Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill Committee Stage 1 Report
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Welsh Parliament Children, Young People and Education Committee Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill Committee Stage 1 Report December 2020 www.senedd.wales The Welsh Parliament is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people. Commonly known as the Senedd, it makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds the Welsh Government to account. An electronic copy of this document can be found on the Senedd website: www.senedd.wales/SeneddCYPE Copies of this document can also be obtained in accessible formats including Braille, large print, audio or hard copy from: Children, Young People and Education Committee Welsh Parliament Cardiff Bay CF99 1SN Tel: 0300 200 6565 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @SeneddCYPE © Senedd Commission Copyright 2020 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the Senedd Commission and the title of the document specified. Welsh Parliament Children, Young People and Education Committee Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill Committee Stage 1 Report December 2020 www.senedd.wales About the Committee The Committee was established on 28 June 2016. Its remit can be found at: www.senedd.wales/SeneddCYPE Committee Chair: Lynne Neagle MS Welsh Labour Current Committee membership: Dawn Bowden MS Hefin David MS Welsh Labour Welsh Labour Suzy Davies MS Siân Gwenllian MS Welsh Conservatives Plaid Cymru Laura Anne Jones MS Welsh Conservatives The following Member attended as a substitute during this inquiry. Jack Sargeant MS Welsh Labour The following Member was also a member of the Committee during this inquiry. Janet Finch-Saunders MS Welsh Conservatives Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill: Stage 1 Report Contents Recommendations ................................................................................................ 7 1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 18 Terms of reference for our scrutiny of the Bill .......................................................................... 18 Other committees’ consideration of the Bill ............................................................................ 20 The Bill’s stated aims ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Legislative competence ................................................................................................................................ 22 2. Background and policy context .......................................................... 27 The purpose and intended effect of the Bill .............................................................................. 27 Development of the new Curriculum for Wales ................................................................... 28 The approach the Bill takes to the new curriculum .......................................................... 29 Timescale for introduction of the Curriculum for Wales ............................................... 29 Our previous scrutiny ..................................................................................................................................... 29 3. General principles, the need for legislation and the approach the Bill takes to the new curriculum ........................................................... 30 The need for legislation and a complete overhaul of the current curriculum ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 30 The approach the Bill takes to the new curriculum .......................................................... 35 Prospects for standards and the attainment gap ................................................................ 48 4. Details on the face of the Bill ................................................................ 59 The main organising principles for the new curriculum which are set out on the face of the Bill ............................................................................................................................................. 60 Coverage of certain items in the curriculum ............................................................................. 72 Due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the well- being of future generations ..................................................................................................................... 93 5. Languages: English and Welsh .......................................................... 100 Requirement to teach English at all ages .................................................................................. 101 Achieving the single continuum for the teaching and learning of Welsh .. 106 School language categories ..................................................................................................................... 114 Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill: Stage 1 Report The Welsh-medium capacity of the education workforce ..........................................118 6. Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) ............................... 121 Mandatory status of RSE in the new curriculum ................................................................. 122 RSE Code .................................................................................................................................................................. 133 “Developmentally appropriate” teaching .................................................................................... 141 Teachers’ professional learning and specialist support .................................................145 Engagement and communication .................................................................................................. 148 7. Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) ...................................................... 153 Current arrangements for religious education ...................................................................... 153 Provisions in the Bill for RVE ...................................................................................................................154 Mandatory status of RVE in the new curriculum................................................................. 157 RVE syllabi ............................................................................................................................................................... 172 The constitution and function of Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs) ........ 189 Collective worship ........................................................................................................................................... 194 Teachers’ professional learning............................................................................................................197 8. Early years .................................................................................................. 201 9. Post-16 .......................................................................................................... 212 10. Specific curriculum requirements and exceptions (including EOTAS), and pupils with ALN and disabilities ........................................ 219 Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) ................................................................... 220 Specific exceptions ....................................................................................................................................... 229 14 to 16 year olds (Years 10 and 11) .................................................................................................... 235 Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and disabilities .............................................................. 241 11. Progression, assessment and qualifications ............................... 247 Progression ............................................................................................................................................................ 247 Assessment ...........................................................................................................................................................252 Qualifications ..................................................................................................................................................... 260 12. Implementation ...................................................................................... 269 Potential barriers to successful implementation ................................................................ 271 Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill: Stage 1 Report The impact of COVID-19 on the Bill’s implementation schedule ....................... 289 Monitoring and reviewing the Bill’s implementation ................................................... 296 13. Financial implications ........................................................................... 303 The options in the Regulatory Impact Assessment ........................................................ 303 The estimated financial implications of the preferred option .............................. 305 Annex A: List of written evidence ................................................................ 321 Public consultation ........................................................................................................................................