Our Vision/Ein Gweledigaeth - The Bryntirion Way

We Learn How to Live - Dysgwyn Sut I Fyw

Our aim is to secure high expectations and aspirations for all pupils, so that they make the progress they need to achieve their full potential.

We will do this:

1. Through a relentless drive to improve the quality of our teaching and learning experiences.
2. Through the design & development of a whole curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils.
3. Through establishing a culture of secure wellbeing & positive attitudes to life and learning.
4. Through honest self-evaluation and targeted school improvement planning.

Our Bryntirion Curriculum/Ein Cwricwlwm

The Four Purposes/Y Pedwar Diben

The national Curriculum for Wales outlines its Four Purposes of Education, enabling learners to become: ambitious and capable learners; enterprising and creative contributors; ethical and informed citizens and healthy and confident individuals.

These Purposes inform the design of our own, bespoke curriculum, marrying them with the individual ambitions, interests and potential of every student at Bryntirion. We believe that our responsibility under the Four Purposes is to ensure that students acquire powerful knowledge, understanding and skills to become confident members of society. The curriculum supports our young people to become kind, hardworking individuals, who embody our school values.

Curriculum/Cwricwlwm

At Bryntirion, pupils are taught in subjects. This is because subjects matter. They have an important body of knowledge and specific skills and belong to a rich tradition that is unique to them (please see below for curriculum allocation). For students to think critically and to form their own opinions, it is necessary to have something to think about. We therefore value a knowledge-rich approach, delivered by expert teaching staff. Our curriculum is broad and balanced, providing a wealth of learning across disciplinary subjects, and embraces all the mandatory elements: study of English and Welsh; the three Cross-Curricular Skills (numeracy, literacy, digital competency); Relationships & Sexuality Education; Religion, Values & Ethics; Careers and Work-Related Experiences and this is underpinned by a clear emphasis on the central importance of developing pupils’ integral skills. Integration of skills is a key feature of our curriculum, and is realised through a range of ‘challenges’ within and across subject disciplines. Cross curricular challenges for pupils in Year 7   include: ‘My Health’, ‘My Future’, ‘Dysgu Byw’, ‘First Give’, ‘My Team’ and ‘My World’.

Progression and Assessment/Dilyniant ac Asesiad

Our curriculum is structured to ensure that all pupils make progress in their learning as they move through the school, informed by the national Principles of Progression. To support pupils’ progress and monitor the effectiveness of our curriculum, we adopt a number of assessment practices. Ongoing ‘formative’ assessment activities are those that arise as part of the learning experience in lessons. Teachers assess pupils’ understanding and recall during lessons and adapt their teaching or future teaching plans to ensure progress for all. In addition, to identify progress over time and to enable us to evaluate our practice and curriculum, we conduct more infrequent, substantial ‘summative’ style assessments through rich tasks.

Implementation & Review/Gweithrediad ac Adolygiad

Our curriculum is not fixed: it is subject to constant review and reiteration. Robust self-evaluation of our curriculum requires participation from not only our teaching staff, but also from parents/carers, governors and pupils. The curriculum will grow, as we endeavour to meet the needs of our pupils and the challenges that lie ahead of them.