Health and well-being area of learning and experience in the Curriculum for Wales: a qualitative study

The formative evaluation of Curriculum for Wales adopts a mixed methods approach including surveys of senior leaders practitioners, surveys of parents/carers and learners, longitudinal case studies to understand schools’ curriculum realisation journeys, and several topic-based qualitative studies exploring specific elements of Curriculum for Wales. It aims to provide a broad qualitative and quantitative picture of how the reforms are working, how practice is changing and how these changes are being experienced by practitioners, learners and their families.

This report sets out the findings of one of the evaluation’s topic-based qualitative studies. The research involved fieldwork with 8 schools (4 primary schools and 4 secondary schools), conducted between June and October 2024. It was led by Cardiff Metropolitan University and supported by Arad Research.

The report presents findings on:

• opportunities afforded by the Health and Well-being Area
• design and structure of the Health and Well-being Area
• pedagogies used to support teaching and progression in the Health and Well-being Area
• challenges faced in the Health and Well-being Area
• how settings and practitioners are supported to enact the Health and Well-being Area as part of the Curriculum for Wales

The Welsh Government has considered the findings of the report and published a response.