Secondary schools ready to introduce the new curriculum

THE Welsh Government has released the full list of secondary schools rolling out the new curriculum for Wales next term and some of the highestperforming and best-known institutions are not on it.

More than half of secondaries have taken the option of delaying the start to the biggest education reform for decades – although they will continue preparing.

Three of Wales’ 22 local education authorities – Anglesey, Flintshire and Wrexham – don’t have a single secondary rolling out the new curriculum in September.

Whitchurch High in Cardiff and Olchfa High in Swansea are among those waiting until September 2023 to introduce the changes for all year sevens.

Covid disruption has affected preparation for the massive change to what is taught, and how.

Many teachers reported they are not ready and last month it emerged that fewer than half of secondaries would start the new curriculum changes next term.

Education Minister Jeremy Miles announced last summer that secondary schools could wait until September 2023 but all primaries and nurseries must start teaching under the new arrangements next term.

Multiple reports, including some commissioned by the Welsh Government, have shown the profession broadly backs the changes but many schools and teachers feel they were not adequately prepared.

Unions have warned that schools have enough to deal with in the fallout from pandemic disruption, the first exams for three years, and a youth mental health crisis. They have called for a halt to other education reforms.

A spokesman for the largest local education authority in Wales, Cardiff council, said: “The pandemic has had and continues to have an impact on schools and education and in some cases this has impeded on the preparations required to deliver the new curriculum for this year.

“In many schools, the significant workload associated with the teacherassessed grades process and catch-up provision for pupils in Years 11 and 13 has meant that the focus of teachers has temporarily moved away from work related to developing the curriculum.

“In other cases schools have taken the decision to take some extra time to make sure that they are fully prepared to deliver the new curriculum with full support from the council.”