I've since finished this unit and all been signed off. For anyone struggling with this question, this is what I wrote (Please remember, no plagiarism!):
Planning for learning and development is just as important as the deliverance of education. In order to effectively plan for development and learning, we must know the children in our care, for example, their strengths, weaknesses and rate and stage of development. Equally as important, is knowing the abilities of the staff in the setting, to use their skills appropriately and to full advantage. Without this information, any curriculum planning set out is likely to be ineffective and the targeted areas of development missed.
Implementation of education has changed drastically in Wales in recent years with the introduction of The Foundation Phase in September 2008. This change has been brought about by evaluation of practice, solid research and adaptations of theories of development. In order to evaluate current procedures and practices, we must first understand how the curriculum is implemented in Wales.
The vast majority of early education providers in Wales follow The Foundation Phase which requires children having access to a wide range of learning techniques. In order to access this learning, education providers i.e. teachers, must organise the education environment, carefully planning how each area of the curriculum will be met. The Foundation Phase requires more than simply planning a lesson. Each educational plan should be monitored throughout the deliverance via observations to show how the plans have promoted development and should then be carefully reviewed to analyse the success.
Each lesson plan must provide examples of how to link the teaching to each area of development. This ensures a holistic approach to themes and topics, allowing the children to enter a deeper level of understanding of the topic and a wider variety of opportunities to apply new skills across the curriculum.
The Foundation Phase was revised and re-released in August 2015. The 6 outcomes that children are assessed against under each area of the curriculum have become a higher, tougher standard and further outcomes (bronze, silver and gold) have been introduced for assessments made prior to the start of Key Stage 2.
Key Stage 2 (KS2) is the current curriculum used in Wales for children aged 7 to 11 years old. Within Key Stage 2, children will study a range of at least 12 individual subjects, including at least one modern or ancient language. As with the Foundation Phase, Key Stage 2 requires fluidity to the areas of study, allowing the children to transfer skills and knowledge obtained to other areas. Progress is assessed again at the end of this period through National Curriculum Tests, more commonly known as SATs.
In September 2008, the Skills Framework was publicised as a foundation to each of the curriculums in Wales from the Foundation Phase through to Key Stage 4 (19 years).
“The framework has been developed with the aim of providing guidance about continuity and progression in thinking, communication, ICT and number for learners from 3 to 19 and beyond. These are skills that will enable learners of any age to become successful, whether in school, the workplace, at home or elsewhere, and they need to be firmly embedded into the experience of learners across all their learning. Their development underpins the requirements of employers and others, and will help to address current concerns about skills’ shortages in Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom, Europe and the wider world.
The framework is organised into four sections – the development of thinking, communication, ICT and number across the curriculum. It aims to use language congruent with statements relating to other areas of education – for example, the wording of the Foundation Phase Outcomes and that of the Key Skills qualifications – so that each complements and reinforces the other. It is hoped that teachers will use the four individual sections together to underpin their planning and provide cohesive learning experiences for all learners.”
Welsh Assembly Government - Skills framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales (Page 4)
This basis for each curriculum has helped to strengthen curriculum implementation in Wales and has allowed greater fluidity of learning for all children aged 3 to 19 years old.
Other curriculums used within Wales include the Montessori Method and the Steiner-Waldorf Method. Both of these methods have received much criticism throughout the years but have well established schools and childcare centres in Wales and throughout the United Kingdom.
“The two approaches have many points in common. Both forms of education believe in educating the "whole" child, meaning their spirit as well as their intellect. They each believe in teaching educational concepts in a wide variety of ways, and both have strong attachments to nature. In addition, both philosophies have strong beliefs towards children having respect, knowledge and understanding, not just of the three Rs, but of the whole world around them including science, social studies, geography, art, music, and dance.”
“Despite the differences between the two methodologies, it can certainly be said that both Waldorf and Montessori value the child above all else. Both philosophies believe that education should develop free and morally responsible citizens who have a deep sense of social responsibility.”
http://www.wbms.org/blog/montessori-...phy-comparison
Implementing the curriculum in Wales
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