NUT National Education Conference
Developing a Quality
Curriculum
Dave Peck
The Curriculum
Foundation
Content
1. The context of the new
National Curriculum
2. What do we mean by a
quality curriculum?
3. How do we develop one?
The Context of the New National
Curriculum
•
•
•
•
September 2014!!!
It’s a joke
The global 21st century curriculum race
Shift away from threshold measures to
progress measures
• Abolition of NC levels
• If we don’t thoroughly overhaul the curriculum
now……
Also available:
Top Quality Snake
Oil
http://www.coreknowledge.org.uk/curriculum.php
Maths
English
Science
Geography
History
RE
PE
Music
Languages
Art &
Design
Design
Technology
Computing
Where do the boundaries lie?
Curriculum Paradigm
Characteristics
Subject
knowledge
The curriculum is all the documented subject learning schools (are
required to) teach
Subjects Plus
In addition to this subject teaching there are wider elements of the
curriculum addressed in other ways e.g. through tutor time, visits,
assemblies, performances, extra-curricular(!) activities
All Planned
(Learning ?)
Experiences
Everything planned is part of the curriculum i.e. all of the above
learning opportunities plus sports events, parents’ evenings,
visitors to the school, volunteering opportunities, duties, peer
support, etc.
All-inclusive
Everything that happens in school reflects the school ethos and
culture and hence everything that happens in school (including
unstructured time such as breaks) or through school is part of the
curriculum
6
The Context of the New National
Curriculum
• The review has been driven by the ‘small
government’ doctrine …. teachers are the
experts
• It is an ‘essential knowledge’ curriculum some sections are detailed & others are very
sparse
• It’s not national, nor new, nor a curriculum
• Major focus on literacy & numeracy: fluency
• Prescription is in inverse proportion to age
How much curriculum freedom?
Subject
English
Maths
Science
Art & design
Citizenship
Computing
Design & technology
Cooking and nutrition
Geography
History
Languages
Music
PE
No of pages
KS 1 & 2
67
39
32
1
N/a
1
2
1
3
4
2
1
2
KS3
3
6
10
1
1
1
2
1
2
3
2
1
1
The State We’re In
• Few senior leaders / teachers have had any professional
development in curriculum development / design
• Few teachers have curriculum development / design
experience
• Many teachers see themselves as curriculum delivery
technicians
• Many teachers believe the curriculum is something handed
down to them by higher authority that they have to do to
pupils
• Many do not feel confident about implementing the new NC
• But there is some good news:
YoC
Asking the right questions
about the new curriculum
• What is all the ‘stuff’
we have to teach?
• How much of it is in our
existing curriculum?
• How can we ‘slot in’
what’s missing?
• Job done?
• How effective is
learning now?
• How much does it need
to change to make
learning (in the context
of the new curriculum)
really effective?
Which approach feels most comfortable? Why?
What do we mean by effective
learning?
Your own experience of learning?
Highly
effective
Ineffective
1
2
Unengaging;
teacher-led;
monotonous;
unquestioned
facts;
task-oriented;
unmemorable;
summative
assessment; alien
/ unconnected
3
4
5
6
7
What part does
an outstanding
curriculum play?
8
9
10
Inspiring;
teacher / group /
paired / student-led;
varied; debatable
interpretations;
learning-oriented;
very memorable;
formative
assessment; relevant
/ personalised
If we agree it’s about deep
learning…
How effective is learning now?
How do you know?
How much does it need to change?
Do you have an agreed statement / description
of quality learning?
If so, how was it derived? Who was consulted?
Is it part of the school’s DNA?
Where does the National Curriculum sit?
Often negative feelings stem from
criticism suffered long ago. It’s as if
we had been hypnotised to accept
our non-existent limitations.
Peter Kline
The Everyday Genius
or peak?
Foothills….
Create
Evaluate
Apply
Understand
Remember
Year Group & Subject
Learning Unit:
No. of lessons
Key Unit Competency
To be able to …….
