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'Ready Already' for the New Curriculum in Wales
Dear Educators and Partners,
At Agored Cymru, we are excited about the future of education in Wales. Our mission is to help individuals achieve the skills and qualifications they need to reach their potential, enrich their lives, and contribute to their communities and the Welsh economy. This aligns perfectly with the new Curriculum for Wales, which aims to develop ambitious, capable learners; enterprising, creative contributors; ethical, informed citizens; and healthy, confident individuals. We are dedicated to ensuring that every learner in Wales has access to a world-class education that supports these goals.
Darren Howells, CEO
What's going on at Agored Cymru?
Behind the Scenes at Agored Cymru:
Reforming for the Future
We are fully committed to the new Curriculum for Wales. Our qualifications ALREADY align with the curriculum’s four purposes, ensuring learners become well-rounded individuals ready to thrive in an ever-changing world. We work closely with schools, colleges, and educational institutions to ensure our offerings meet the evolving needs of Welsh education.
The Learning Core
These qualifications meet the needs of the Welsh Government’s Curriculum for Wales across all areas of learning and experience and provide:
¼, ½, 1 and 2 GCSE equivalencies
for progression to further education, higher education and/or used to measure school or college performance.
Learning in the Outdoors (LiTO)
Enhances social, physical, creative, and personal development, aligning with health and well-being aims.
Wales, Europe and the World
Fosters informed citizenship by covering history, culture, politics, and more.
Work-Related Education
Prepares learners for the workplace, developing essential skills, values, and attitudes.
Exploring Worldviews
Increases understanding of diverse perspectives, fostering empathy and ethical action.
Personal & Social Education
Enhances social, physical, creative, and personal development, aligning with health and well-being aims.
Who’s Who at Agored Cymru?
A Slice of Life: Meet Our Business Development Managers
Our dedicated Business Development Managers (BDMs) play a crucial role in supporting our centres and ensuring that learners achieve their full potential. Get to know the passionate professionals who are here to help you make the most of your Agored Cymru provision.
Peter Johnson
Peter Johnson has over 20 years of experience at Agored Cymru, covering a range of roles from centre support to quality assurance and business development. He is passionate about helping centres offer the right provision for their learners and knowing that it makes a difference. In his spare time, Peter enjoys running, cycling, exploring new places, and loves a good floor plan and unseasonably warm weather. He works with the three other BDMs, having a pan-Wales and wider remit, ensuring comprehensive support across all regions.
Eryl Ann Parry Jones
Eryl has over 25 years of experience in education and training, and she is passionate about making a difference to people, promoting the Welsh language, and influencing change. Eryl also works as a lay inspector for ESTYN, which further enhances her role as a BDM. She loves cooking, fashion, and walking the coastal path with her dogs. Living on the Lleyn Peninsula, Eryl works with centres across North and Mid Wales and plays a leading role in qualification reform and working within schools.
Sam Hopkins
Sam Hopkins has 20 years of experience in education, primarily in Adult Community Education. She is an experienced Digital Literacy assessor and a qualified IQA, passionate about lifelong learning. Sam loves attending learner award ceremonies and talking to learners who have achieved more than they ever imagined possible. Most of her spare time is taken up with football activities, including being an active committee member and volunteering for local groups, such as being a Torfaen Litter Champion! Any other spare time Sam has is spent gardening and walking her dogs. She currently works with centres and prospective centres in the South East Wales region and is keen to help you make the most of your Agored Cymru provision.
Frances Lee
Frances has 19 years of experience in education, primarily in secondary education and post-16 learning. She is experienced in curriculum development, with a background that includes working as a police trainer. Frances is passionate about providing expert knowledge in curriculum design and tailoring provision to meet both learner and organisational needs. She enjoys reading popular fiction focused on moral dilemmas and taboo themes, and exploring ancestry and genealogy. As a Bilingual Business Development Manager for Agored Cymru, Frances works with over 125 centres across South, Mid, and West Wales, supporting a diverse range of institutions including schools, prisons, health boards, and third sector organisations.
