National Network for Curriculum Implementation

Responding to AI in education: July 2024

What was this Conversation about?

This National Conversation in Summer 2024 focused on the opportunities, challenges, and implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for education in Wales.

The Conversation focused on:

• Providing a forum for practitioners across Wales to discuss and consider the implications of these tools in their own work and in the classroom.
• Opportunities and challenges presented by Generative AI tools.

This was done through:

• discussions with stakeholders like Qualifications Wales
• hearing from experts
• networking
• sharing experiences of AI in the classroom

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources, please register (Education Wales).

December 2023

This conversation was aimed at supporting practitioners in funded non maintained nursery settings with the assessment arrangements.

This National Conversation provided you with the opportunity to focus on identifying any challenges, strengths, and areas where additional support is needed whilst highlighting ‘next steps’ to facilitate curriculum and assessment realisation.

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources please register (Education Wales).

To access the resources for this National Conversation, please register onto the platform.

In person National Network conversation: spring 2024

These in person national conversations on the Curriculum for Wales were held in:

• South Wales on the 31 January 2024 at the Cardiff City Stadium
• North Wales on 6 February 2024 at Venue Cymru

The conversations focused on:

• Practitioners receiving the latest update on the 'Curriculum for Wales: continuing the journey' guidance and see what this means for their school or setting.
• They had the opportunity to contribute to the national conversation about 'Curriculum Design and Progression'.
• Share their thoughts on opportunities and challenges in the six areas of learning and experience, to help shape policy and practice to benefit all learners in Wales.
• Network with fellow practitioners from across Wales, and get their voices heard.

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources please register (Education Wales).

Curriculum and progression: November 2023

Continuing our journey of co construction, this National Conversation on Curriculum and Progression focused on supporting you as practitioners to reflect on your progress in creating a shared understanding of progression across the 3 to 16 continuum.

This National Conversation provided you with the opportunity to:

• learn how other practitioners are using recently published materials and resources including  'understanding curriculum in practice: Camau i’r Dyfodol' and 'Curriculum Design Pilot 2023' to generate meaningful conversations with colleagues
• evaluate how your schools and settings are developing the culture and environment that enables all learners to make progress
• chat with other practitioners from across Wales about the type of curriculum conversations that are supporting effective curriculum design and learner progress

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources please register (Education Wales).

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register onto the platform.

Curriculum and assessment design: June 2023

This National Conversation provided an opportunity to:

• share ideas on the type of curriculum conversations that are supporting effective curriculum and assessment design
• evaluate how schools and settings are developing the culture and environment conducive to effective curriculum and assessment design
• signpost to resources that can support leading curriculum conversations in your schools and settings that enable learner progression

Reflection on the curriculum and assessment design National Network conversation in spring 2023 is available:

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Curriculum and assessment design: March 2023

This National Conversation in Spring 2023 focused on supporting practitioners and school/setting leaders to reflect on their curriculum and assessment design processes.

This conversation provided an opportunity to:

• chat with other practitioners from across Wales about their experiences of curriculum and assessment design
• consider what the principles of assessment within Curriculum for Wales mean for your learners
• evaluate how your schools and settings are developing curriculum and assessment design processes along the 3 to 16 continuum
• identifying what is working well and support needed to overcome any challenges

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Curriculum and assessment design: November 2022

Building on the 2021 to 2022 Curriculum Design Conversations, this National Conversation provided practitioners and leaders in schools and settings with the opportunity to:

• assess the impact of the mandatory elements of the Curriculum for Wales

The Autumn convesation provided practitioners and leaders the opportunity to:

• assess the impact of the mandatory elements of the Curriculum for Wales so far
• evaluate what is working well in schools and settings and identifying any challenges
• evaluate how schools and settings are developing the conceptual understanding within the Statements of What Matters and how this is being developed along the 3 to 16 continuum in curriculum design
• identify what is working well and identifying support for the system to overcome any challenges

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

November and December 2024

What was this Conversation about?

