Our Vision at Caerleon: Maximising Potential
At Caerleon Comprehensive School our vision is to "Maximise Potential," ensuring that every learner achieves their very best academically, socially, and emotionally. As part of our commitment to this vision, our curriculum is designed in line with the principles of the Curriculum for Wales to provide a broad, balanced, and inclusive education that prepares all students for life in a changing world.
From September 2024, our year 7, 8 and 9 students will be following the new Curriculum. This curriculum is designed to put literacy, numeracy and digital competence at the heart of the system.
Improving education is the Nation's national mission.
Curriculum for Wales: Four Purposes
The Curriculum for Wales is built around four core purposes, which are at the heart of our teaching and learning. We aim for all our learners to become:
Ambitious, capable learners – who are ready to learn throughout their lives.
Enterprising, creative contributors – who can contribute fully to life and work
Ethical, informed citizens – who can engage with the challenges of the world around them
Healthy, confident individuals – who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society
These four purposes are the shared vision and aspiration for every student
‘Key Stages’ will disappear and replaced with a seamless curriculum for children aged 3-16, providing more joined-up learning. Traditional subjects will still be taught but they will be grouped into six ‘Areas of Learning Experience’ (AoLEs)
Expressive Arts - Involves art, music, drama, and dance to foster creativity, expression, and communication. We encourage students to explore their talents through various performance opportunities and artistic projects.
Health and Well-being - Focuses on the physical, emotional, and social well-being of students. We promote healthy lifestyles, positive relationships, and personal growth through physical education and wellbeing sessions
Humanities - Includes history, geography, religious education, and business studies. Students explore the world, past and present, and their role as global citizens, developing critical thinking and inquiry skills.
Languages, Literacy, and Communication - Covers English, Welsh, and other modern languages. We aim to develop confident communicators who can use language effectively in a range of contexts, both creatively and analytically.
Mathematics and Numeracy - Develops critical thinking, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills through mathematics. Our curriculum focuses on applying numeracy skills in practical, real-world scenarios to equip students for future challenges.
Science and Technology - Encourages inquiry and curiosity in biology, chemistry, physics, and digital literacy. We support students in developing technical skills and scientific understanding through experiments, coding, and innovation projects.
Cross-Curricular Responsibilities
The development of three cross-curricular responsibilities is embedded throughout all Areas of Learning and Experience:
Literacy: Developing strong reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
Numeracy: Ensuring students can apply mathematical skills across contexts.
Digital Competence: Equipping learners with the ability to use technology responsibly, creatively, and critically.
Collaboration with our cluster primary schools
We have been working with our cluster schools in developing curriculum provision and have a vision for our new curriculum.
Our curriculum:
- Builds a child-centered, professional-led, inclusive learning pathway that reflects our community
- Develops creativity, resilience and independence in learners through meaningful and engaging learning experiences
- Has high learning aspirations to maximise the potential of all our learners
- Has trust in cluster colleagues and is committed to the seamless transition between schools
There are 27 statements of ‘what matters’ across the six areas of learning experience and these are used to construct the curriculum for our learners.
Inclusive and Diverse Learning Environment
At Caerleon Comprehensive, we celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity. Our curriculum reflects the diverse culture and history of Wales and the wider world, ensuring that all students see themselves reflected in their learning.
We also offer support for learners with additional learning needs, ensuring that they receive the necessary interventions to maximise their potential.
Welsh Language and Culture
As a school in Wales, we take pride in fostering a love for the Welsh language and culture. Welsh is taught as a core subject, and we promote the use of Welsh in everyday school life, in keeping with our commitment to the Cymraeg 2050vision of increasing the number of Welsh speakers.
Developing Skills for Life and Work
Our curriculum is designed not only to impart knowledge but to equip students with essential life skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, resilience, and adaptability. We aim to prepare our learners for future employment, further education, and the challenges of life in an ever-changing world.
Assessment and Reporting at Caerleon Comprehehsive
Assessment is a crucial part of teaching and learning and students are assessed in many different ways. Assessment can be informal and part of a lesson, with students assessed by teachers in an ongoing manner. Assessment can be formal and could take the format of a test or an exam that students are asked to complete (either with prior revision or as an unseen paper). Teachers consistently assess students as part of their lessons and use this information to help them plan future lessons and learning opportunities. Three times a year, assessment information is input by teaching staff and is sent home to parents/carers. Before the data is sent home, we have a series of checks in place to ensure its accuracy.
Reporting
The assessment information collated by teachers is sent home three times a year to parents/carers. For those in Y7-Y9 you will be receiving a new report three times a year which will tell you how well your child is doing in every Area of Learning and Experience. Most importantly, you will be able to see what they need to do to improve. You will also be able to see a vital Attitude to Learning score. This will help you to know whether your child is maximising their potential in relation to their learning. We send home detailed explanations of your child’s report to help parents/carers understand the information sent to them.
For those in Y10–13, reports are again sent home three times a year, but it is only the final report of the year (in term three) that contains more detailed subject-based comments. The other two reports, sent in terms one and two, contain their projected grades, targets and Attitude to Learning Scores. The predicted grade is what teachers think they will achieve if they continue working in their current manner. This could be higher or lower than the target grade.
Targets for all of our students are generated using a range of information. We try to ensure the right balance between target grades as realistic but also aspirational. Target grades are reviewed at the start of every school year.
Parents’ Evenings
Each year group has a parents’ evening, where parents/carers are invited to discuss their child’s progress with their teacher.
Review
We will be reviewing our Curriculum for Wales provision in line with the school’s monitoring, evaluation and review (MER) cycle and will involve all appropriate stakeholders.
For reference please see the following links:
‘Wales’ new curriculum and assessment arrangements 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W07-nZhisHI
A new curriculum for Wales has arrived: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCMLnc8lMxE