Y Llais

Complicated conversations on curriculum development

By Anthony Lewis, mentor, Monmouth Comprehensive
April 2025
An Open University in Wales team has been part of the Currere Cymru project. Two teacher educators and two partner school student teacher mentors reflected on lived experiences of curriculum – as pupils, teachers and teacher educators. The OU team’s experiences are included in a dedicated journal publication – Currere Cymru: Reflections on Navigating Curriculum Change in Wales.

This is an extract from my illustration exploring the team’s understanding of school (Lewis, 2024). 

The full illustration is available here.
Lewis, A. (2024) Curriculum Fragments Illustrated, Currere Cymru: Reflections on Navigating Curriculum Change in Wales, 8(2), pp. 64-65. https://cej.lib.miamioh.edu/index.php/CEJ/article/view/361
 

Past blogs

Dropping the ‘critical’ in ‘critical reflection’: developing the Rate, Reflect and Refine toolkit for early career teachers in Wales

By Peter Ryder (KS1 teacher) and James Griffiths (EYFS teacher), Ysgol Nantgwyn March 2025 

 

It’s fair to say that teachers are by nature caring, analytical and reflective. It’s also fair to say teachers are often overly self-critical. Post lesson reflections tend to immediately focus on the negatives. What didn’t go well, which learners couldn’t grasp of the concepts being taught and of course behaviour management... read more 

Education in a Changing World – reflections from the 2024 BERA/WERA Conference

By Nerys Defis, OU Curriculum Tutor, September 2024

 

Timetable organisers are worth their weight in gold and for those of us who attended the 2024 BERA-WERA conference the timetablers should really be held in awe. A conference running over five days, with over 470 sessions, and over 2,000 delegates in attendance from all across the globe...read more

Rooted in Dialogue: Cultivating Professional Conversations

By Angela Thomas, Practice Tutor, September 2024

 

I write this blog with a vista of my well-tended garden at the end of a productive summer. The hydrangea are still in full bloom, the apple tree bountiful, and the pansies reluctant to drop their purple, velvety petals. It is rather satisfying to observe and it provokes a period of reflection on the passing season and the new one ahead...read more

Reflections on the partnership’s video technology research project

By Trudi Rees-Davies, Practice Tutor (Pen Rhos Primary School, Llanelli) June 2024

In recent years my roles with the Open University Partnership have ranged from Mentor and School Coordinator to my current position as a Practice Tutor, a role I have cherished for the past two years. This role has been particularly fulfilling as it allows me to witness the growth and development of both young pupils and student teachers...read more