Welsh schools and the Curriculum for Wales
What is the Curriculum for Wales?
The Curriculum for Wales aims to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap between students and enable students to thrive in the modern world. As such, there is greater emphasis on digital skills, creativity and adaptability. And rather than focusing on either knowledge or skills, it aims to allow schools to provide a balance of both. At the heart of the curriculum are Welsh language, values and culture.
There are four key purposes to the new Curriculum for Wales – to produce children who are or will become:
Ambitious, capable learners
Healthy, confident individuals
Enterprising, creative contributors
Ethical, informed citizens
What subjects do children study?
Under the Curriculum for Wales, traditional phases and key stages have been replaced by a single continuum of learning from ages 3 to 16 across six Areas of Learning and Experience:
Expressive arts (art, dance, drama, film and digital media, and music)
Humanities (history; religion, values and ethics; business studies; social studies)
Health and wellbeing
Science and technology
Mathematics and numeracy
Languages, literacy and communication
In addition, literacy, numeracy and digital skills will be embedded throughout all curriculum areas
State schools must also teach:
Relationships and sexuality education (RSE): with no option for parents to withdraw their children
Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE): updated to include philosophy and religious views, plus non-religious views worldwide (faith schools are allowed to teach a syllabus reflecting their particular religion)
The Curriculum for Wales operates at two levels: the national curriculum framework (defined by the Welsh Government) and each school’s own curriculum, which teachers design within that framework.
When do children start and finish school in Wales?
The compulsory school starting age is 5, although most parents choose to put their child into primary school age 4 or into nursery at age 3. Secondary school starts age 11. Compulsory education in Wales ends at 16, although young people have the option of staying at school to study A levels (they can also take AS levels) or enrolling in Further Education.
Age | School year | Stage of curriculum | Exams |
|---|---|---|---|
4-5 | Reception | Foundation Phase |
|
5-6 | Year 1 | Foundation Phase |
|
6-7 | Year 2 | Key stage 2 |
|
7-8 | Year 3 | Key stage 2 |
|
8-9 | Year 4 | Key stage 2 |
|
9-10 | Year 5 | Key stage 2 |
|
10-11 | Year 6 | Key stage 2 |
|
11-12 | Year 7 | Key stage 3 |
|
12-13 | Year 8 | Key stage 3 |
|
13-14 | Year 9 | Key stage 3 |
|
14-15 | Year 10 | Key stage 4 |
|
15-16 | Year 11 | Key stage 4 | |
16-17 | Year 12 | Post 16 |
|
17-18 | Year 13 | Post 16 |
Do all schools in Wales teach Welsh?
All children in Wales have to learn Welsh up until they are 16. This includes English-medium schools where children are taught in English (in Welsh-medium schools, children are taught in Welsh, but also get a grounding in English). This also includes dual-stream schools and bilingual schools.
This means pupils study Welsh throughout their time at school. GCSE qualifications are currently being reformed as part of the ‘Made for Wales’ programme, including the introduction of GCSE Core Cymraeg to replace GCSE Welsh second language.
How are children assessed in Welsh schools?
There are no SATs in Wales. National Curriculum key stage assessments have now been replaced by ongoing teacher assessment under the Curriculum for Wales. Instead, headteachers use continuous assessment to monitor achievement outcomes and to build an accurate picture of pupils’ skills, knowledge and competencies.
National Reading and Numeracy Tests, which are taken in the summer term by pupils in years 2 to 9, will continue under the new curriculum. And because there are no grammar schools in Wales, there is no need for voluntary 11+ academic assessment at the end of primary school as is found in Northern Ireland and areas with grammar schools in England.
GCSEs remain compulsory in year 11 and continue to use the A to G* grading system rather than England's numerical grades. New ‘Made for Wales’ GCSEs are being introduced in phases from September 2025 to reflect the Curriculum for Wales, placing greater emphasis on applying knowledge alongside traditional subject content.
Do private schools follow the Curriculum for Wales?
While the curriculum is statutory for all Welsh state schools, independent schools are not required to follow the curriculum. But all schools in Wales, whether state or private, have to provide a ‘broad and balanced’ teaching programme incorporating the six areas of learning set out in the new curriculum.