Content
Learning Objectives
Knowledge and
understanding
Skills
Contribution to generic competencies:
Contribution to literacy:
Contribution to numeracy:
Contribution to cross-cutting issues:
Links to other subjects:
Materials:
Attitudes and values
Learning Activities
(To address learning objectives plus
generic competencies, literacy and
numeracy, cross-cutting issues)
Monitoring
DifferentProgress
Lenses on- Different
the Curriculum
Lenses on the School
Student learning
and outcomes
Perceptions
Teaching &
Assessment
Cohort
Content
Features of schools making change
Black Country Challenge Mick Waters 2012
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accept the qualification /
curriculum divide
Consult the learners at every
stage
Pursue coherent themes in
learning
Deploy teachers in teams
Extend sessions – avoid five
starts a day
Revamp homework
Rethink the use of exercise
books
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Enjoy articulacy and
mathematicality
Exploit ICT
Say LO to WALT less often
Co-ordinate products
Provide audiences
Keep assessment in its place
Talk about jobs
Use artefacts, visits and people
Talk about talents and rigour
What do we mean by ‘the
curriculum’?
UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education considers three interrelated
dimensions of the curriculum:
• the intended or official curriculum as defined in guidelines,
frameworks and guides that specify what students are
expected to learn and should be able to do;
• the implemented curriculum that is actually taught in the
classroom, including how it is delivered and who teaches it;
• and the attained curriculum that represents what students
have actually learned.
They go on to point out that the challenge is ensuring coherence and
congruence between curriculum policy documents, the actual pedagogical
process and learning outcomes.
18
What do young people need to succeed in
the 21st century?
How would you describe a young person who is equipped for life?
Take 10 minutes to complete your description
Your list will probably include skills, attitudes, qualities, values and dispositions
19
questioning
makes connections
confident takes risks
There is no right answer
but your description
listens and reflects
undoubtedly includes
makes
a difference
some
of the
following:
thirst for knowledge
healthy
independent
willing to have a go
gets on well with others
persevering
generates ideas
literate
critical self-editing
communicates well
self-esteem
creative
shows initiative
compassionate
shaper
respectful
skilled
flexible
curious
‘can do’ attitude
acts with integrity
loves learning
learns from mistakes
thinks for themselves
20
A lot of information....
How can we use it?
Which qualities relate to the
heart?
What do we want young
Who
should
be engaged
people
to be able
to do?
inWhat
the process?
do we want young
people
to know?
The
more
stakeholders /
What does it tell us about:
groups
Aims? the better?
It Values?
always leads to some
Competencies?
valuable
discussions
The school curriculum?
Somewhere Primary School
Strengths of our pupils
Areas for Development
They are...
• Thoughtful
• Articulate
• Literate
• Numerate
• Creative
• Happy
• Confident
• Caring and empathetic
• Friendly
• Good social skills
We aim to encourage our pupils
to be more...
• Independent and self
motivated
• Resourceful
• Resilient
• Responsible
• Creative
• Have greater respect for
property
• Have a bigger picture of the
world
Theory into practice
If we want learners to be
more….
• Independent and self
motivated
• Resourceful
• Resilient
• Responsible
• Creative
The curriculum must….
• ???
• ???
Maths
English
Science
Geography
History
RE
PE
Music
Languages
Art &
Design
Design
Technology
Computing
Maths
English
History
RE
Languages
Art &
Design
Science
Geography
PE
Music
Design
Technology
Computing
Planning the school curriculum
Assemblies
Lessons
Local study
School garden
Subject-focused
lessons
Working with artist
Residential Visit
Themes
Museum Visits
Field
study
Expertise
of staff
Coaching
After school activities
Newspaper
Pupil responsibility: routines
Planning the school curriculum
Subject areas
Lessons
Local study
School garden
Working with artist
Subjectfocused
lessons
Residential Visit
Themes
Museum Visits
Field
study
Expertise
of staff
After school
activities
Pupil responsibility: routines
Key skills
Coaching
Newspaper
Competencies
Personal development
Assemblies
A joined-up curriculum
Assemblies
Lessons
Local study
School garden
Subject-focused
lessons
Working with artist
Residential Visit
Themes
Museum Visits
Field
study
Expertise
of staff
Coaching
After school activities
Newspaper
Pupil responsibility: routines
Organising learning in a curriculum for the future
C20th
When?
