A Curriculum for the futureThe new Secondary Curriculum

What’s next? Phase 3

Crichton Casbon

Curriculum Adviser

Our aim is to develop a modern, world-class curriculum and assessment that will inspire and challenge all learners and prepare them for the future

From the proposed primary curriculum

“Our aim is to make this the best place in the world

for our children and young people to grow up.” Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

Background to the primary curriculum review

An independent review led by Sir Jim Rose

QCA worked with Sir Jim to:

• gather evidence

• engage stakeholders

• carry out work on curriculum design and content

• manage all associated consultations

QCDA is now managing the formal consultation on behalf of DCSF. It last till 24th July 2009

Visit: www.qca.org.uk/curriculumconsultation

• be successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens

• achieve high standards and make better progress in subjects and sector-related learning

• have and be able to use high-quality personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS) and functional skills in a variety of contexts

• be more engaged, motivated and committed to their learning

• engage with learning to the age of 19 and beyond

What’s changed and Why? (2007)

What are we trying to achieve?We need to design a coherent 11-19 curriculum that will enable our young people to:

What do we want to achieve?

We want our young people to:• become increasingly successful learners, confident

individuals and responsible citizens; who are…

• more engaged, motivated and committed to learning and their own achievement to the age of 19 and beyond; and so…

• have the skills they need for learning, life and the world of work, and the knowledge and understanding that bring about the highest possible achievement in the national curriculum and qualifications.

Where are we now? What differences have we made to date?

What was phase 2 about?

Supporting the development of a more coherent 11-19 curriculum that incorporates qualifications as an integral part of it.

More schools and colleges taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the new secondary curriculum.

More effective ways of evaluating the impact of the changes.

5 key areas of focus in phase 2 – we wanted…

Increased coherence from the learner’s perspective 11 - 19

Systematic planning for the whole curriculum a deeper look at embedding subjects PLTS and dimensions

To develop approaches to increase learners’ engagement, motivation and commitment to their learning

To develop the conversation about assessment (making good use of the Assessing Pupils’ Progress framework and the Making Good Progress

pilot)

Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are making

Possible areas of focus in phase 3

• When, where, with whom and how? 11-19 coherence

• Transition from the proposed primary curriculum

• Systematic subject and aspect planning for progression

• Curriculum and new qualifications – key stage 4 start

• Assessment – APP development

• Equalities – community cohesion, commitment, engagement (ks4), interests, needs, specialism and aspiration, narrowing the achievement gap

• Impact evaluation

Coherent 11-19 curriculum

We need deep change in curriculum design and implementation

An 11-19 curriculum that incorporates qualifications

How could we organise the curriculum differently?

How do we incorporate new qualifications

How do we ensure the following qualifications are part of a coherent 11-19 curriculum and not the curriculum?

• New GCSE specifications live in September

• Second year of new GCE specifications

• Continued roll out of Diplomas

• Foundation learning tier

• Functional skills

• Apprenticeships

Focusing on Equalities

It is attitude rather than aptitude that causes most failure. Having a commitment to learning is one of the main reasons why people succeed.

What do we know builds or blocks commitment to learning and success?

Its absence is why many students don’t achieve what they are capable of and many adults look back on school as a time of underachievement.

Developing commitment to learning

The challenges

The young people we have spoken to say, ‘I would really like to learn…

• how to become the person

I want to be’

• to have good relationships, especially with my family and close friends’

• stuff I need to get on in life’

• how I can make a difference.’

The challenges

However, too often our learners become the:

• disenchanted

• disengaged

• disappeared

• disappointed.

What do we want to achieve?

1. develop good personal qualities and attitudes2. develop

self-belief3. feel valued

4. have aspirations

We want our learners to:

What should the curriculum be built on?

5. Positive relationships with teachers

6. Support from parents and carers

7. Support from school

8. Support from peers

9. Inspiring learning experiences

10.Supportive assessment processes

Newer Challenges

• Key stage 4 engagement programme – how does it dovetail with learners’ commitment?

• Community cohesion – how do we link this to curriculum design?

• Needs, interests, specialisms and aspirations – how can we design and implement curriculum that is built around these?

• Narrowing the attainment gap

Assessment

QCA’s Principles for assessment

• the learner is at the heart of assessment

• assessment needs to provide a view of the whole learner

• assessment is integral to teaching and learning

• assessment includes reliable judgements about how learners are doing, related, where appropriate, to national standards

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Current priorities

• Increasing the focus on pupil progress rather than achievement linked to age-related expectations

• Raising the status of teacher assessment (post National Curriculum Tests at EKS3)

• Expanding the assessment repertoire

• a wider range of assessment evidence

• learners’ involvement in their assessment

• Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS)

• more accessible and relevant information for parents

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Reconceptualising assessment

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Assessing Pupils’ Progress (APP)

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• Tools to support periodic assessment judgements

APP further support

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Evaluating Impact

What is the purpose?• Disciplined innovation is about making an impact on

learners

• It provides an evaluation about the extent of impact made through a comparison between the starting point and the next point of evaluation

• The extent of impact is an evaluation of:• the proportion of learners affected• the degree of difference seen in them

• Disciplined innovation is based on planning systematically for outcomes through an understanding of cause and effect

Disciplined innovation – emerging principles

• Disciplined innovation underpins effective curriculum design, implementation and evaluation

• It focuses on the full range of learners’ achievements across the whole curriculum

• It is about the differences seen and heard in learners rather than on changes to the curriculum itself

• It requires an understanding of which aspects of curriculum change and implementation have the most impact on learners and learning in order to inform further developments of their curriculum.

• It makes use of reporting systems already in place such as SEFs and reports to Governors

• The most effective systems and processes reduce the burden on schools and colleges

Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are

making

Disciplined innovation is a process of: • defining outcomes to be achieved in terms of what you

want to see and hear in learners,• taking action to bring about the outcomes, • keeping track of emerging impact and progress towards

the outcomes, and • making decisions to increase the rate of progress and

extent of impact. • The fundamental purpose of disciplined innovation is to

make an impact on learners and their learning

Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are

making

Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are making

How will you know if your curriculum is working?What would you look for?Who would you ask?

Eng, Ma and Sci / 5 A*-C

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Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are making

Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are making

Disciplined curriculum innovation – tools that help tell your story or the impact you are making

Principles underpinning recording of evidence

If we want to find better ways of telling compelling stories we need to recognise that:

• data is shorthand for the words you haven’t time to use

• data only becomes information when it is socially processed

• data should lead to questions not assumptions

• pictures and descriptions are more powerful than bald facts and figures

• subjective evaluation that is moderated and standardised is clearer and more powerful that narrow objective measurement

• all data should be used to bring about decisions and action

What is the impact to date?

What is the evidence that the new secondary curriculum is:

• leading to changes in curriculum design and implementation?

• making a difference to learners and their learning?

Disciplined Innovation Challenges

• Developing skills in school and college system

• Cross partnership responsibility – who will collect what as part of developing a coherent picture?

• Areas of focus

• Systematic collection and use

• Phase 4 and beyond