Curriculum for Wales
The curriculum at Cardiff West CHS is designed to cater to the diverse needs of all pupi, offering a comprehensive range of experiences. We acknowledge that each pupil is an individual, and their engagement with the curriculum may vary. Our curriculum is continuously evolving and provides opportunities for pupils to actively participate and lead their own learning. It fosters meaningful learning experiences, promoting self-reflection, empathy, and an understanding of one's role within the local community and the wider world.
The Cardiff West CHS curriculum encourages students to ask their own questions, fostering the development of knowledge and skills through a variety of learning experiences. Our dedicated staff listen attentively to our pupils, ensuring that their thoughts, perspectives, and needs shape their learning journey.
Through collaboration with pupils, parents, staff, and governors, we have identified specific needs that our curriculum places increased emphasis on:
• Forming positive relationships based on trust and mutual respect
• Nurturing mental and emotional well-being
• Respecting the rights and needs of others
• Understanding responsibilities and rights
• Developing effective communication skills
• Setting goals and working towards them
• Expressing ideas and emotions effectively through various means
• Building and applying knowledge
• Cultivating creative problem-solving skills
Four purposes
Our curriculum design, development, and delivery will prioritise the integration of the four purposes, placing them at the core of our educational approach. This ensures that students are equipped 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.
● Health, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Areas of learning and experience
Our curriculum will offer a breadth of learning opportunities that cover six areas of learning and experience. These are:
● Language, literacy and communication
● Mathematics and numeracy
● Expressive arts
● Humanities
● Health and well-being
● Science and technology
In our curriculum, every area of learning and experience is accompanied by a collection of "what matters" statements. Our staff utilise these statements and the underlying concepts to shape and prepare pupil learning. These statements serve as a guide to help pupils make significant progress by fostering the development of knowledge and skills acquired through their educational experiences from year 7 to year 13.
Additionally, our curriculum ensures that pupils receive instruction on various topics, including diversity, human rights and the rights of the child, relationships and sexuality education (RSE), Welsh language and culture, as well as religion, values, and ethics (RVE).