Lynne Neagle MS, Cabinet Secretary for Education
Today I am announcing over £44million of grants that are being awarded for projects to secure once for Wales support to schools as they implement the Curriculum for Wales. This is a huge investment in high-quality, nationally consistent support for all our schools. I am making sure that teaching professionals across Wales can access the expertise, advice and professional learning they need.
It includes:
- Maths and Numeracy: all parts of Wales will have access to expertise to provide joined up maths education between both primary and secondary school; giving all schools access to professional learning and resources and support to help schools boost confidence of parents, carers and staff.
- Literacy: More consistent support to improve literacy through reading for pleasure; reading comprehension and fluency. There will be specific focus on developing Welsh language early reading and oracy offered nationally and available to all teachers.
- Science: Boosting science teaching through professional development, resources and specialised mentoring and coaching, including support to build the confidence of non-specialists accessible to all teachers of science in Wales.
- Music: Continuing the National Music Service for the next 3 years, maintaining our record investment in music education.
- Creative learning: Professional learning to schools to develop children’s creativity and continuing to improve access to cultural venues and activities, which has already reached the vast majority of schools in Wales
- International Languages: continuing to provide mentoring opportunities and access for all schools to support and materials in both primary and secondary schools to develop and expand learning in different languages.
- Curriculum design: Giving all schools access to in depth practical support and case studies based on what’s working best in schools
- Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE): Further nationally consistent support and expertise for RSE through national advisors to support every local authority, providing expert advice and development accessible to every school, equipping them to tackle the very harmful influences our children and young people are grappling with.
Work will begin immediately and schools can expect to see support coming online in the coming months. Most of these projects will span 3 years, ensuring we build capacity over the longer term.
As part of this, I am also announcing a new call for further grant proposals, inviting applications of up to £11.9 million to ensure a consistent national approach throughout Wales for support in:
- Developing maths in primary schools
- Literacy to improve attainment in speech, language and reading, including validation of phonics approaches and assessment tools to identify children’s needs accessible to all schools
- Building children’s computing and digital skills
We are ramping up our efforts to improve standards and to ensure all children have access to powerful learning experiences, underpinned by an excellent curriculum, whatever their background.
This also ensures that the new national professional learning and leadership body will be well placed to take responsibility for my key priorities of literacy, numeracy and well-being and I expect oversight of these to transfer in the coming year.