Curriculum for Wales: What Nurseries Must Track
Observation, assessment, and documentation for Welsh childcare settings — funded and non-funded
The biggest shift in Welsh early years education in a generation
Curriculum for Wales replaced the Foundation Phase. The early years are now 'Foundation Learning' — and whether you're funded or not, CIW expects you to understand it.
This guide explains what you must track, how to observe and assess effectively, and what inspectors are actually looking for.
📥 Get the Printable PDF Guide
Enter your email and we'll send you the PDF + tips on curriculum tracking for Welsh settings.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Used by 200+ Welsh childcare settings.
📋 Does the Curriculum for Wales Apply to You?
| Setting Type | Legal Duty (MUST) | NMS Expectation (SHOULD) |
|---|---|---|
| Funded non-maintained settings | Adopt curriculum aligned to CfW. Make assessment arrangements. Complete on-entry assessment within 6 weeks. Publish curriculum summary. | Engage with primary schools for transition. Hold professional dialogue. Share progress with parents regularly. |
| Non-funded registered childcare | Deliver practice in line with NMS Standard 7. | Encouraged to adopt full curriculum. Observe and assess children's development. Share progress with parents. |
🌱 The Five Developmental Pathways
This is not a tick-list curriculum. You are expected to build a picture of each child's development over time through observations that are genuine, purposeful, and analysed.
Children's sense of identity, security, and connection to their community and culture. Includes bilingual identity and Welsh language.
Language development in Welsh and English, listening, mark-making, early literacy, and non-verbal communication.
Mathematical thinking, scientific curiosity, creative expression, and understanding of the world through play.
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, self-care routines, and outdoor learning.
Emotional regulation, resilience, relationships with others, and mental health. Underpins all other learning.
📝 Assessment Duties: What the Law Requires
For every child receiving funded nursery education. Capture starting point across five pathways, home language(s), ALN needs, wellbeing factors.
Regular observations across the five pathways. Analysis of progression. Using assessments to plan next steps. Records demonstrating progression over time.
Leaders must ensure practitioners engage in regular professional dialogue about children's learning. Estyn may speak directly to practitioners.
Funded settings must publish a summary on their website and in parent information packs.
🔄 The Observe → Analyse → Plan → Assess → Share Cycle
Watch children in play and interactions. Observations can be written notes, photographs, video, or audio.
Make sense of what you observed. Which developmental pathway does it connect to? What does it tell you about the child?
Use your analysis to plan what comes next. Planning should be responsive — not fixed weeks in advance.
Periodically review evidence across the five pathways to understand overall progression.
Share observations and assessments with parents, and with receiving primary schools for transition.
Not good: "Anya played at the water tray and enjoyed it."
🗂️ What You Should Actually Be Keeping
Per child:
Once, within 6 weeks — funded settings only.
2-4 meaningful observations per child per term.
Linked to the five pathways.
Evidence of sharing progress.
Where applicable.
For receiving school.
At setting level:
On website and in parent packs.
Showing responsive practice.
Between practitioners.
Related to curriculum understanding.
🔍 What CIW and Estyn Actually Look For
| CIW (all settings) | Estyn (funded only) | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Curriculum principles understood and applied | Quality of curriculum design and implementation |
| Assessment | Children's development tracked and shared with parents | Effectiveness of assessment arrangements |
| Standard | NMS Standard 7 | Children's progression across five pathways |
| Practitioner | — | Practitioner understanding of pedagogy |
- Practitioners talk confidently about individual children
- Observations are purposeful and analytical
- Planning responds to what practitioners have observed
- Parents receive meaningful updates in Welsh and/or English
- The environment changes and evolves in response to what children are doing
📌 Non-Funded Settings: What You Still Need to Do
NMS 7.1 requires: "The principles of the curriculum are understood and applied in a way appropriate to the age, abilities, and stage of development of children."
🏴 The Welsh Language Dimension
(see our Active Offer compliance guide)
🎒 Transition to School: What You Must Provide
For funded settings:
Start conversations with local primary schools at the beginning of the academic year.
Ready to Make Curriculum Tracking Simple?
See how Wootzoo links observations to the five pathways and builds child profiles automatically.
Book a 15-Minute DemoNo pressure. No hard sell. Just a quick walkthrough for Welsh settings like yours.
Common Curriculum for Wales Questions
Does Curriculum for Wales apply to non-funded settings?
Not as a legal duty, but NMS Standard 7 requires you to apply the principles. CIW inspectors will check that you understand and use the five developmental pathways.
How many observations do we need per child?
There's no fixed number, but 2-4 meaningful observations per child per term is a good benchmark. Quality matters more than quantity.
What's the difference between Foundation Phase and Foundation Learning?
Foundation Learning is the new term under Curriculum for Wales. It replaces the Foundation Phase and covers ages 3-7.
Do we need to publish a curriculum summary?
Funded settings must publish a summary on their website and in parent information packs. Non-funded settings are encouraged to do so.