Did you know that Agored Cymru offers over 400 nationally recognised qualifications? We continuously innovate to meet the changing needs of Welsh education, ensuring our qualifications remain relevant and valuable. Explore new ways to work with us and discover the benefits of our diverse qualification offerings.
Our Charitable Purpose News
CYCA: Supporting Families and Professionals
At Agored Cymru, we proudly support CYCA (Carmarthenshire Youth & Children's Association) in their mission to enhance well-being and skills through accredited and bespoke training courses.
Social Prescribing Project
CYCA supports children and parents unable to access CAMHS, helping manage anger and depression with holistic support, including digital resilience and fitness classes, and one-on-one mentoring.
Agored Cymru Accreditation
CYCA has been an Agored Cymru accredited centre since 2016. This partnership allows CYCA to offer courses and qualifications that improve basic skills, life chances, and employment prospects.
They were recently the first organisation in Wales to award their learners with the new Agored Cymru Endorsed Programme Certificates
Professional Training
CYCA also provides specialist training for professionals working with children, enhancing service quality. Our collaboration includes Professional Resilience Training, which promotes emotional health and well-being and offers practical tools and strategies. This training ensures a unified language of resilience within organisations.
Follow-On Training Includes:
-Emotional Intelligence
-Conflict Management and Resolution
-Counselling Skills for Non-Counsellors
Key Areas of CYCA's Delivery
Resilience: Courses to build and maintain resilience.
Understanding Stress: Workshops to manage and reduce stress.
Improving Own Confidence (Pre-Employability Course): Boosting self-confidence for employment.
Child Development: Understanding child growth and development.
Customer Service: Enhancing professional skills.
Our Exploring Worldviews qualification is designed to deepen learners' understanding of diverse religious and non-religious perspectives, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and ethical action. This qualification supports the curriculum’s goals by helping students develop a broad and inclusive worldview, which is essential for living in a multicultural society. It is available at various levels, providing flexibility and accessibility to meet the needs of different learners. This qualification not only supports the curriculum’s goals but also contributes to improving school performance points and GCSE results.
The Exploring Worldviews qualification is an excellent alternative option for learners not undertaking GCSE Religious Education. It offers a broader, more inclusive approach that aligns with the Curriculum for Wales. This qualification equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world, making them well-rounded, informed, and ethical individuals.
Content and Benefits
The Exploring Worldviews qualification covers a wide range of topics, including:
✅ Religious and Non-Religious Beliefs: Understanding various belief systems, their origins, practices, and impact on cultures and societies.
✅ Ethical Issues: Exploring moral questions and dilemmas from multiple perspectives, helping learners to develop their own ethical viewpoints.
✅ Cultural Awareness: Studying the traditions, festivals, and customs of different religions and cultures, fostering respect and appreciation for diversity.
✅ Philosophical Enquiry: Encouraging learners to ask profound questions about existence, purpose, and the human condition, enhancing critical thinking skills.
✅ Interfaith Dialogue: Promoting dialogue and understanding between different religious and non-religious groups, preparing learners to engage in constructive conversations.
By engaging with this content, learners not only gain valuable knowledge but also develop skills that are crucial for personal and social development. These include:
☑️ Empathy: Understanding and appreciating the perspectives of others.☑️ Critical Thinking: Analysing and evaluating information from multiple sources.
☑️ Ethical Reasoning: Making informed decisions based on ethical considerations.
☑️ Cultural Competence: Navigating and respecting diverse cultural contexts.
☑️ Effective Communication: Articulating ideas clearly and respectfully in both written and spoken forms.
Find out how the Exploring Worldviews qualification can benefit your learners and school
The current Learning Core can account for 6 out of the capped 9 scores, allowing your organisation to seamlessly integrate learning aligned with the new curriculum into your KS4 program. This not only rewards students with GCSE equivalent qualifications but also equips them with valuable skills and experiences.
Modular Flexibility for Customised Learning Paths
The modular nature of the Learning Core enables your organisation to build bespoke curricula tailored to students' needs and interests. By selecting specific units, you can create diverse educational experiences that meet the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, ensuring students receive a well-rounded education.
