Creating a strategic direction for school improvement
By Rachel Morris
Section A
Develop an ‘Area of Learning’ (AoLE) from the New Curriculum (Donaldson, 2015). 

In order to complete this element of the assignment, the researcher will outline the new curriculum as identified in review completed by Professor Graham Donaldson ‘Successful Futures’ (Donaldson, 2015), the rationale behind the new curriculum and analyse the ‘Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience’ (AoLE) using the Draft Curriculum for Wales 2022 (April 2019).

In March 2014 Donaldson was asked by the Welsh Government to conduct a review of the Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales throughout the education system from Foundation Phase through to Key Stage 4.The Welsh Government wanted to create a new curriculum that would fit the needs of children and young people in Wales, building on the good practice already taken place. Donaldson and his review team held meetings with teachers, headteachers, school managers, staff and professionals. They visited around 60 schools across Wales including: nursery schools, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and other settings such as pupil referral units. The team talked to all stakeholders such as the children, parents and carers, local businesses and community groups. In addition they looked at Estyn Reports, Welsh Government policies and other reports. 

During this review Donaldson was informed of many positive things happening within the current Welsh education system such as: the introduction of the Foundation phase, The LNF, Routes for learning, the Welsh Baccalaureate and commitment to the Welsh language and bilingualism. However dialogue from teachers, informed the review that they would like more power to make decisions about how and what to teach within the curriculum. In addition the current assessments did little to support children’s learning. Children informed Donaldson and his review team that the current curriculum was already technogically and digitally out-of-date. In addition children wanted increased focus on a variety of skills such as those required in life, at work, a curriculum that developed personal confidence and supported health and well-being whereby lessons were fun, interesting and not just to ensure that they passed assessments or gained qualifications. In conclusion to the review, Donaldson wrote the Successful Futures: Independent Review of Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements in Wales by Professor Graham Donaldson CB (2015) which outlines the new curriculum for Wales 2022. 

Donaldson suggests that the curriculum should have four purposes and that these should be central to all teaching and learning in Wales. The four purpose would mean all children and young people will be:
•	Ambitious, capable learners who are ready to learn throughout their lives.
•	Ethical informed citizens who are ready to citizens of Wales and the World.
•	Enterprising, creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work.
•	Healthy, confident individuals who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
In the report Donaldson suggests there should be six ‘Areas of Learning and Experience’ (AoLE) and each of these (AolE) will contribute to the ‘four purposes’ in many different ways from the age of 3 through to 16.  The six ‘Areas of Learning and Experience will be;
•	Expressive Arts
•	Health and Well-being
•	Humanities
•	Languages, Literacy and Communication
•	Mathematics and Numeracy
•	Science and Technology
The development of the six AoLE ensure a broad educational experience and will include opportunities to develop ‘wider skills’ such as; critical thinking, planning and organising, creativity and innovation and personal effectiveness. The reports also suggests that ‘literacy, numeracy and digital competence should be the responsibility of all teachers and they should be developed and strengthened across the whole curriculum.’ (Donaldson) 2015
The 2022 Curriculum would be divided into phases rather than key stages so that it will be a continuous learning experience, building on learning and experiences progressively as children mature and grow. These stages will be ‘Progression Steps’ which include a range of ‘Achievement Outcomes.’ The Progression Steps would be set out at 5 points through the curriculum at the ages of 5, 8, 11, 14 and 16. Children will progress through these steps on a personal route and different rates. These ‘Progression Steps’ will be identified in each of the ‘Areas of Learning and Experience’ and will be worded from the child’s view point using ‘I have …and I can …’ for experiences and outcomes respectively. 
Welsh in the curriculum will have greater focus on children’s ability to speak the language confidently and with understanding in everyday situations with everyone learning Welsh up to the age of 16 in order to increase its role in the workplace.

The new curriculum will require teachers’ professional skill and judgement to select an appropriate teaching method. Donaldson suggests teaching and learning that focuses on;
•	The purposes of the curriculum
•	Challenging children and young people to be the best they can be
•	Giving opportunities for problem solving, creativity and critical thinking 
•	Setting tasks and resources that build on knowledge and skills
•	Creating real-life opportunities for learning
•	Encouraging children to responsibility for their learning.
Assessment within the new curriculum should be a simpler procedure with emphasis being placed on assessment to support learning and children being involved in assessment in order to encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. The assessments taking place should reflect the curriculum and Donaldson recommends the Welsh Government develop an assessment and evaluation framework.

