Today the education minister, Jeremy Miles, has given an update in relation to curriculum support.

The announcement today is a welcomed step in the right direction for secondary schools, creating some space for the profession to concentrate on development and training and putting in additional support for schools to make that happen.

The news that secondary schools will be given some flexibility to start the new curriculum is a real achievement for NAHT Cymru.

Our secondary members have had to deal with the added pressure of significant changes to awarding GCSE and A Levels.

Allowing those leaders to make decisions that best suit their settings also demonstrates the representation we have made to government specifically to support those members.

However, we remain concerned that the voices of many primary school leaders have not been fully heard. 

It has never been NAHT Cymru’s position to stand in the way of any school that was prepared to begin their journey of curriculum reform. But during our conversations with government officials, webinars and meetings with the new minister, we were clear that not every school felt as prepared as they should be, largely down to the covid-19 pandemic.

We welcome the removal of the requirement to undertake end of foundation phase and end of key stage assessments, in the 2021 to 2022 academic year, for year groups that will be transitioning to the new curriculum in September 2022. This will undoubtably allow schools more time to focus on curriculum reform.  

There is still clarification needed around aspects of the minister's statement, namely the allocation of £7.4 million to schools and what the ‘national network’ will look like. We will of course keep you updated on details as we know them. We continue to make the case to government that any additional investment should go to the front line and that every penny goes to schools who continue to face funding pressures.

We are pleased that our calls have been partly heard, and NAHT Cymru continues to be a key player in campaigning and lobbying on behalf of school leaders.

Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru said: “We have lobbied the Welsh government over our concerns around the pressure on schools in light of the pandemic, new ALN legislation, curriculum information and accountability. With Covid recovery being a priority at this time, NAHT Cymru was concerned that not all schools have had the time and support to enable them to develop their own curriculum and carry out the necessary training ahead of implementation is September 2022."

Comment from Kerina Hanson, head teacher and NAHT Cymru president: “We are pleased the education minister has listened to the profession and is working with NAHT Cymru to support our schools. We believe the flexibility for secondary schools to start their new curriculum journey in 2023, given the incredible pressure on schools with regards to awarding grades, is a welcomed move, we will continue to support our primary sector members throughout this time.”