The Colcot Curriculum

Have a look at what we have been doing!

A school’s curriculum is everything a learner experiences in pursuit of the four purposes (see below). It is not simply what we teach, but how we teach and crucially, why we teach it. Curriculum development is at the heart of Colcot Primary School and we seek to raise standards for all, tackle the attainment gap, and ensure an education system that is a source of national pride and confidence.

In September 2022 the new Curriculum for Wales will be statutory. We as a school have been working extremely hard to develop our own curriculum to meet the needs of our learners. As a school we have developed our teaching and learning in lots of exciting ways. We are now using inquiry based learning focusing on authentic learning that allows our learners to explore, discuss, and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships in contexts that involve real-world problems and projects that are relevant to the learner. We have identified that it is essential for our learners to have opportunities to gain knowledge and skills of the world around them, particularly focusing on 'Cynefin' (understanding our Welsh heritage).


We have developed our termly inquiries to give the learners a real purpose for their learning. Each term we are focusing on different Areas of Learning to ensure that our pupils have a wide breadth and depth of knowledge and skills as they embark on their education journey through our school and into the wider world of work. 

Autumn Term - Expressive Arts

Spring Term - Humanities

Summer Term - Science and Technology

Mini Enquiries -  Maths Enterprise, Literacy Inquiry and Computation for our Digital World. 

Health and Wellbeing will run throughout each inquiry over the course of the academic year.

As a school we have identified the importance of outdoor learning in our curriculum. Therefore we have planned for lots of opportunities for our pupils to engage with the curriculum outdoors in various locations around our community. For example we have used Porthkerry and Barry Island to enhance the learning and to allow our learners to apply their skills and knowledge in real life contexts. 

An integral part of preparing for the new curriculum is engaging with parents and informing them – or reminding them – about the changes to come.

Whilst all schools will have subtly different interpretations of the curriculum to reflect their approach and local circumstances, the fundamentals will all be the same. Here are some useful materials which explain those fundamentals.

In the Summer term a new monthly newsletter, from the Welsh Government, will be available to schools for sharing with parents to inform them about the new curriculum.

Key Elements of the New Curriculum

Four Purposes

The four purposes of the curriculum are the shared vision and aspiration for every child and young person. They guide and direct everything we do at Colcot Primary School. 

The four purposes are at the heart of our new curriculum. They are the starting point for all decisions on the content and experiences developed as part of the curriculum to support our children and young people to become:

  • Ambitious, capable learners ready to learn throughout their lives

  • Enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work

  • Ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world

  • Healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

Areas of Learning

The curriculum will be organised into 6 Areas of Learning and Experience:

  • Expressive arts

  • Health and well-being

  • Humanities (including RE which should remain compulsory to age 16)

  • Languages, literacy and communication (including Welsh, which should remain compulsory to age 16, and modern foreign languages)

  • Mathematics and numeracy

  • Science and technology (including computer science).

Relationships and Sexuality Education

Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is a statutory requirement in the Curriculum for Wales framework and is mandatory for all learners from ages 3 to 16.

RSE has a positive and empowering role in learners' education and plays a vital role in supporting them to realise the four purposes as part of a whole-school approach. Helping learners to form and maintain a range of relationships, all based on mutual trust and respect, is the foundation of RSE. These relationships are critical to the development of emotional well-being, resilience and empathy. An understanding of sexuality with an emphasis on rights, health, equality and equity empowers learners to understand themselves, take responsibility for their own decisions and behaviours, and form relationships that are fully inclusive, reflecting diversity and promoting respect.

As a mandatory requirement of our Curriculum for Wales we shall be using the RSE Code which we have attached for you to have a look at what we shall be teaching the children in the different phases of their education.

RSE CODE AND PHASES (2).xlsx RSE CODE AND PHASES (2).xlsx
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Click on the picture below for more information about the new Curriculum:

Our learners have a voice!

At Colcot Primary School we understand the importance of of learners' voices! We have a whole-school commitment to listening to the views, wishes and experiences of all children and young people. Therefore we use Pupil Voice to help guide our learning, to engage learners and to give our learners responsibility for their learning.

Please take time to speak to your children about their learning and help them to identify areas that interest them which could link with our inquiry work. If you have any ideas that you would like to share then please let us know.

Have a look at some of our examples of Pupil Voice:

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