Progression step 2: What to Teach (Wales)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Progression step 2 in Wales: the curriculum structure, our short summaries with links to the official wording, and key dates.
- Country
- Wales
- Ages
- 3–16
- Source
- Curriculum for Wales
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Progression step 2 broadly relates to expectations at age 8 (around Year 3 (age 8)); it is a reference point, not a year-group target. Descriptions of learning are linked from each Area (not imported yet).
The 27 statements of what matters apply across the whole 3–16 continuum. Descriptions of learning set out progression at five progression steps that broadly relate to expectations at ages 5, 8, 11, 14 and 16 (our summary).
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What to teach
Curriculum for Wales sets out statements of what matters for each Area of Learning and Experience. Below are our short summaries, with links to the official wording on Hwb.
Expressive Arts
- Exploring the arts develops creative skills and makes learners curious and imaginative.
- Responding and reflecting, as maker or audience, is central to learning in the arts.
- Creating brings together skills and knowledge with the senses, inspiration and imagination.
Health and Well-being
- Developing physical health and well-being brings lifelong benefits.
- How we process and respond to experiences affects our mental health and emotional well-being.
- Our decision-making affects our own lives and the lives of others.
- How we engage with social influences shapes who we are and our health and well-being.
- Healthy relationships are fundamental to our well-being.
Humanities
- Enquiry, curiosity and evidence help learners understand the past, present and future.
- Events and human experiences are complex and seen through many perspectives and interpretations.
- The natural world varies and changes through natural processes and human action.
- Human societies are complex and diverse, shaped by actions, beliefs and change over time.
- Informed, ethical citizens respond thoughtfully to challenges and opportunities.
Languages, Literacy and Communication
- Languages connect learners with people, places and communities.
- Understanding languages and literacy helps us make sense of the world.
- Expressing ourselves well through languages is a key life skill.
- Literature fires imagination and inspires creativity.
Mathematics and Numeracy
- Number lets us represent and compare quantities and underpins later mathematics.
- Algebra uses symbols to express patterns and relationships.
- Geometry studies shape, space and position; measurement quantifies the physical world.
- Statistics and probability help us collect and interpret data and make informed decisions.
Science and Technology
- Curiosity and evidence help us understand and predict how things behave.
- Design thinking and engineering offer creative ways to meet society's needs and wants.
- Living things depend on each other and their environment for survival.
- How matter behaves explains the universe and our everyday lives.
- Forces and energy are the basis for understanding the universe.
- Computation underpins digital technologies, their limits and their effects on society.
Mandatory curriculum elements (ages 3–16)
- Cross-curricular skills: literacy, numeracy and digital competence. Ages: 3–16.
- Relationships and sexuality education (RSE). Ages: 3–16. Must accord with the RSE Code and be developmentally appropriate; post-16 RSE on request in maintained schools from September 2027.
- Religion, values and ethics (RVE). Ages: 3–16. Pluralistic RVE for nursery and reception; from year 1 RVE follows the agreed syllabus, which must cover religions and non-religious philosophical convictions; post-16 RVE is opt-in from September 2027.
- Welsh. Ages: 3–16.
- English. Ages: 7–16 mandatory; for ages 3–7 headteachers and funded nursery providers decide (to support Welsh immersion).
- The six Areas of Learning and Experience and the 27 statements of what matters. Ages: 3–16. Years 10–11 must cover all six Areas but not every statement of what matters; learners get choice within Areas from year 10.
The four purposes
- Ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
- Enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
- Ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
- Healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society
Progression steps: Progression step 1 (broadly age 5), Progression step 2 (broadly age 8), Progression step 3 (broadly age 11), Progression step 4 (broadly age 14), Progression step 5 (broadly age 16).
Assessments and key dates
Learners in Wales take personalised assessments (online) in reading and numeracy; schools set their own assessment within the curriculum.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Hwb (Welsh Government) – the official curriculum site.
- BBC Bitesize – videos and quizzes by nation and stage.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
All Wales packs · Find another TIP
Structure and statements of what matters from Curriculum for Wales guidance on Hwb (Welsh Government, Crown copyright). Summaries are Classfern's own words – read the official wording via the link.
No official wording is reproduced: codes and structure are facts, and the short descriptions are our own summaries. Always read the official wording via the links. Checked on 2026-10-20.
Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Welsh Government, Hwb or WJEC.