Curriculum
Curriculum Statement 2024/25
At Bedwas High School we are committed to ensuring that all our pupils are able to develop the knowledge, skills and experiences that will prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and life beyond school. The curriculum is not just about the subjects that are offered, and the lessons and extra-curricular activities that our learners attend; it includes our approaches to teaching and learning and assessment; the quality of relationships within our school, and the values embodied in our daily lives – which includes ‘Caring and Achieving’.
From September 2023, we have delivered the Curriculum for Wales (2022) to all learners in Year 7 and Year 8. From September 2024, this has been extended to include year 9. This has meant a change of approach within school, whereby the 3-year GCSE provision has been reduced to two years. This is in line with other providers nationally.
Learners in Years 10 and 11 will follow their GCSE curriculum, and learners in Years 12 and 13 will continue to study their A Levels.
Our aim is to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, accessible to all our learners, that develops the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that will support them in becoming ambitious and capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives; healthy and confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as members of society; ethical and informed citizens of Wales and the World; and, enterprising and creative individuals, ready to play a full part in life and work.
The ‘Curriculum for Wales’ Reform.
We have developed our curriculum in collaboration with our learners, practitioners, parents and carers and the wider community. We have sought advice and feedback and we have listened to the views of our learners in deciding what to include. We will continue to engage with all our stakeholders as we develop our approach to the Curriculum for Wales.
Our curriculum is organised under 8 Faculty areas that cover all 6 Areas of Learning Experience:
Maths, Business and Information Technology (Maths and Numeracy)
English (Literacy, Languages and Communication)
Science (Science and Technology)
Expressive Arts
Health and Wellbeing
Humanities
Languages (Literacy, Languages and Communication)
Technology (Science and Technology)
These areas are responsible for ensuring that every learner is supported to realise the four purposes of being:
- Ambitious and capable
- Healthy and confident
- Ethical and informed
- Enterprising and creative
Progression is at the heart of the Curriculum for Wales and has guided us in designing our curriculum and assessment within it. The interrelationship between the curriculum, assessment and pedagogy is key to supporting our learners to make meaningful progress in their learning. We have paid due regard to the principles of progression in designing our curriculum, ensuring that learners are able to progress from whatever stage of their development they are at. We are working closely with our cluster schools to ensure that we have a shared understanding of what progression is for our learners and to ensure that the curriculum, from ages 3 to 16, is best meeting the needs of all our learners.
Religious, Values and Ethics, and Relationships and Sexuality Education, and the three cross-curricular responsibilities of literacy, numeracy and digital competence, must be embedded, in the areas of learning and experience as appropriate.
As a school, we welcome the opportunities that the Curriculum for Wales can offer us to develop a curriculum that prepares our learners for the world beyond Bedwas High School. Our focus is not only upon developing our pupils’ knowledge and understanding, but now more so, teaching and developing the skills necessary for them to be successful in a society and economy undergoing exponential change. We will continue to review the curriculum and assessment regularly, and make the necessary modifications to implement any changes with the guidance of all our stakeholders and partners. We will continue to share with you how the curriculum evolves. The responsibility for curriculum design is Mr Gareth Williams (Assistant Headteacher) who is supported by Mr Mark Powell (Curriculum Development).
Further information that we signpost to parents and carers are:
https://hwb.gov.wales/api/storage/4e66c555-73aa-44ee-93e5-1e612906f1d2/220208-parents-carers.pdf
https://hwb.gov.wales/api/storage/e4dcdb2e-f87f-4f00-b110-488289cc02ca/220209-easy-read.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCMLnc8lMxE
Currently, all Year 9 pupils will consider option choices for the new and refined GCSE and vocational subjects next Spring. Information and specifications relating to these qualifications will be released to schools during this academic year in preparation for first teaching from September 2025. The school has planned training and professional learning opportunities that will allow staff to be fully equipped for their commencement next year. (The launch of several subjects, including the new Science qualifications, have been delayed until September 2026.)
GCSE and A-level – All pupils in Years 10 and 11 study core subjects as well as statutory courses such as Welsh and Religious Education. As well as this, pupils study the options they chose for GCSE/vocational courses. Students are required to take 4 A-levels at A-level, with the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification or Financial Maths being the ‘fourth’ choice for many students.
Consortium transport runs between the three comprehensive schools in the ‘Caerphilly Basin’ (Bedwas High, St Cenydd and St Martin’s), which allows for a wider curriculum offer. This partnership is called the ‘Caerphilly Basin Partnership’.
