivery of the new curriculum is aiding progress. Departments have been using student voice meetings, student and parent voice surveys, staff surveys and professional dialogue meetings. These have allowed departments to improve their practices and engage with student voice to develop. We are constantly evaluating and refining our practices.