National Curriculum for Wales

The National Curriculum was first introduced in Wales as part of the Education Reform Act 1988, alongside the equivalent curriculum for England. Following devolution in 1999, education became a matter for the Welsh government. Consequently, some elements of the system are different from those in England.

Structure of the National Curriculum

Schooling is divided into four phases in Wales, each relating to pupils of different ages. Key Stages 2 to 4 mirror those used in England, with pupils in Key Stage 2 being aged 7-11, in Key Stage 3 aged 11-14 and Key Stage 4 representing the GCSE years of 14- to 16-year-olds. For children aged between 3 and 7, the key stage is known as the Foundation Phase. Within each phase or key stage, certain subjects are set out in statute as part of the national curriculum.

Foundation phase

Within the foundation phase, the curriculum is set out in seven areas of learning:

  • Personal and Social Development, Well-being and Cultural Diversity
  • Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
  • Mathematical Development
  • Welsh Language Development
  • Knowledge and Understanding of the World
  • Physical Development
  • Creative Development

Key Stages 2, 3 and 4

The following subjects are statutory at each of the later key stages:

Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4
Age 7-11 11-14 14-16
Year groups 3-6 7-9 10-11
English ✓ ✓ ✓
Welsh ✓ ✓ ✓
Mathematics ✓ ✓ ✓
Science ✓ ✓ ✓
Design and Technology ✓ ✓
Information and Communication Technology ✓ ✓
History ✓ ✓
Geography ✓ ✓
Art and Design ✓ ✓
Music ✓ ✓
Physical Education ✓ ✓ ✓
Modern Foreign Language ✓
gollark: We should not meet as this would provide information about my location and appearance.
gollark: Some hard things are satisfying to work on because of being intellectually challenging and such, but not exactly hard*ships* like "hmm I have cancer now" or "I accidentally lost all my money to a swarm of bees".
gollark: Some difficult things are just interesting puzzly things which are frustrating at worst.
gollark: Some hardships are really awful and do not give you much feeling of reward for overcoming it. Some you *can't* really overcome (with current technology) e.g. terminal cancer.
gollark: Yes, there is not *actually* any enforced symmetry like this.

References
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