Foundation phase: Wales unveils curriculum
The Welsh Foundation Phase (FP) was unveiled by Minister for Education Jane Hutt last week to a mixed reception, with some practitioners welcoming its child-centred, play-based approach, while one leading early years consultant warned that it remains 'overloaded' and too 'outcome-dominated'.
The Foundation Phase will be introduced for all children aged three to five in schools and funded settings in the non-maintained sector between September 2008 and July 2009. It will be extended to six- and seven-year-olds by July 2010 and July 2011 respectively. The FP contains seven areas of learning, with an emphasis on building on children's previous experience, skills, knowledge and understanding.
But Branwen Llewellyn-Jones, a prominent consultant on the FP, said that while practitioners were 'relieved at last to have something on paper', there was 'still an expectation that children will learn very early on to do formal things'.
She added, 'It is a rehash of the former national curriculum and the desirable outcomes. In terms of content, there is nothing new. It is outcome-dominated and focused on behavioural rather than expressive objectives.'
The FP follows an exhaustive period of consultation, with three-year pilots in 41 settings, and repeated delays in its introduction. A spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly Government said there would be 11 guidance documents, including material from the January 2008 package on Learning and Teaching in the Foundation Phase.
Nichola Cronin, who co-owns and manages the Funtazia day nursery in Merthyr Tydfil, one of the pilot settings, said, 'It has had a massive impact on our work. We have enjoyed running the Foundation Phase here because all the changes have encouraged the children to make their own choices. We have got some fantastic ideas from it, including creating an imaginary area and using our outdoor space more.'
Rhiannon Thomas, deputy manager of the Welsh medium Meithrinfa Si-Lwli nursery in Cardiff, which also piloted the FP, said, 'We and the parents have noticed how much more independent and confident the children are.' But she acknowledged that parents initially had been concerned that activities were not sufficiently planned.
FOUNDATION PHASE
The seven areas of learning:
- Personal social development, well-being and cultural diversity
- Language, literacy and communication skills
- Mathematical development
- Welsh language development
- Knowledge and understanding of the world
- Physical development
- Creative development
