Learners and staff at Gilwern School will set off on the journey of a lifetime on Friday 1st October 2021.  

The virtual journey will see all staff and pupils covering the miles both within and outside school on a weekly basis, with the aim of amassing a total in excess of the 50,000km. The total needed to circumnavigate the world. The route will be planned and progress recorded through the summative total of classes and individuals. Technology will be used extensively to virtually travel in each country and collate distance and plot position.  At each 2,000km way point the school curriculum will immersed in an in depth study of the place in the world where the school has reached will be undertaken. 

How and why have the school decided to undertake this adventure which is anticipated to last up to two years? 

Wales is introducing a new exciting purpose driven curriculum. The school is at the forefront of curriculum design and recognises that it is at its most effective when working collaboratively with purpose. During lockdown ways to develop wellbeing were focused upon and running and walking with a purpose were enjoyed by all. In March 2021 one of the school’s staff had a parent diagnosed with Dementia. In response (building upon the work undertaken to become a Dementia friendly school) staff all agreed to run a marathon over a month recording the miles and raising money for the “Jog on Dementia“  initiative facilitated by the Alzheimer’s charity. In the process the staff ran over 1900km and raised £2635 for the charity.  

Once completed, staff reflected that the purpose was a great driver to maintain motivation and engagement and hence the seed was sewn. How can we repeat, develop and enhance in a whole school context the experience we had and shared? 

In short we needed to set a challenge which aligns to the new curriculum and inspires a community.  

The launch of “Gilwern School- Around the World in a New Curriculum” will take place on 1st October, 2021.  

All pupils and staff at the school will be encouraged to take part and contribute to the goal. The school’s initial route will be to follow the ancient “Silk Road” and find out about the past and present. Each year group will focus on a number of different aspects of the curriculum as the learners and staff complete the distance to get to the planned locations .Enquiry will be pupil led and age specific embracing the interests of learners. For example areas investigated will include environment, food, dance, music, art, money, agriculture and climate. Each class will focus on 10 different lines of enquiry. 

For each 10,000km leg of the journey a different charity will be supported by the school, with the aim of raising through the wider community a £1 for each kilometre travelled. 

The exciting new curriculum is based upon four core purposes which underpin all learning. As staff we judge that the completion of this challenge will enhance and develop all of the purposes well providing a legacy for pupils which can be applied throughout life. Detailed age specific planning is well underway. Below is a selection of the statements to illustrate just how intrinsically entwined this challenge will be with the new curriculum. In summary the New Curriculum for Wales states that pupils should develop the following and become. 

Ambitious, capable learners who set themselves challenges and build up a body of knowledge having the skills to connect and apply that knowledge in different contexts. Learners who can undertake research being ready to learn throughout their lives.   

Enterprising, creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work. Learners should give of their energy and skills so that other people will benefit. Lead and play different roles in teams, identify and grasp opportunities and think creatively to reframe and solve problems. 

Healthy confident individuals who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society. In this section learners are expected to take part in physical activity, face and overcome challenge. Develop mental and emotional wellbeing by developing confidence resilience and empathy through the building of positive relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Have the confidence to participate. 

Ethically informed citizens who engage with contemporary issues based on their knowledge and understanding. Learners who are knowledgeable about their culture, community, society and the world, now and in the past. Respect the needs and rights of others, as a member off a diverse society. Learners need to develop and demonstrate their commitment to the sustainability of the planet so that they are ready to be citizens of Wales and the world. 

Who will be involved and how will momentum be maintained? 

The “Gilwern School- Around the World in a New Curriculum” initiative is designed to be inclusive of all stakeholders. Encouragement and intrinsic motivation will be the key. Roles can be found for all to enable the team to reach the objective. 

 Gilwern also wants to reach out to the wider community and throughout the year. “Guest Runners” will be invited to join the school and help to clock up the kilometres. Guests will be interviewed so learners can understand how each makes their own unique contribution to the charity, school or place in the world where the school is at any specific point. A comprehensive diary of the schools journey will be kept and ultimately all information will be collated and contribute to a documentary.  This will be produced and shared as a legacy of the challenge and capture the values developed over the course of the next two years and alignment with the new curriculum. 

The preparation for the launch of the challenge started in May 2021 and specialists in art and music have been commissioned to develop the curriculum. Their role is to enhance the weeks when the whole school focus will be based on where in the world the school finds itself on the journey. The starting point of course will be Wales. Learners will focus initially on gaining information about Gilwern’s place in the world, providing the reference point about their own country before comparing and contrasting information. The first designated stop is Copenhagen (Denmark) with details of the further way points to follow. Keep an eye on the school’s Twitter account. 

How will the School’s progress be communicated? 

The primary method of communication will be via Twitter and the school’s “You Tube” channel.  

How will the charities be chosen and supported? 

Our initial support will be given to the Alzheimer’s Charity which will be the focus for the first 10,000km. The charity will then change and it will be down to the stakeholders to select from the information provided and gained through shared experiences.  

The school envisages that through partnership, communication and media exposure a swarming of support, especially from corporate bodies will be forthcoming. 

Further Development of the New Curriculum:- 

Good teaching and learning maintains a consistent focus on the overall purpose of the curriculum, enhanced through engaging experiences.( Graham Donaldson 2015) 

Good teaching and learning challenges all learners by encouraging them to recognise the importance of sustained effort in meeting expectations that are high but achievable through a broad range of purposeful tasks. (Graham Donaldson 2015) 

Schools need to be outward looking, developing expertise and completing research to develop effective progressive responses to learners. Leaders need to create a climate which encourages continuous development.