Ysgol Bryn Gwalia is committed to delivering a dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking curriculum that reflects the principles of the Curriculum for Wales. Our approach is rooted in our school’s values, the unique context of Mold, and the developmental needs of our pupils. This rationale draws upon the latest Estyn inspection (December 2023) and our ongoing engagement with the local community and national educational priorities.

Curriculum for Life

Our curriculum builds identity, empathy, and a sense of purpose. We help pupils develop their cynefin — their connection to Wales, their community, and their place in the world. We are a Rights Respecting School and a School of Sanctuary, embedding inclusion, global citizenship, and pupil voice in everything we do. As an Ashoka Changemaker School, we empower our pupils to lead change, show empathy, and solve real-world problems with creativity and confidence. Through Young Enterprise, we’re becoming a Centre of Excellence for Financial Education, and our Silver Siarter Iaith Award reflects our commitment to bilingualism and Welsh culture.

Inquiry-based Curriculum

Following our most recent inspection, and in response to the recommendation to refine provision to ensure consistent opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills in relevant, real-life situations, we made the strategic decision to adopt an inquiry-based curriculum at Ysgol Bryn Gwalia.

This shift ensures that learning is consistently purposeful, authentic, and embedded in real-world contexts. It enables pupils to apply key skills in literacy, numeracy, and digital competence across the curriculum in ways that are both meaningful and motivating.

Our inquiry-based curriculum is built around big questions and real-world connections. Pupils are encouraged to explore, investigate, and reflect on their learning, with strong emphasis on cross-curricular skills — literacy, numeracy, and digital competence — being applied in meaningful contexts across all year groups.

Topic Cycle

In 2025, we redesigned our two-year topic cycle to ensure that our curriculum is relevant, meaningful, and well-suited to an inquiry-based approach. Each overarching topic is intentionally broad and open-ended, allowing it to be adapted across all year groups—from Nursery to Year 6. This flexibility enables teachers to pose big questions that are developmentally appropriate for their learners, while still connecting to a shared theme across the school. This structure ensures both coherence and progression, allowing all pupils to engage deeply with their learning through exploration, curiosity, and cross-curricular inquiry.

Our Curriculum Rationale 2025 - Click Here