Background to Policy

The initial vision for the new education system within Wales post devolution was developed after the Welsh Assembly Government carried out the last devolution referendum in 1999. It was described as the “first comprehensive strategic statement on education and lifelong learning.” as cited in (Bevan Foundation, 2017) the education system included essential features that were used within schools of continuing educational authorities. So this showed how curriculum’s were used within schools post devolution.

Slightly beforehand  PISA, there was a  Welsh employment based survey carried out in 2003 by ‘Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey’ that identified issues involving low rates within literacy and numeracy skills found in young people within employment in Wales. The aim of carrying out this particular survey was to “Identify skills needs as well as the demands for learning and training among employers and the working age in Wales.” (Wales. Future Skills Wales Generic Skills Survey, 2003) alongside this, Wales participated within the first PISA test in 2006 which were poorer than the rest of the United Kingdom’s results within literacy with average scores of 481 (OECD, 2006) and numeracy skills with average scores of 484 (OECD, 2006). Due to the impact of the reaction of the poor results from both the Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey and PISA tests in 2006, the Welsh Assembly Government decided it was time for a change and introduced a national curriculum known as ‘Skills Framework’. The aim of the curriculum was to address the issues that were identified in the tests from previous results, and quote “aim of providing guidance about continuity and progression in thinking, communication, ICT and number for learners from 3 to 19 and beyond.” (Wales. Skills Framework for 3 to 19 year old in Wales, 2008) unfortunately the Skills Framework 2008 was not used successfully due to the fact that it was non-statutory. This was then evident that it was not beneficial within education in Welsh schools due to the next set of PISA results within 2009.

On the behalf of the government by the National foundation for Educational Research, the PISA test was carried out once again along with Wales in 2009 since the alarming results of the numeracy and literacy skills in 2006. The results within the PISA tests in 2009 were once again disappointing as they decreased since the last tests in Wales within literacy with average scores of 476 (OCED, 2009) and numeracy skills with average scores of 472 (OCED, 2009); these results were a key fundamental impact on education in Welsh schools. It was clear that the Skills Framework 2008 was not a beneficial curriculum, confirmed by ESTYN (2011) in their report evaluating the Skills Framework 2008 as they described the framework as “not used well for planning progression in pupils’ skills. Few schools use the Skills framework as a starting point for planning their work.” So this led to deciding that there needed to be a statutory curriculum in place for schools to follow, and benefit from when subject bases lesson planning to help increase the rates of education in Wales.

After the alarming PISA test results within literacy and numeracy skills, and the evaluation of the failure of the Skills Framework 2008 within the annual ESTYN report; the Welsh Government decided in 2012 to plan and create a new education-based framework in schools in to be published in 2013. The Welsh Assembly Committee decided that the new framework was going to be known as the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF), and stated in 2012 that it was going to be a statutory curriculum set within schools, and the aims of it were to provide an official guidance for planning progression for practitioners.

“Welsh Government’s new statutory Literacy and Numeracy Framework should include guide for teachers and school leaders to ensure that opportunities to practice literacy and numeracy skills are embedded across the curriculum at all Key Stages.” (Wales. National Assembly for Wales, 2012)

The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) was then officially published in January 2013, and made statutory within schools in September 2013. The key features that were set by the LNF were to provide “expectation statements from ages 5 to 14.” (Wales. Assessment for learning and the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework, 2013) which is spread across three different strands within the literacy component including oracy, reading and written work across the curriculum. As well as being spread across four different strands within the numeracy component which includes developing numerical reasoning, using number skills, using measuring skills and using data skills. So with the LNF set out in place it allows practitioners to access key skills that can be implemented effectively into planning of lessons as said in the expected accomplishments of the LNF by the Welsh Government as it says it should aim to “Integrate literacy and numeracy into their teaching- whatever the subject matter.” (Wales. National Literacy and Numeracy Framework, 2014) which is broken down into year groups.

