Episode 1 – Introduction to the Curriculum and the 5 Developmental Pathways by Vanessa Powell, Mudiad Meithrin’s Curriculum Leader.

 

Welcome to a new podcast, Baby Steps into the Curriculum, by Mudiad Meithrin. This is a series of short podcasts, developed to help Mudiad Meithrin staff and parents learn more about what the new Curriculum for Wales means to the children, staff and families in our Cylchoedd Meithrin.

Nia Parry is the presenter of both this podcast and Baby Steps Into Welsh. In the first episode she talks to Vanessa Powell, a former Mudiad Meithrin Support Officer based in Cardiff who is now the Curriculum Leader for the Mudiad.

During the talk we hear how Vanessa and some of Mudiad Meithrin’s practitioners have been a part of the process of developing the new Curriculum for the Early Years in Wales.

“Thanks to the Welsh Government, we were part of the process of creating the new Curriculum for children in the early years, so this Curriculum has been created by practitioners for practitioners. Some staff co-authored, piloted and were a part of the consultation, so the Mudiad is confident that the new Curriculum will benefit the children of Wales.”

As a mother, Nia was keen to find out how much change there would be to the provision in the Cylchoedd Meithrin.

“There are no massive changes. The new Curriculum builds on the excellence of the Mudiad’s present delivery, but in a different way. The voice of the child is central to it all, and acknowledges that each child is unique. It’s a very positive development.”

As part of the new Curriculum, we learn that there are five new Learning Pathways, paths focusing on the things that are most important to a child’s development; Belonging, Communication, Exploration, Physical Development and Well-being.

“These pathways have been written in the voice of the child, to ensure that the provision responds totally to what they need to develop and thrive as confident individuals in the world. Every one of those pathways are equally important, they weave into each other.”

We’re given a taste of individual development pathways and what they mean from the perspective of the children and Mudiad Meithrin’s practitioners. We also learn how the experience within each cylch is different, in keeping with the community, area and various facilities inside and outside of each cylch’s building.

From a Mudiad Meithrin practitioner’s perspective, it was great to hear about the support and training put in place to enable staff to respond to and deliver the new Curriculum confidently;

“The Welsh Government and Mudiad Meithrin’s Academi have delivered excellent training to our staff. There’s a whole host of resources and ideas on our websites.  Estyn, the body inspecting our work, has stated that our staff are coping with and adapting excellently to the requirements.”

It’s clear that Vanessa and Mudiad Meithrin staff are happy and confident that the new Curriculum is going to benefit every child attending Mudiad Meithrin’s Cylchoedd Meithrin and nurseries;

“The most important thing for us is the child’s happiness. The new Curriculum is an excellent development which ensures that each child is considered unique, that we focus on the holistic development of the child, and that each child attending our settings the length and breadth of Wales are having the best time and experience, developing and finessing their skills and thriving. We continue in our aim of ensuring that each child leaves as a confident individual, that they acquire the Welsh language confidently and are eager to continue with their Welsh-medium education.”

 

Baby Steps into the Curriculum is a Bengo Media and Llais Cymru production for Mudiad Meithrin. To listen to this episode and others in the series, go to www.podfollow.com/babystepsintowelsh

Vanessa Powell