This National Network Conversation focused on how the enabling learning guidance can support practitioners in planning, designing, and implementing a pedagogically appropriate curriculum for learners in primary education.

The Conversation focused on:

Providing a forum for practitioners in settings and schools and staff within local authorities who provide direct support across primary schools in Wales to discuss the importance of child development, the three enablers, role of the enabling adult, engaging experiences and effective environments and support for reading.

This was done through:

• presentations from guest speakers 
• facilitation and open discussion 
• gathering feedback via SLIDO
• presentations on effective practice from schools, settings, a special school and Cardiff Metropolitan University
• question and answer panel including representation from Welsh Government, Estyn and presenters of the effective practice

April 2024

What was this conversation about?

The conversation focused on supporting practitioners to reflect on how the Curriculum for Wales can support equity and inclusion, overcoming barriers that can impact learner progression, and ensuring that equity in education is a priority from age 3 to 16 and beyond.

In this context, equity and inclusion for all learners included (but was not limited to):

• children living in poverty
• learners with additional learning needs (ALN)
• neurodivergent learners
• more able and talented learners
• care-experienced children
• young carers
• children who experience discontinuity in their schooling
• children from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic backgrounds including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
• children with English as an additional language (EAL)
• disabled children

This was an online event.

Participants discussed the following questions:

1. What does equity and inclusion mean to you, your school/setting and what does it mean for your curriculum?
2. How are you ensuring that your curriculum meets the needs of all learners?
3. How confident are staff in your school/setting that their curriculum planning and design, and learning and teaching support inclusion and equity?

What did we learn?

Helpful resources: participants shared a range of guidance, case studies, and resources that they have found helpful in developing approaches and supporting equity and inclusion in the context of their schools and settings.

Collaboration: there was consensus that supporting transition is essential to provide an equitable and inclusive education, this includes at the start of education, transition from year to year, from primary to secondary education and onwards beyond age 16.

Family engagement: knowing and supporting families can make a real difference to children and young people in our schools and settings. Universal school meal provision has made it harder for primary schools to identify EfSM. Secondary schools have less frequent contact with pupils’ parents and carers.

Person centred planning: the approach to progression in the Curriculum for Wales, as well as the new ALN system, encourages schools and settings to start with the needs of the individual and support their ongoing progression in learning

Trauma informed practice: the emotional and psychological needs of children and young people must be prioritised if we want to remove barriers to learning. Sometimes this involves addressing multi-generational trauma that is the underlying cause of challenging behaviour. Learners need a safe and supportive environment to learn effectively.

Representation: learners need to see people like themselves and people from their communities in the curriculum, that includes representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Gypsy Roma Traveller communities, LGBTQ+ communities and Disabled people.

How will we take this learning forward?

Resources noted by participants have been shared via the Hwb network: Equity and Inclusion Tegwch a Chynwysoldeb.(to view this page you must first log in).

Case studies and a ‘directory of organisations’ from the in-person events that preceded the online conversation have been published on Hwb.

The Hwb network and conversation resources were promoted through Hwb news, in a post on the Education Wales blog and via social media channels.

Module 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Professional Learning is being developed. Modules 1 and 2 (which include information on the social model of disability) are available on Hwb.

Learning has been disseminated to associated policy areas across Welsh Government’s Education Directorate including:

• support for learners
• equity in education
• professional Learning
• pedagogy and Leadership

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources, please register (Education Wales).

Autumn 2022

The conversation on Expressive Arts identified:

• The views of practitioners on what worked and what proved difficult in its 3 statements of what matters in the curriculum, and in planning through cluster engagement.
• How we further support schools and settings to ensure that their learners make progress?
• What should be explored further to support schools to address issues in design and help their learners to explore and develop their skills?

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

February 2023

A National Network Conversation dedicated to leaders of FNMN settings was held on 2 February 2023.

