Tackling Bureaucracy - Case study
Proportionate approaches to planning for learning
Our Lady and St Joseph’s Primary School and Nursery
North Lanarkshire
Our Lady and St Joseph’s Primary School and Nursery in North Lanarkshire has reduced the
bureaucracy of planning for staff by developing a coherent, high-level curriculum plan.
Programmes of study underpin learning and teaching in all curriculum areas at all stages. Planned
progressive programmes are in place from P1-P7 with skills development at the core of each
programme. This ensures a coherent structure is in place while still allowing responsiveness and
flexibility in planning. By aligning the school’s strategic curriculum with teachers’ planning in this
way, a significant layer of planning has been removed from teachers’ workload. It has also reduced
the fragmentation of learning that can occur when staff plan at the level of individual Experiences
and Outcomes.
A three year rolling programme of science and interdisciplinary topic work ensures breadth across
curriculum areas as well as continuity and progression in learning. This ensures that staff are not
just teaching preferred or familiar topics. Timetabled lessons for discrete subjects form a core part
of these plans. Children develop skills, knowledge and understanding in curricular areas such as art
and science so that they have something to draw upon in interdisciplinary learning work. Groups of
Experiences and Outcomes were identified for this purpose and knowledge and skills clearly
defined for staff. Children are taught the skills and basics first that they can then use, deepen and
develop further in interdisciplinary learning work.
Beneath this detailed high-level curriculum plan lie teachers own forward plans. The school
identified the need to plan effectively and efficiently with concise relevant paperwork that supports
rather than drives the process. Teachers plan weekly on the computer or on a handwritten A3
sheet. Planning is based on evaluations of the previous week’s learning. The weekly plan is put up
in class so that the children as well as the staff can see what is planned each day. This has replaced
cumbersome forward plans with sheets highlighting coverage of Experiences and Outcomes that
were fulfilling an audit purpose rather than ensuring planned learning responds to learners’ needs.
They are working documents that provide a basis for individual meetings with the headteacher.
Dialogue focuses on the pace and challenge of learning and the progress of pupils. This also allows
the headteacher to monitor planned learning to ensure continuity and progression.
These approaches ensure the headteacher has a clear overview of how the curriculum is being
delivered. Breadth and progression are planned and outcomes for learners clearly defined in the
high-level curriculum plan. Teachers’ weekly plans ensure planning is responsive to learners’ needs
taking account of the progress of groups and individuals. Assessment is built into the weekly
planners and reviewed weekly which makes the planners very dynamic and responsive to need.
In addition, creative planning has allowed staff in the school to build in opportunities to take
forward learning through other contexts identified by children and staff. Friday Focus Groups were
developed consisting of mixed groups of P1 to P7 exploring key themes such as enterprise, Fair
Trade, Eco Schools and the school website. Groups of Experiences and Outcomes were identified to
ensure targeted learning and provide relevant opportunities for achievement in the school and
local community. For example, the enterprise group organised the Christmas Fair and the Fair
Trade group worked up to achieving Fair Trade status. The prior planning and discussion of
outcomes for learning, again removed a layer of planning for staff who had a clear overview of the
knowledge and skills being developed through each context.
The school will continue to monitor the impact of its revised curriculum plan to ensure it delivers
progression and coverage as well as reflecting children’s interests fully through an appropriate
balance of committed and responsive learning.
Further information
Watch Ellen Turnbull, headteacher at Our Lady and St Joseph’s Primary School and Nursery in North
Lanarkshire, describe the steps the school has taken to develop and improve its curriculum. She
explains what they have done to move forward under each of the themes in 5.1 The Curriculum, as
described in the Education Scotland Inspection Advice Note (2014-15).
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/video/c/curriculumdevelopmentacross4themes.asp?strRefe
rringChannel=thecurriculum&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-685230-64&class=l5+d148582