Janet Edwards, MAT Coordinator at Cwmclydach Primary School since 2009, shares three key factors in developing – and sustaining – excellent provision for more able and talented (MAT) learners, and for all children at the school.

Cwmclydach Primary School is in the village of Clydach Vale near Tonypandy in Rhondda Cynon Taff local education authority. There are currently 210 pupils on role, aged between 3 and 11, and the school also houses one of the local authority’s Foundation Phase nurture classes. Nearly all pupils are of white British origin and English is the first language for nearly all pupils. FSM stands at 42%, which is currently much higher than the local and national averages. 

The school has recently achieved NACE Challenge Award accreditation for the third time – the third school in Wales to achieve this and the 25th overall – recognising sustained commitment to and excellence in meeting the needs of MAT learners, within a whole-school context of challenge for all.

Below are three key factors that have helped us to achieve and sustain this, and that remain central to our ongoing development as we prepare for the new Curriculum for Wales.

1. Engaging the whole school community 

Good communication and working in partnership with our whole school community are essential to our success at Cwmclydach. 

Governors have been involved in planning for the new Curriculum for Wales, and in deciding the range of experiences our children should have throughout their years in school, alongside the visions shared by our Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE) leads. 

Parents are regularly informed about provision for more able and talented (MAT) pupils within our setting and are given guidance on how to support MAT pupils at home. Regular use of questionnaires for staff, pupils and parents, has ensured that each child in our care is challenged to fulfil their potential in all aspects of life. Results of the questionnaires are analysed and planning for children is adjusted accordingly.

Pupil voice is central to our development. Learners are encouraged to believe in themselves and are given a variety of opportunities where they can become good role models and develop a sense of ownership. Pupil groups have been set up that reflect the new curriculum, and pupil voice plays an extremely active role in engaging our parents and other stakeholders; we find that parental engagement is far higher when children are leading their learning.

We provide opportunities for children to lead the learning through enquiry and research. For example, children are given four “missions” per fortnight; they choose which to complete, how, and what tools they need. These are completed independently whilst the teacher works with a focused group. We use focus questioning to home in deeper on a particular topic so we can draw the information out, either individually or in groups depending on the topic. This has helped us to direct children and further develop their critical thinking and leadership skills.

2. Identifying – and providing for – a broad range of abilities

Each member of staff is responsible for developing the child as a whole – not only in academic subjects, but also nurturing talent in the fields of music, art, ICT, Welsh and other curriculum areas.

We have found it particularly useful to send out a yearly questionnaire seeking the views of parents and carers to help us identify MAT pupils, particularly in areas beyond traditional academic subjects. In previous years, some of our quieter children were not so forthcoming about their talents, so we have found this an effective way to discover otherwise “hidden” abilities.

The key point is to ensure that – once identified – we then provide opportunities in school to enhance and develop these abilities, providing a wide range of activities to ensure all talents and abilities can be catered for, alongside enrichment days and visitors to the school. We have also held twilight sessions with teachers and support staff to ensure everyone is aware of early identification criteria and how they can develop the children’s skills.

3. Regularly revisiting our audit of provision

We have used the standards in the NACE Curriculum Audit to discuss the various ways children can be taught at Cwmclydach, within the context of the new Curriculum for Wales. We focus on both independent and collaborative learning, with the needs of each child taken into consideration. 

As a whole staff at Cwmclydach, we have found the NACE Curriculum Audit an extremely effective way to plan for the new Curriculum for Wales, and to engage all stakeholders in our school community. During recent Covid times, meeting in person has been extremely difficult, but we have overcome this by sharing ideas through frequent virtual meetings and regularly looking at our self-evaluation – using the NACE Curriculum Audit – to see how we are able to move our children forward. By examining the audit together, we make sure this is a whole staff responsibility. 

We are continually updating our audit and we believe the key to using this successfully is through a whole school approach with all stakeholders’ opinions valued. We will continue to use the audit when planning for the new curriculum, as we feel it is highly beneficial to meet the needs of not just our MAT pupils, but every pupil in our care. It is a framework that we have found most beneficial as a working document to meet the needs of all our learners.

About the NACE Curriculum Audit©

Available free for NACE members (£250 +VAT for non-members), the NACE Curriculum Audit provides a comprehensive tool to support curriculum review at whole-school, subject or departmental level, with a focus on ensuring high-quality provision for more able learners and challenge for all. It is designed for use across all phases and contexts, with two versions available: one for schools in England/overseas (aligned to key aspects of curriculum considered by Ofsted), and one for schools in Wales (aligned to the new Curriculum for Wales and available in both English- and Welsh-medium). Learn more.