This conversation concentrated on:

• hearing from other FNMN leaders about what is working well across Wales following curriculum roll-out in September 2022
• discussing some of the key challenges, sharing possible solutions, and to help inform future support
• identified and discussed the practices and resources practitioners are finding helpful with delivering the curriculum

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Report on the conversation

June 2022

Oracy and reading skills help learners make sense of the world around them. With this in mind, the conversation gave the practitioners the opportunity to:

• showcase how schools and settings are positively impacting standards in oracy and reading
• share practical tools which can help raise standards and discuss any barriers to support raising of standards

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Preparing for roll out: September 2021

In this conversation, practitioners worked together to discuss different approaches to the design and development of Curriculum for Wales.

So far they discussed how:

• to bring together what works
• to better understand the principles of good curriculum development
• to discuss what further support would be most useful to them in preparation for rollout

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Developing progression and supporting curriculum planning and design: May 2023

The conversation focused on:

• how schools may use progression steps to develop ideas of learner progression
• what schools and organisations can do to provide reassurance to parents, and wider stakeholders, that learners are progressing

This was done through:

• examining current experience and practice in schools and organisations
• collaboratively developing possible ways forward
• practically considering how these could be made part of practice

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources please register (Education Wales).

Developing progression and supporting curriculum planning and design: January 2023

The conversation focused on:

• how schools may use progression steps to develop ideas of learner progression
• what schools and organisations can do to provide reassurance to parents, and wider stakeholders, that learners are progressing

This was done through:

• examining current experience and practice in schools and organisations
• collaboratively developing possible ways forward
• practically considering how these could be made part of practice

Conversation resources

To access a recording of the conversation and the resources please register (Education Wales).

Turning thinking into practice, curriculum planning for progression: October 2022

The conversation was held to support practitioners to:

• critically appraise their current approaches to progression
• prompt new ways of thinking
• explore how thinking and using evidence can support your practice

This conversation introduced themes, ideas, and approaches to progression.

This session focused on:

• developing understanding of progression within the Curriculum for Wales
• building practitioners’ confidence in using the principles of progression, statements of what matters, progressions steps, and the purposes of assessment together in their curriculum planning and classroom practice

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Progression and assessment: May 2022

In this conversation, participants from across Wales shared their understanding of progression and how this can be effectively assessed.

The participants:

• shared understanding of where colleagues in all contexts are in their thinking and development work related to progression and assessment
• considered how the principles of progression can be used to support curriculum planning
• considered how learner progression along the curriculum continuum can be planned
• shared information on how assessment practice is being developed to support learner progression across the curriculum
• consider contextual factors which may impact on understanding and planning progression
• develop understanding of effective approaches to co-construction within and across schools or settings

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

October 2021

In this conversation, practitioners can discuss the challenges, and opportunities, in designing a curriculum with learning progression at the heart. Supported by expert input and other materials, practitioners can tackle key questions including:

• What is your understanding of progression in Curriculum for Wales?
• What’s different to how we have previously approached this?
• Where are you now in terms of developing progression in the new curriculum?
• What’s helpful in thinking about this, and what is not?
• Moving forward: what support might you need to increase your understanding and application of progression in the new curriculum?

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

Talk Pedagogy, Think Learning

Overview

In response to the National Network Conversations on Purpose, Pedagogy and Progression in summer 2024, we heard from schools and settings across Wales on exploring how Curriculum for Wales is helping us to think differently about learning and teaching with purpose. 

This National Conversation provided attendees with the opportunity to engage in professional learning conversations that help to ‘join the dots’ between guidance and practice in the classroom.

The conversation: 

• considered 4 key questions that support reflection on curriculum design
• explored the experience of active participation by learners
• explored a range of ‘shifts’ in teaching that support learners to develop and progress in different ways
• provided opportunities to discuss and reflect on the role of the practitioner across different learning experiences

In person National Network Conversations: summer 2024

Overview

In June and July 2024, we held our second in person National Network conversation in both North and South Wales. The conversation was developed in collaboration with key partners including regional consortia and partnerships, higher education institutes, the National Academy for Educational Leadership, the Arts Council of Wales and ESTYN.