In September 2008, the Welsh Assembly Government introduced a statutory national curriculum across all schools known as the Foundation Phase, and was set in place for ages three to seven year olds. However after the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) was introduced and still was not completely showing effective results with practitioners progression planning, the government decided to imbed it within the Foundation Phase in 2015. The Foundation Phase is made up of several different skills across the curriculum involving the LNF, Non-Statutory skills including developing thinking and ICT skills, Curriculum Cymreig, Religious education and Statutory education programme: Areas of Learning. So the Foundation Phase can be used to allow teachers and practitioners to plan, recognise and record the learning and process of children within the curriculum that can be implemented within lesson planning. Once the lessons are then carried out, there are outcomes appropriately shown within the Foundation Phase for teachers to “describe the type and range of achievements characteristic of children within the Foundation Phase.” (Foundation Phase, 2015)

Alongside the importance of children and young people having more guidance in schools with literacy and numeracy skills from the introduction of the Foundation Phase 2015, it is also important for them to learn and recognise digital skills. So the Minister for Education and Skills announced the idea developed by the Welsh Government and the recommendation of Professor Graham Donaldson’s report of a ‘Digital Competence Framework’ (DCF) was to be available as a part of the curriculum in September 2016. The skills that were spread across the Digital Competence Framework 2016 were “citizenship-based, interacting and collaborating, producing and data and computational thinking.” (Digital Competence Framework, 2016) It was explained that the “Panel’s report to the Welsh Government noted that digital competence is as important in the twenty-first century as literacy and numeracy.” (Digital Competence Framework, 2016). So it was clear that children and young people were more exposed to technology in modern day society, therefore due to panel’s discussions the government finally decided that they should appropriately use ICT within schools.

Reference List

Bevan Foundation (2017) After PISA: A way forward for education in Wales? [Online]. Available at: https://unilearn.southwales.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-3095663-dt-content-rid-3313723_1/courses/EA1D002_2018_v1/Bevan%20Fdn%202017%20A%20way%20forward%20for%20ed%20in%20Wales%281%29.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

ESTYN (2011) The Skills Framework at key stage 2: An evaluation of the impact of the non-statutory Skills framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales at key stage 2. Available at: https://www.estyn.gov.wales/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Skills%20Framework%20at%20key%20stage%202%20-%20July%202011.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

OECD (2006) Education Statistics: PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/mathematics-performance-pisa.htm (Accessed: 04 March 2019)

OECD (2006) Education Statistics: PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/reading-performance-pisa.htm#indicator-chart (Accessed: 04 March 2019)

OECD (2009) Education Statistics: PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/mathematics-performance-pisa.htm (Accessed: 04 March 2019)

OECD (2009) Education Statistics: PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/reading-performance-pisa.htm#indicator-chart (Accessed: 04 March 2019)

Wales. Future Skills Wales Generic Skills Survey (2003) Improve SSC. [Online] Available at: https://www.researchonline.org.uk/sds/search/download.do;jsessionid=DE74644ADC5470732F9E09E2A8E4BE5B?ref=Y6830 (Accessed: 06 March 2019)

Wales. National Assembly for Wales (2012) Assembly Committee backs literacy and numeracy priority for Welsh schools. [Online]. Available at: http://www.assembly.wales/en/newhome/pages/newsitem.aspx?itemid=960  (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

Wales. WAG (2013) Assessment for learning and the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework. [Online]. Available at: https://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/131104-assessment-for-learning-and-the-nlnf-en.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

Wales. WAG (2014) National Literacy and Numeracy Framework. [Online]. Available at: https://learning.gov.wales/resources/browse-all/nlnf/?lang=en  (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

Wales. WAG (2015) Foundation Phase Curriculum. [Online]. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-02/foundation-phase-framework-revised-2015.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

Wales. WAG (2016) Digital Competence Framework. [Online]. Available at: https://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/160831-dcf-your-questions-answered-en.pdf (Accessed: 25 March 2019)

Wales. WAG. (2008) Skills Framework for 3 to 19 year olds in Wales: How is the Framework organised? [Online]. Available at: https://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/140626-skills-framework-for-3-19-year-olds-en.pdf (Accessed: 04 March 2019)