Last updated on 27 April 2026
Estyn identified the challenges.
Rainbow Curriculum solves them.
Estyn's Annual Report highlights recurring issues in Welsh schools: low expectations, inconsistent progression, and superficial self-evaluation. Rainbow Curriculum was built to address exactly these problems.
Expectations & Progress
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"Where we saw weaknesses in pupils' learning, expectations were too low, lessons were slow-paced, and feedback was inconsistent."
"In schools, while many teachers are adapting the curriculum thoughtfully, close to a third are making slower progress in providing coherent, progressive learning experiences."
"Too often, however, self-evaluation is superficial, compliance-driven and insufficiently focused on learners' progress."
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Ensures expectations are clear for each stage of learning.
Ensures coherent progressive learning experiences across every stage.
Facilitates thorough self-evaluation of curriculum provision based on pupil progress.

Progression & Next Steps
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"In these schools the curriculum did not provide a broad enough range of skills and teachers did not consider pupils' next steps in learning effectively."
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Encourages schools to set clear expectations for each description of learning and to be clear as to the progression from one colour band or year group to the next.
Teachers can then more easily build on previous learning and prepare learners for the next steps.

Thinking Tools
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"Where practice was strongest, staff planned carefully to develop pupils' thinking…"
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Has five lenses, one of which is 'Thinking Tools'. It enables schools to determine which thinking tool is used at which stage of learning and in which area.
Facilitates progression. For example, it states the difference between Venn Diagrams used in Blue Band (Y3) and Gold Band (Y6).

Cross-Curricular Skills
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"Provision to develop pupils' literacy, numeracy and digital skills was inconsistent."
"The quality of provision for developing pupils' literacy, numeracy and digital skills varied."
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Has links to the Literacy and Numeracy Frameworks and The Digital Competence Framework.
Enables schools to make cross curriculum links clear, ensuring consistent provision across all areas.

Cross-Cutting Themes
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"Learning related to areas such as RVSE, RSE, human rights and diversity was often underdeveloped, with experiences lacking relevance or a strong enough focus on pupils' interests and lived experiences."
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Has links to all cross-cutting themes and enables the identification of where themes are covered.
Includes the stage of learning and the AoLEs strand, so nothing falls through the cracks.



Depth of Learning
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"In a minority of schools, pupils' learning lacked sufficient depth, and teachers did not always have a clear understanding of individual pupils' learning needs. They often moved through content too quickly, before pupils had developed a secure grasp of the concepts. Opportunities to practise and apply skills were limited, and tasks lacked appropriate levels of challenge. As a result, pupils did not make sufficient progress."
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Organised into colour bands. It encourages deep learning within each band with the application of skills and cross cutting themes within a particular band before moving to the next level.

School Improvement & Self-Evaluation
Direct quotes from the Estyn Annual Report
"A minority of schools received a recommendation to improve leadership. In these schools, monitoring was often compliance-driven and lacked a sharp focus on improving outcomes. Leadership was not distributed effectively, and weak self-evaluation led to unclear professional learning priorities."
"A minority of schools struggled to assess the impact of professional learning on pupils' progress. In a few schools, leaders did not align professional learning suitably to the school's context, pupils' needs or improving the quality of teaching."
"However, in a minority of schools, leaders did not evaluate the impact of grant spending on outcomes for pupils from low-income households well enough. In these schools, funding was not always ring-fenced appropriately or used effectively to reduce barriers to learning."
How Rainbow Curriculum helps
Encourages schools to relate descriptions of learning to clear expectations at each stage of learning, thus ensuring learning builds on previous learning and prepares learners for the next stage.
Pupil outcomes can be used to show progress against clear expectations within the school rather than against some non-existent external measures.
The developmental need should then determine the professional learning offered and the priorities for spending.

"The message for school leaders, including governors, is clear: When considering self-evaluation, school improvement and professional learning, the sharp focus must be on pupil outcomes and the progress learners make."
Estyn Annual Report
Rainbow Curriculum is a tool, not content. Schools know their learners best and teachers should be free to determine what will engage their learners most. However, expectations should be clear and pupil progress used to identify strengths and developmental need.
Join the waitlist
We (Mike and Tom) are opening Rainbow Curriculum to a small number of schools in Wales each month. Join the waitlist to secure early access.
We want to make the best possible curriculum tool for Wales, so we're taking our time and working closely with a handful of schools who want to help shape it.
As an early school, your feedback will directly influence what we build next and how the tool evolves.
Available slots
March
0 spots left
April
3 spots left
May
4 spots left
June
4 spots left
July
6 spots left
August
6 spots left
Included with your plan
All 6 AoLEs
Included
Team Members
Unlimited
Reports
Full access
CfW Curriculum
Included
Cross-curricular
Links included
Exports
Unlimited
Progression
Year-by-year view
Support
Waitlist offer
Founding member pricing
We'll review your application and be in touch