The overall focus of the conversation was to explore how our early experiences of Curriculum for Wales are influencing our pedagogy to lead and plan for learning. The day focused on exploring the implications of Curriculum for Wales on our practice in enabling learning to support learner progression and development. It also allowed leaders to focus on further development of our schools as learning organisations. The importance of bringing professionals together to explore and discuss our journey to date was recognised and supported by Professor Graham Donaldson.

Video available on YouTube

Overarching feedback

• Feedback outlined that the conversation provided individuals with the time and space to reflect on their own pedagogy journey and that engagement with other practitioners supported their thinking further.
• Nearly all participants felt the facilitation and resources were stimulating and that the day as a whole supported them in planning the next steps at their school or setting.
• In relation to pedagogy, the importance of authentic and purposeful learning experiences, incorporating the use of approaches to creative thinking was re-enforced. During the course of the day the recognition of Curriculum for Wales requiring our thinking about pedagogy to be child-centred, holistic and inclusive was highlighted.

Key conclusions from the discussions

The inter-dependency and relationship between curriculum and pedagogy is recognised more than ever and bringing them together with an increased prominence on the pedagogy was seen as important moving forward.

The conversations, framed by guidance and experiences of Curriculum for Wales to date, led to recognition of important conclusions that underpin what we need to focus on. Whilst these conclusions are not necessarily new to the profession, the need to explore them more deeply within a purpose-driven curriculum at the level of designing learning experiences (supported with specific input and exemplification) came through strongly:

• A strong ‘why’:
  • The ‘why’ in the design of learning experiences came through very strongly and the question was raised ‘do we ask this enough?’.
  • Being purpose-driven at the level of curriculum design needs to be complimented with learning experiences being perceived by learners as purposeful and meaningful.
  • This is not to de-value the ‘what’ and the importance of a body of knowledge but the balance needs addressing as there has been a strong emphasis on content and ‘completion’.

• Holistic and child-centred:
  • Importantly, it is highlighted that child-centred does not mean the same as child-led and it is critical that there is consistency in our pedagogical understanding in relation to this.
  • This means that the planning of learning experiences relates strongly to the needs and interests of the ‘learners in front of you’ in a holistic way. This requires a coherent and consistent understanding of the four purposes and their under-pinning characteristics, skills and what matters. This goes ‘beyond just tests’ and standardised scores whilst recognising these play a part.
  • Specific aspects raised included:
    • attitudes to learning, including motivation, responsibility, resilience and independence
    • progress in skills development, including literacy, numeracy, skills integral to the four purposes and learner effectiveness
  • Prior learning and experiences coupled with learner voice and an understanding of life beyond school (community and home) are important in taking a child centred approach.
  • In relation to pedagogical thinking, the planning of learning experiences need to be approached from the perspective of the development of the learner and the progress we want them to make. Authentic, real-life based learning experiences support learners in seeing learning as purposeful and relevant.

• What does this mean for how we think about pedagogy and teaching?:
  • A key role of the teacher is as the enabling adult and facilitator of learning to support the progress of the ‘learners in front of you’. This involves observing, listening, questioning, inspiring and collaborating with learners as well as planning where we model thinking and the process of learning.
  • To achieve this, staff need to work together and discuss learners and their progress to achieve an holistic knowledge of learners coupled with a consistent understanding of ‘how learners learn’.
  • The pedagogical stance is seen to be one of being responsive and flexible in order to adapt to the needs and progress of learners. This requires the appropriate use of modelling and direct approaches at individual, small group or class level to promote learner progress.
  • An integral part of the planning for learning experiences (in the classroom or out of the classroom) needs to be the provision of an enabling, inclusive environment. The environment needs to develop a sense of belonging through communication and strong relationships. It also needs to be planned and resourced to enable problem solving, creativity and risk-taking as well as opportunities to consolidate, deepen and apply knowledge and skills.
  • The need for professional learning and support with professional dialogue, specific input, exemplification and enquiry was strongly emphasised.

