Principles of Curriculum
•Inextricably linked to pedagogy
•Leading to higher standards
•Engaging
•Rooted in what we know about child
development
•Broad and balanced
•Tailored (ie child centred)
•Skills based
•Based upon entitlement
21st century pedagogy should
be?????:Informative/Useful
Skills –based
Relevant to 21st Century!
Fun
Full of Variety
Encouraging of independent learning
Motivating and engaging
Tailored to the child’s starting point
Makes best use of assets (child’s strengths, facilities, resources)
and compensates for deficits (poor language skills)
“Folk” Pedagogy (Jerome Bruner)
• Knowledge is “stuff”.
• We need to “fill” children with it (children need to “know
their stuff” –“Folk” Pedagogy (Jerome Bruner) knowledge is a
commodity).
• People’s learning theories are heavily influenced by how they
were taught themselves – true of many parents???
• Also some teachers
– children grouped but working alone and not encouraged to learn
collaboratively (Galton’s research in the 70s and confirmed in the 90s).
– default model – I tell you stuff then ask you to write about it.
A holistic approach to teaching and
learning
 Skills (Subject specific and thinking
skills) which have to be taught
 Attributes which have to be nurtured
 Environment which has to be set up
Topics Suggested on Family Questionnaires
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Castles/knights/kings/queens
Space
Earthquakes/volcanoes
Morecambe as a seaside town
Local history – Lancaster as a port, Morecambe fishing industry
Transport
People who help us
Fashion/music through a decade
Magic and mystery
Theatre and musicals
Robots
WWI and II
Inventors
Cars
Titanic
Artists
Insects and wildlife
Pirates
Countries*
An overarching topic such as ‘Change’ which could be applied to different curriculum areas
The Torrisholme ‘Bucket List’!
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A visit to the theatre (musical, drama, ballet, opera, outdoor play?)
A live music concert
Cooking
Visit a farm
Learn to swim
Raise money for charity
Cultural residential
Train ride
Open top bus ride
Boat ride
Camping outside – putting up tents, campfire, cooking
School sleepover – stars/movies
Film making
Walk up a hill/mountain
Competitive sports
School swap
Outdoor activities such as canoeing, climbing, den building etc
Entrepreneurship
Career taster sessions
Visit the Power Station
Outdoor residential
Visit the seaside
A live sports event
Meet with people in the community – police/fire/lifeboats
Birdwatching
Visit different places of worship
Visit an art gallery
Visit a castle
The Non-Negotiables So Far…
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Maths and English will be taught for a minimum of 5 hours each week.
Phonics sessions will take place every day in EYFS and KS1.
Each class will have a class novel/stories ‘on the go’ at all times.
Each class will take part in two hours of physical activity each week.
Every child will take place in a production each year.
There will be one culturally themed day each year.
There will be one whole school topic each year.
There will be one whole school event each year eg: a whole school picnic.
Each class will have a minimum of one outdoor experience each half term.
Themes will culminate in an event which provides an audience/purpose.
Shared with parents?
• Each term a minimum of one enhancement linked to a topic will take place
in each year group.
Curriculum Aims
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.
What is special about your school and what makes
it unique? Think in terms of assets & deficits
Children
Staff
Ethos
Standards
Environment
What might you need to add to your school to
enrich the children’s experience?