How Teachers in Wales are Building a New, Better Curriculum
The Welsh dragon is stirring in education and teachers are enthused by the growing momentum for change in their country…
- by Mick Waters
Schools in Wales are in interesting times. The whole system is focused on how to make it better for children. Teachers are involved in what is being called ‘co-construction’ with government to build a better future.
About five years ago, Professor Graham Donaldson produced a report to government about how the curriculum needed to change to create ‘successful futures’.
Since then, teachers from just under 200 ‘curriculum pioneer schools’ across the country have worked together to build the new curriculum framework.
It is to be a forward-looking curriculum, set around four purposes for learners: healthy and confident individuals, enterprising and creative contributors, ethical and informed citizens, ambitious and capable learners.
The framing of the new curriculum means real consideration of pedagogy.
Teachers are working to 12 pedagogic principles, trying to move towards an authentic set of experiences for learners, building on their natural learning instincts, giving them practice in the skills they will need for the future and seeing teaching in different lights, depending upon the learner’s circumstances.
Considerable development is taking place to recognise and support children’s additional learning needs and there is a multi-agency approach to children who have adverse childhood experiences.
Of course, new curriculum and pedagogy means teachers have to rethink.
In order to try to ensure the best teachers possible work with the children of Wales, the approach to Initial Teacher Education is being reconsidered, with universities having to put their course forward for revalidation, with a focus on better balance between in-school placement and research-driven study.
At the same time, new professional standards for teaching and leadership have been introduced. These have been developed by teachers, for teachers.
The emphasis is on teachers being the best they can be, rather than on meeting minimum expectations to prove they are doing a satisfactory job.
The standards offer five descriptors to help each teacher explore their effectiveness.
First, there is ‘pedagogy’ which is paramount, ‘collaboration’ which helps it to spread, ‘innovation’ which moves it forward, ‘professional learning’ which takes it deeper and ‘leadership’ which helps it to grow.
The recognition that teachers aspire to be the best they can has led to a concentrated effort being put into developing avenues for professional learning which puts each teacher in charge of their own development.
Leadership is being supported with a newly formed National Academy for Educational Leadership which, while initially focusing on school leaders, will seek to influence leadership at every point in the profession.
Teachers across Wales are enthused by the growing momentum for educational change. It accords with their core purpose; for most it resonates with their reason for coming into teaching.
For some, however, there is a nagging doubt. Is the government serious? Hanging over all of the excitement sits the cloud of accountability.
While teachers recognise its importance, in Wales, as in many nations, accountability has been the wolf at the door for too long.
Recognising this, the government has recently announced that publication of test results should cease and recommendations for significant changes to the inspection process are intended to see experienced inspectors working alongside teachers to develop the new learning agenda.
No stone is being left unturned. All those agencies that support schools have recognised that they need to do more to work together and avoid the risk of overwhelming teachers with help and advice.
Moves to increase the learning of the Welsh language are being developed to help and support teachers alongside learners; digital competence is being nurtured rather than ‘expected’.
A very recent report on teacher pay and conditions puts considerable emphasis on workload and proposes significant change to current performance management arrangements.
Teachers are seen as the linchpin for a better school system; teaching is a valued profession.
Of course, while these changes are for the better, they are not an easy option.
They do, though, appeal to the professionalism of teachers and to the sense of integrity and value within which educators want to work.
Teachers are rising to the challenge; offering their ideas, being taken seriously, having an influence. They’re also enjoying the process because they know that the benefits will be there for children to enjoy in the future.
All of this work comes together under the banner of ‘Our national mission’. The Welsh dragon is stirring in education, breathing fire into the hearts of teachers.
Mick Waters is professor of education at Wolverhampton University.