• Is it impacting on learning and progress?:
  • To reflect on impact within the context of the previous three themes, it is recognised that there needs to be a shift of mind-set and culture across different organisations there needs to be a shared understanding and consistency of expectations.
  • A culture of truth and honesty supported by trust within a non-threatening, non-competitive environment will improve agency and ownership around exploring impact. This culture needs to be about recognising progress and celebrating success as well as identifying needs and development priorities. A culture of ‘doing together’ as opposed to ‘being done to’.
  • A key reflection in relation to recognising the need to understand learners was that more importantly it is ‘what we do with’ the findings or data once we have it.
  • Coherent and consistent expectations across the learning continuum are important in understanding progression and cluster work and school to school working builds this.
  • Prioritising time and reimagining processes to allow staff to ‘step back’ to look at and understand learning and progress together over time is important. Staff conversations and active enquiry resulting from collaborative observations and work scrutiny focused on learning develop a shared understanding of learners and promote reflections of provision (pedagogy). Re-focus meeting time (eg. line management meetings) to observe, reflect and discuss learning and progress together.
  • To achieve this we need to invest in collective and collaborative leadership at all levels.

Next steps

As part of the overarching feedback received, there were indications as to what is needed to further support schools and the wider system in the continuing journey of Curriculum for Wales. These will be discussed and used by Welsh Government and collaborators to formulate further activity in the coming year:

• Further opportunities to ‘review the questions (and key themes) in more detail would be beneficial to provide greater understanding and clarification’.
• Requirement for ‘further ideas or specific input’ with accompanying ‘training for practitioners’ (PL) and ‘more robust examples’ to help move thinking and practice forward. This needs to include opportunities to work together on purpose, curriculum, pedagogy and progression and ‘to see how all elements are inter-woven’.
• Opportunities on a smaller, more local basis to provide time to talk, think and support on-going reflection.
• Provide opportunities to meet the needs of other stakeholders and to ensure collaborative learning across different stakeholders.

Conversation resources

You can access the summary report outlining key findings, recordings and resources to help you at school.

March 2022

Conversation purpose

• Bring practitioners together to share their views on how qualifications for learners aged 14 to 16 can be re-imagined to support the new Curriculum for Wales.
• Develop and progress the conversation around how qualifications can align to the Curriculum for Wales framework and support school curricula.
• Identify opportunities to more effectively consider learner wellbeing and better recognise learner experiences within qualifications.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and change within future qualifications in terms of content, assessment and reporting of outcomes, including more effective use of digital technology.
• Identify further work or research that should be undertaken to inform the design, delivery and assessment of future qualifications.
• To input into the process of co-construction of GCSEs and other made-for-Wales qualifications and findings will be relayed to the groups tasked with developing proposals at a subject level for their consideration.

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

November 2021

This conversation focused on what resources and materials to support curriculum design, learning and teaching should look like in the new context of the Curriculum for Wales.

The conversation tackled questions such as:

• how do you think your needs for resources and supporting materials will change as a result of Curriculum for Wales?
• what resources have you used that have been helpful? Why?
• looking forward, how could resources support you to design your own curriculum?

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).

April 2022

Conversation purpose

• Highlight existing good practice for the teaching of Welsh and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic histories.
• Consider the challenges and importance of embedding Welsh, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic experiences and contributions in history and across the curriculum.
• Examine why belonging and identity is pivotal to learners to understand how they have contributed to Wales’ rich history; and by making connections between local, national and international histories and communities.

Conversation resources

To access the resources for this National Conversation please register (Education Wales).