Curriculum Futures

Looking after learners, today and tomorrow

To develop a modern world-class curriculum that will inspire and challenge all learners and prepare them for the future.

Who said:

“The curriculum is to be thought of in terms of activity and experience rather than of knowledge to be acquired and facts to be stored.”

“Its aim should be to develop in a child the fundamental human powers and awaken him to the fundamental interests of a civilised life … to open out his imagination and his sympathies...”

Hadow Report 1931

Who said this?

• “Children learn best when they see the reason for something, when there are patterns and relationships to help them make connections between one discipline and another”

• “Summative assessment must not lead the curriculum nor dictate the pedagogy used to teach it”

• “Architects of the curriculum need to be brave enough to think of a different curriculum, organised in a way that makes sense to the learner. They must challenge the view that it takes place in a special room, in a particular building, in forty minute periods covering very disparate areas of work”

Maurice Smith HMCI

2006

A new conversation about the curriculum• When we ask a range of people (parents, employers,

governors, pupils) what the aims of education are, they answer in terms of enabling students to:

Communicate well Solve problems Work together in teams Show initiative Work independently Be persistent and show commitment

• These coincide broadly with the aims most schools set themselves.

• They also coincide with the aims contained in the National Curriculum (that few people see to know about!)

We want the curriculum to enable all young people to become:

• successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve

• confident individuals who are able to live a safe, healthy and fulfilling life

• responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

Curriculum Aims

QCA National Skills

• QCA is also developing a national skills framework. The five key skills are seen as becoming:

•team workers

•creative participators

•self managers

•reflective learners

•independent enquirers

• You will have been consulted about these - they all contribute to work readiness

National Curriculum Thinking Skills Information Processing

Reasoning

Enquiry

Creative thinking

Evaluation

Planning for the qualities• So, we have a wide range of desirable skills and qualities that are

separate from the learning set out in the programmes of study.

• Students learn in school through the lessons they attend, but also through the school’s routines, and the out of hours activities and events it organises.

• Yet, when most schools plan their curricula, they plan for lessons, and do so from the point of view of covering the Programmes of Study.

• The achievement of the aims is in many cases assumed or left to chance.

• We are very good at assessing progress and attainment in the subjects, but possibly not so good at recognising progress in the other aims

Le a

ni n

g

Ex p

eri e

nce

s

The Tudors

Sikhism

Magnetism

FrictionPicasso

Macbeth

Egyptians

Sex Education

Dance

CulturalP

hy

sic

al

Scientif ic

Self-managers Independent enquirers

Reflectivelearners

Teamworkers

Creativeparticipators

Freedom to innovate

‘We know that schools and colleges are most effective when they have the autonomy to innovate …..and adapt to their

local circumstances ..’

White Paper, 2005 p11.32

High quality curriculum design –

A design standard

Curriculum A

Curriculum DCurriculum C

Curriculum B

A system where we anticipate a more diverse and customised curriculum

What are we trying to achieve?

How should we organise learning?

How well are we achieving our aims?Accountability and measures

Attainment and improved standards

Increased EETBehaviour and attendance

Civic participation

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

To secure…

* To make learning and teaching more effective * So that learners understand quality and how to improve *

Assessment fit for purpose

Assessment  Building a more open relationship between learner and teacher

Clear learning intentionsshared with pupils

Understood, shared/negotiated success criteria

Celebrate success against agreed success criteria

Advice on what to improve and how to improve it

Peer and self assessment

Peer and self evaluation of learning

Taking risks for learning

Testing Individual target setting

Using error positively

Succ

Whole

Personal Development

Developing individuals…

Whole CurriculumSkills, Knowledge

and Attributes

The curriculum aims to enable all young people to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens

Successful learnerswho make progress and achieve

Responsible Citizens who make a positive contribution to society

Enjoy and achieve Safe Healthy Participation Economically active

Skills Functional Skills (Lit/Number/ICT) +

Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills

Personal Development Attitudes and dispositions, determined,

adaptable, learning to learn

To do To know and understand To be

Curriculum Aim

Aim

Five outcomes

Knowledge and UnderstandingBig Ideas that shape the world

Chronology, conflict, scientific method, etc.

Confident Individualswho lead safe and healthy lives

The ‘big picture’ of the curriculum Working draft (April 06)

Areas of Learning

Learning Approaches

National Curriculum

Ethical – Cultural – Physical and health – Spiritual- Creative and aesthetic- Environmental- International – Scientific and technological – Employability and enterprise – Human and social

A range of teaching and learning approaches (enquiry, active learning, practical and constructive) - in tune with child development and adolescence - learning beyond the school, community and business links – deep immersive and regular frequent learning – relevant and connected to life and work – a

range of audiences and purposes – opportunity for learner choice and personalisation

Eng ArtMa Sci ICT DT Hist Geog RECit/PSMfLPEMusic

The curriculum as the entire planned learning experience

Components Lessons

Out of schoolExtended HoursRoutinesEventsLocation Environment