Designing an engaging and relevant curriculum is a complicated process that needs to be carefully thought through and involves strategic decision making at all levels. It is essential that LPS designs, adopts and implements a curriculum which fulfils the curriculum requirements set out in Welsh Government legislation and provide the learning it defines.  When embarking on this journey towards creating our new curriculum, we decided that there were vital components to consider:

Values & Principles

• Our curriculum principles must reflect our LPS vision, mission, values and context.

• Our curriculum must enable our learners to realise the four purposes and equip them for ongoing learning, work and life.

• Our curriculum must elicit our repertoire of agreed and successful teaching strategies and leaning principles.

• It is essential that our curriculum offers high expectations for all learners to experience challenge and success. 

Engagement & Relevance

• Our curriculum must be rigorous, engaging and relevant in design.

• Our curriculum needs to be cognitively demanding and challenging for all leaners as they apply Cross-curricular and Integral Skills to real world, complex and open-ended situations.

• Curriculum content must be interesting and relevant for our learners, involving intellectual challenges rich in Cross-cutting Themes.

• Subject and discussion matter must be relevant and reflect local, national and international contexts.

• Provide opportunities for learners to engage with learning experiences that broaden opportunities and horizons; providing enriched memorable experiences that directly relate to the real world and consolidate learning.

Content & Experiences (Broad, balanced and deepening)

• Our curriculum must offer broad and balanced learning, which enables all learners to make links between the different areas of learning and experience and apply their learning to new situations and to more complex issues.

• Our curriculum must provide an educational journey of deepening content, progressive skill application within a plethora of challenging scenarios and interconnecting concepts across all areas of learning.

• Our curriculum will offer learning provocation that will fire self-directed and self-determined learning for all.

• Our curriculum will provide all learners with the opportunity to discuss matters that have shaped and will effect Llangyfelach, Swansea, Wales and the World, ensuring that they become informed citizens of the 21st Century.

• Our curriculum will enhance our learners’ knowledge of their mind, health and well-being, instilling a clear understanding of their rights, while respecting the rights of others.

Co-Construction, Review & Refine

• Our curriculum content requires the need to consult with members of our community and wider; speaking to experts, specialist and professionals who will provide relevance, knowledge, specific detail and skills to the development of our learning projects. 

• Our LPS Matrix approach, which begins after the initial hook at the start of each project, provides self-determined and self-directed learning for all.  Pupils are able to generate questions, interests, choices and direction for the learning.

• The whole school community will regularly review, amend and adapt our curriculum in order to refine and improve teaching, learning, engagement and relevance. 

• Our Pupil Voice Groups (PVGs), Area of Learning Leaders and linked Governors will steer evaluative activities throughout the year and during our LPS Review Weeks.

• This will inform whole school decision making with regard to curriculum content, resourcing, areas for improvement and identification of specific Professional Development.

• AoLE Leaders and PVGs review all Learning Projects within the new LPS Curriculum ensuring that there is continuity, progression and deepening within the following areas:

  • Statements of What Matter

  • Opportunities to develop Cross-curricular Skills (LNF & DCF)

  • Consideration of Integral Skills (Wider Skills)

  • Incorporate opportunities for learning and consideration of Cross-cutting Themes.

• The AoLE and Curriculum areas within our website effectively communicates our provision and developments regarding the new curriculum.

• AoLE and PVGs provide all staff with relevant information and training to refine Learning Projects and improve provision for all.

LPS Learning Projects

• Our curriculum is made up of engaging, rich and relevant Learning Projects that ensures:

  • continuity and progression of skill application, and deepening of specific knowledge and values, that supports learners to realise the four purposes.

  • provision of increasingly sophisticated understanding and application of the Statements of What Matter, which provide the basis for learners' progression.
  • provide further depth and breadth through awareness and application of the Descriptions of Learning across all Areas of Learning over time.
  • application and sophistication of Cross-curricular and Integral Skills.
  • developing their entrepreneurial skills through our Enterprise Projects. 

  • consideration of Cross-cutting elements, which allow learners to:

    • consider local, national and international contexts, 

    • develop understanding of real world experiences,

    • develop understanding of human rights education and diversity.

  • motivation of learners to self-direct their enquiry driven learning using our LPS Matrix approach.

  • the identification and selection of effective strategies or approaches throughout the learning process using our LPS Personal Learning Journey.