Primary education in Wales

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Primary education in Wales has a similar structure to primary education in England, but teaching of the Welsh language is compulsory and it is used as the medium of instruction in many schools. The introduction of the Foundation Phase for 3- to 7-year-olds is also creating increasing divergence between Wales and England.

Contents

Stages

In Wales, statutory education begins in the term after a child's fifth birthday, although many children start primary school earlier than this or their parents choose to home educate them.

Under the 2008 curriculum, between the ages of 3 and 11 a child's education was divided into two main stages:

Under the new curriculum, the key stages are replaced with "progression steps" with guidance of what level pupils are expected to reach at different ages. During the primary school years, these take place at age five, eight and eleven years old. [3]

Curriculum

Under the 2008 curriculum, schools were required to teach children in Key Stage 2 English, Welsh or Welsh as a second language, mathematics, science, design and technology, information and communication technology, history, geography, art and design, music and physical education. [2] The foundation phase did not use traditional subjects instead dividing the curriculum into seven "areas of learning";

The curriculum which is being formally introduced in primary schools in 2022 gives schools more freedom to decide what children are taught. [4] Instruction is grouped into six different areas;

The only specific subjects which all schools are obliged to teach are the English and Welsh languages along with;

Assessment

Primary school league tables were abolished in Wales in 2001; a Bristol University study indicated that this had caused a fall in standards in about 75% of schools. [7] Statutory testing for children finishing Key Stage 1 and 2 was introduced across England and Wales in 1989. [8] It was abolished in 2002 and 2005 respectively. [9] [10] Being replaced with teacher assessments with limited oversight. [8] In 2013, standardised testing was reintroduced for children in the later years of primary school in 2013. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Education in England is overseen by the United Kingdom's Department for Education. Local government authorities are responsible for implementing policy for public education and state-funded schools at a local level.

This article provides an overview of education in Wales from early childhood to university and adult skills. Largely state funded and free-at-the-point-of-use at a primary and secondary level, education is compulsory for children in Wales aged five to sixteen years old. It differs to some extent in structure and content to other parts of the United Kingdom, in the later case particularly in relation to the teaching of the Welsh language.

The education system in Northern Ireland differs from elsewhere in the United Kingdom, but is similar to the Republic of Ireland in sharing in the development of the national school system and serving a similar society with a relatively rural population. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education in the region, whereas the relevant date in England and Wales is 1 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numeracy</span> Ability to apply numerical concepts

Numeracy is the ability to understand, reason with, and to apply simple numerical concepts. The charity National Numeracy states: "Numeracy means understanding how mathematics is used in the real world and being able to apply it to make the best possible decisions...It’s as much about thinking and reasoning as about 'doing sums'". Basic numeracy skills consist of comprehending fundamental arithmetical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. For example, if one can understand simple mathematical equations such as 2 + 2 = 4, then one would be considered to possess at least basic numeric knowledge. Substantial aspects of numeracy also include number sense, operation sense, computation, measurement, geometry, probability and statistics. A numerically literate person can manage and respond to the mathematical demands of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preschool</span> Educational establishment offering early childhood education to children

A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school. It may be publicly or privately operated, and may be subsidized from public funds.

The National Curriculum for England was first introduced by the Education Reform Act 1988. At the time of its introduction the legislation applied to both England and Wales. However, education later became a devolved matter for the Welsh government. The National Curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject.

The National Curriculum assessment usually refers to the statutory assessments carried out in primary schools in England, colloquially known as standard assessment tasks (SATs). The assessments are made up of a combination of testing and teacher assessment judgements and are used in all government-funded primary schools in England to assess the attainment of pupils against the programmes of study of the National Curriculum at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 when most pupils are aged 7 and 11 respectively. Until 2008, assessments were also required at the end of Key Stage 3 (14-year-olds) in secondary schools after which they were scrapped.

Key Stage 3 is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14. In Northern Ireland the term also refers to the first three years of secondary education.

Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other examinations, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31.

The Welsh Baccalaureate, or Welsh Bacc, is an educational qualification delivered in secondary schools and colleges across Wales. The Welsh Government says that it gives broader experiences than traditional learning programmes, developing transferable skills useful for education and employment. The Welsh Bacc is offered at Advanced, National Foundation and National/Foundation level, and is studied alongside a range of academic and vocational qualifications.

Secondary education in Wales covers the period between the ages of 11 and 15 by 31 August. In this period a child's education is divided into two main stages of the National Curriculum: Key Stages 3 and 4.

Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when the pupils are aged between 7 and 11 years.

Key Stage 1 is the legal term for the two years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 1 and Year 2, when pupils are aged between 5 and 7. This Key Stage normally covers pupils during infant school, although in some cases this might form part of a first or primary school. It is also the label used for the third and fourth years of primary education in Northern Ireland. In Hong Kong, it is used to describe Primary One to Primary Three.

Foundation Stage is the British government label for the education of pupils aged 2 to 5 in England. In Northern Ireland, it is also used to refer to the first two years of compulsory education for pupils aged 4 to 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh-medium education</span> Education delivered in the Welsh language

Welsh-medium education is a form of education in Wales in which pupils are taught primarily through the medium of Welsh, with English being taught as the secondary language.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework for early years education in England, or, as stated on the UK government website: "The standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5". The term was defined in the British government's Childcare Act 2006. The equivalents in Wales and Scotland are the Foundation Phase and the Early Years Framework.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State-funded schools (England)</span> School in England which provides education to pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 without charge

English state-funded schools, commonly known as state schools, provide education to pupils between the ages of 3 and 18 without charge. Approximately 93% of English schoolchildren attend 20,000 or so such schools. Since 2008 about 75% have attained "academy status", which essentially gives them a higher budget per pupil from the Department for Education.

The National Curriculum was first introduced in Wales as part of the Education Reform Act 1988, alongside the equivalent curriculum for England. Following devolution in 1999, education became a matter for the Welsh Government. Consequently, some elements of the system began to differ from England. This article covers the curriculum as it existed from 2008 until the formal introduction of a new Curriculum for Wales between 2022 and 2026.

The National Curriculum of Northern Ireland identifies the minimum requirements of skills for each subject and the activities to develop and applied the skills.

The Curriculum for Wales is the curriculum which will be taught at all levels of state-funded education in Wales to pupils aged three to sixteen years by 2026. From September 2022 it is statutorily required in primary and nursery education. The curriculum has been developed based on a report commissioned in 2014. Amongst other changes, it gives schools greater autonomy over what they teach children. Views on the curriculum have been varied.

References

  1. 1 2 "Foundation Phase Framework (Revised 2015)" (PDF). 3 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Programme of Study for English (Key Stages 2–4)" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "Q&A: Draft school curriculum for Wales". BBC News. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Bethan (14 June 2022). "Wales schools: New lessons 'exciting but a challenge'". BBC News. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "A guide to the new Curriculum for Wales" (PDF). Education Wales. 14 February 2022.
  6. ↑ "School curriculum overhaul for Wales published". BBC News. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Do Sats really matter - and if so, to whom?". BBC News . 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 "School tests: who takes what". 6 May 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "School tests could be axed". 22 January 2004. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Tests end but concerns remain". 10 November 2004. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "New Wales reading and numeracy tests begin in schools". BBC News. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
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