The School Curriculum and Assessment Arrangements Anne Whipp

ACCAC’s remit Consolidated and fully-evidenced advice to the Minister by April 2004 Assembly Government Policy: -Learning Country including and Foundation phases -Iaith Pawb - EO, social inclusion and sustainable development

Current Position Curriculum 2000 (KS1-3 and post-16) New GCSEs 2001 (first exams 2003) PSE 5-16 from 2003 and WRE from 2004 Learning Pathways action plan Foundation Phase 3 to 7 action plan (forthcoming) Iaith Pawb and related publications

Fundamental Questions What should our schools teach their students and why? How do we place a greater focus on learners and learning? What should be learnt and how? What should be assessed, how and why? What support is needed to implement a revised curriculum and its assessment arrangements?

ACCAC’s current evidence base Independent survey Subject monitoring Research on progression KS3 to 4 HMCI reports Statistics on pupil performance

Further work 4 projects on Welsh and WSL Evaluation of CEG framework Consultation with young people 4 conferences –KS4 –Curriculum 5-14 including thinking skills –Assessment for learning 5-16 –Assessment for monitoring and reporting 5-14

Ways forward No pre-conceived ‘solutions’ Views of teachers and others involved in education are a very significant strand of evidence Unique opportunity to improve curriculum and assessment in Wales