Boosting School Performance with the Capped 9 Score
Incorporating Learning Core qualifications provides an excellent opportunity for your organisation to boost its average point scores. Qualifications such as Work-Related Education, Personal and Social Education, and Exploring Worldviews offer valuable GCSE equivalent points, contributing significantly to the capped 9 performance measure.
GCSE Equivalencies for the Learning Core
| Award | Extended Award | Certificate | Extended certificate | |
| 3 Credits | 8 Credits | 13 Credits | 18 Credits | |
| Level 1 | ¼ GCSE (Grade D-G) | ½ GCSE (Grade D-G) | 1 GCSE (Grade D-G) | 2 GCSEs (Grade D-G) |
| Level 2 | ¼ GCSE (Grade A*-C) | ½ GCSE (Grade A*-C) | 1 GCSE (Grade A*-C) | 2 GCSEs (Grade A*-C) |
.png "Capped 9 Learning core example 2 - A Diagram of the capped 9 score shown as 9 separate spots. The first 3 sports are the subject specific subject slots of Literacy, Numeracy and Science. The remaining 6 spots represent the 5 Qualifications in the Learning Core. These qualifications can be used at different sizes to make up the remaining 6 slots of the Capped 9. In this example Work Related Education takes up 2 whole slots as it is studied as an Extended Certificate, as is Wales, Europe and the World. 1 slot is split between Personal and Social Education and Exploring World Views, as both subjects are studied as Extended Awards equating to half a GCSE each.")
By adopting our Learning Core qualifications, your organisation can balance academic rigour with practical skills development, ensuring students are well-prepared for life beyond the classroom. This holistic approach not only improves individual student outcomes but also raises the overall performance metrics of your organisation.
Contact Business Development to discuss tailoring and curriculum building planning
How Does the Learning Core Transfer Usefully to Other Sectors?
Our Learning Core qualifications are not just for schools; they provide a solid foundation for further education and various career paths.
Youth Services
Learning Core is widely used in youth services, particularly for learners who are disengaged from school and at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).
Key qualifications such as PSE, WRE, and EWV help re-engage learners in subjects that interest them, within settings where they feel comfortable and safe. These qualifications prepare them for the outside world as responsible and ethical citizens.
Tertiary and Further Education
Students with Learning Core qualifications are well-prepared for college courses, having developed critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Our 'Work-Related Education' suite of qualifications, particularly the work experience unit, starts learners on an experiential journey into the workplace, preparing them for routes such as apprenticeships, direct entry into a career, or other vocational areas of study.
Apprenticeship Frameworks
These qualifications build on Agored Cymru learners' previous experiences with practical skills and workplace readiness alongside studying. The apprenticeship model allows learners to transition smoothly into a workplace, becoming accustomed to each organisation's unique ways of working. Once qualified, they are already an ideal fit for their current or future employer.
NHS Careers
These qualifications develop essential skills like communication and problem-solving, crucial in healthcare professions. Our long-term goal is to challenge traditional training methods to deliver a flexible and sustainable workforce. We maximise opportunities for work-based learning (WBL) and apprenticeships, supporting a reduction in differential attainment across health and care education programmes.
Third Sector Opportunities
Our qualifications also prepare students for roles in the third sector, such as working with charities like CYCA, where they can apply their skills to make a meaningful impact.
Coming up in Future Newsletters
New Qualifications - Stay updated on our latest qualifications and how they align with the Curriculum for Wales.
Qualification Updates - Reviews, expiry dates, and new developments.
Events/Webinars - Join our upcoming events and webinars to learn more about our offerings.
Case Studies - Real-life examples of how our qualifications have made a difference.
Special Features - In-depth looks at unique aspects of our qualifications and services.
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Dive into the future of education with "Will This Be in the Test?" where we explore how technology, policy, and societal changes are shaping learning. Don’t miss out on insightful conversations and inspiring stories!
Stay Connected
We invite you to explore our offerings and see how Agored Cymru can support your educational goals. For more information on our qualifications and services, please visit our website or contact your dedicated Business Development Manager.
Together, we can empower learners to achieve their potential and contribute to a strong, vibrant Wales.