"Learning, Laughing and Achieving Together"

Our curriculum at Pen y fro is underpinned by our strategic aims and values for the pupils that attend our school. Our vision statement permeates all our work and we believe that every member of the school community is a learner - pupils, staff, governors, parents and carers. 

Together we develop as a learning organisation, using information from research, other schools, businesses and the real world to build a culture for improvement.

Curriculum design is an ongoing process of continuing improvement. At Pen y fro Primary School, we recognise that we have both mandatory and statutory duties.

The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 puts mandatory duties on schools - duties they are legally required to do. Schools must also have due regard to statutory guidance when carrying out their duties.

Please click below for further information on Mandatory Duties and Statutory Guidance

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is at the heart of our school's planning, policies, practice and ethos. As a rights respecting school we promote knowledge and understanding of the UNCRC throughout our curriculum and throughout school life at Pen y fro.

Our curriculum has been planned and implemented with careful consideration, to ensure it is effective and secures appropriate progression for all pupils at Pen y fro. When planning and implementing our curriculum we aim to ensure that it is suitable for each learner's age, ability and aptitude and takes into account the additional learning needs of pupils. We aim to ensure that our curriculum secures broad and balanced learning and teaching for each pupil and that it encompasses the mandatory curriculum elements of English, Welsh, the cross curricular skills of literacy, numeracy and digital competence, Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Religious Values and Ethics (RVE).

Our curriculum is designed to enable every learner in our school to aspire to the four purposes. 

Our curriculum is designed to support the development of integral skills across our school.

Our curriculum is designed to encompass the six Areas of Learning and Experience and the concepts set out in the statements of what matters in the "Statement of What Matters Code".

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that across all Areas of Learning and Experience, the application of numeracy, literacy and digital competency are planned for, supported and developed. In addition to this, teachers plan opportunities for the development of Welsh, RSE and RVE.   

Relationships and Sexuality Education is appropriately and progressively taught using an agreed Local Authority and cluster plan. This is part of the "Health and Wellbeing" Area of Learning and Experience.

Our curriculum planning is organised using a topic based approach wherever possible.

Each Progression Step follows a termly broad topic that focuses on particular Areas of Learning and Experience. The termly plans allow for a currently relevant and authentic topic to replace the planned topic where appropriate eg. the "Our School, Our Village, Our World" topic to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our school.  The topics provide the framework for learning in a thematic and holistic way and encompass a rich variety of learning activities and experiences. All year groups are involved in the planning of their own topics, in an age appropriate way,  at the start of term, informed by what they already know and what they would like to learn about their new topic. Teachers plan and implement learning objectives appropriate to the pupils' needs within the topics. Trips and visitors are organised to ensure that topics provide authentic, real life contexts and learning experiences.

Our curriculum is designed and planned to ensure progression.

Our curriculum planning is designed to secure progression. We have worked closely with our partner schools in the North Gower Partnership to develop concept maps for each Area of Learning and Experience. This ensures that all learners receive equity of learning and experiences while at primary school and enables Gowerton Comprehensive school to plan learning that will secure further progress. At Pen y fro Primary School we know that all pupils bring with them their own skills, knowledge and experiences. Our curriculum provides the learning and teaching experiences and opportunities to develop these skills and knowledge as described in the statements of what matters.

Within our school we use a range of assessment approaches to assess a pupil's progress and inform the teaching and learning processes.  Continuous formative assessment is used to advance learning and provide appropriate support for pupils. "Assessment  for Learning" techniques are embedded in classroom practice which enables staff to facilitate immediate prrogress.

Assessment arrangements include :-

• On-entry baseline assessment
• Specific Screening Assessments
• Day to day formative assessment
• Feedback for Learning policy and procedures
• National Personalised Assessments
• Pupil Progress Reviews

Our curriculum is supported and enriched by a whole school and partnership Mentally Healthy Schools model.  

The Mentally Healthy Schools model ensures there is a whole school and partnership approach to well-being, enabling a consistent approach to supporting pupils to understand their own emotions and those of others. This is in line with the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience and is integrated throughout the curriculum and throughout all aspects of school life.