The 2022 New Curriculum will have implications for all the stakeholders especially teachers and school leaders. Schools will be heavily involved in shaping the curriculum to suit the needs of their school and community which is also interesting and challenging, as well as those goals and aspirations on a national level. Professional development and training will be vital to ensure the curriculum can be implemented and delivered. Training will be required in such areas as Welsh, health and well-being and digital competency. Schools will need to ensure opportunities are given to parents and carers to engage in their child’s learning.

The Health and Well-being AoLE is described in the Draft Curriculum for Wales 2022 (Welsh Government) 2019 as being ‘about the physical, psychological, emotional and social aspects of our lives.’ Health and well-being is recognised as being an enabler of successful learning. ******** Humanist/Maslow Theory
The AoLE aims to develop children’s ability to maintain their physical health and well-being, mental health and emotional well-being and develop positive relationships with others. In addition learners will develop the ability to make decisions about their health and have an awareness of social influences which may impact on values and behaviours. 
This AoLE will support the ‘four purposes’ Donaldson (2015). In terms of the ‘four purposes’ children will:
•	Become ‘ambitious, capable learners’ through the development of social and team-working skills provided through physical activity opportunities, as well as supporting their decision-making and development of values and identity.
•	Develop as ‘enterprising, creative contributors’ with the opportunities challenging emotions and relationships.
•	Become ‘’ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the World’ having been given opportunities to make positive choices and how these choices affect their own and others’ health and well-being and engaging with others different social situations.
•	Develop the skills to become ‘healthy, confident individuals’ by learning about healthy diet, physical activity and substance misuse, as well as learning resilience, self-regulation and how to seek support in order to develop safe and healthy relationships.

The Health and Well-being AoLE is divided into five ‘What Matters’ statements;
1.	Developing physical health and well-being has lifelong benefits.
2.	How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being.
3.	Healthy relationships are fundamental to our sense of belonging and well-being.
4.	Our decision-making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others.
5.	How we engage with different social influences shapes who we are and our health and well-being.
These five ‘What Matters’ statements are to be used in collaboration to ensure a holistic approach when planning learning and teaching in health and well-being. Learning about an issue should draw from as many of the ‘What matters’ statements as possible.
Developing physical health and well-being has lifelong benefits helps children to understand the factors that affect our physical health and well-being and enable them to care for and respect themselves and others. The statement contributes towards the development of self-worth and an attitude to lead a physical and healthy lifestyle, as well as recognising the link between physical development and cognitive development.

How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being focuses on how mental health and emotional well-being influences our thoughts, feelings and behaviour, as well as how they are feeling during different experiences. Such experiences will enable children to develop self-awareness, empathy and the ability to adapt behaviour and actions according to the situation they find themselves in.

Our decision-making impacts on the quality of our lives and the lives of others helps children to understand that their decisions and actions have an impact on the health and well-being of others and society. Children will be supported to consider the choices they make and develop an understanding that their decisions can have consequences for them as well as others. This statement also develops an awareness of the importance of contributing to a collective decision, as well as being able to set goals and plan the actions needed to achieve them.

How we engage with different social influences shapes who we are and our health and well-being helps with the understanding of the importance of social influences on behaviour. It enables children to understand how their decisions, relationships and experiences are shapes by social influences and enable them to make positive choices.

Healthy relationships are fundamental to our sense of belonging and well-being deals with the need to develop healthy relationships in order to maintain a healthy body and mind. Healthy relationships enable sense of belonging, inclusion and maintain good mental health. It covers the development of skills and attitudes that allow the creation of a healthy relationship and when to seek guidance in order to maintain health and well-being.
Historically, Wales’ curriculum along with others in the United Kingdom followed the thinking of the time including, the subject centred ‘National Curriculum’ in 1988. Children were ‘exposed to nationally specified knowledge and skills, establishing common educational aims from across Wales, which facilitated mobility between stages and schools; delivering a broad and balanced education for all and allowed the  performance of schools to be assessed and compared’ Donaldson (2015) p8. However the 1988 National Curriculum did not reflect the changing world that we live in, including the development and expansion of the World Wide Web and the rapid advances in technology which have altered the way the world lives, learns and works. In 2008 the Welsh Government introduced a revised ‘National Curriculum for Wales’. This new curriculum would include provision for the Foundation Phase for 3-7 year olds in the form of a ‘Framework for Children’s Learning’ which would consist of areas of learning and desirable outcomes. In order to address the ever changing technological world and develop excellent literacy, numeracy and thinking skills a ‘Non-statutory Skills framework for 3-19 year olds (Welsh Assembly Government, 2008) was implemented alongside the 2008 curriculum in order to weave these skills through the different subjects. However following a review in 2011 and 2012 of Key Stages 2 and 3 the ‘Non- statutory Skills framework was not deemed effective and would be replaced by the ‘National Literacy and Numeracy Framework’ (Welsh Assembly Government 2013