Where?
How?
Who?
What?
C21th
Standardised units
(60 min sessions)
Metronomic
Classroom
Serial experiences
Narrow range T/L
Learner as receiver
Teacher
The class 30 -1
Content and
coverage
Towards the test
Flexible: Time matched to
learning need
Regular/often – deep/immersive
Range of locations – flexible
spaces - permeable school –
cyber- space
Connected and interdisciplinary
Wider range of approaches –
project-based, enquiry-based,
co-constructed, student initiated
School as broker – employer,
artist, poet, community, peers other goupings
Outcomes and impact
Towards lifelong learning
A choice or a compromise?
Performance Measures
Learners’ best interests
Chasing cusps
All treated equally
Little / no focus on skills and competencies
Comprehensive focus on skills and
competencies
Course selection in best interests of school
outcomes
Course selection in best interests of learners
Focus on key examination years and
intervention
Focus on continuous progress
Focus on tried and tested teaching and
learning
Focus on innovation and memorable
experiences
The Year of the Curriculum
A curriculum design programme produced by the Curriculum
Foundation in partnership with the NUT
The programme consists of four modules, each with two units:
What are we
trying to
achieve?
How shall we
organise
learning?
How shall we
evaluate
success?
http://www.teachers.org.uk/campaigns/curriculum
How do we
make it
happen?
The school curriculum and the
National Curriculum
School Curriculum
National
Curriculum
Maintained schools since
1988 National Curriculum
Getting the balance right
How much ‘school curriculum’ can
beNational
created and how will it be used
Curriculum
for
the benefit of learners?
National
School Curriculum
Curriculum
Whose is the school curriculum?
National
National
Who will
design it?
Curriculum
Curriculum
Who will be consulted?
Is it a topic, a lesson, a
homework, an assembly?
School Curriculum
National
Curriculum
The body?
Mary Seacole and the
Crimean War?
Abuse of alcohol and
other drugs?
Know where food
comes from?
…great artists,
architects and
designers in History?
….or a bin job?
What should we do with the school
curriculum?
Personalisation
School
Curriculum
Excite imagination
Latin
World history
Trips / visits
National
Curriculum
PSHE /
Citizenship
Aims
Hopefulness
Drama
Big ideas
Learners interests and
talents
Skills and competences for
learning and life
Sense of agency
Environment and sustainability
Creativity
Relevance
Local curriculum
Outdoor learning / play
The Romans
Churchill
Parts of a plant
Magnetism
Picasso
Rhythm
Properties of materials
The branches of learning
reflecting major areas of human endeavour
and ways of thinking
The Romans
Churchill
Parts of a plant
Magnetism
Picasso
Properties of materials
Rhythm
The Trunk
The quality of pupils’ learning
experiences
Explaining Your Curriculum:
The Tree Model
Quality of leadership in, and management of, the school
Curricular
impact …does
your curriculum
do this?
Pupil Premium
Impact of
policies
Parents/carers
Safeguarding
1 Outstanding
2 Good
The school’s curriculum
promotes and sustains a thirst for
knowledge and a love of learning. It covers a wide
range of subjects and provides opportunities for
academic, technical and sporting excellence. It has
a very positive impact on all pupils’ behaviour and
safety, and contributes very well to pupils’ academic
achievement, their physical wellbeing, and their
spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
The school’s curriculum encourages a thirst for
knowledge and a love of learning. It covers a
range of subjects and provides opportunities for
academic, technical and sporting excellence
and contributes well to pupils’ academic
achievement, their physical wellbeing, and their
spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
It promotes positive behaviour and a good
understanding of safety matters.
The school’s actions have secured improvement in achievement for those
supported by the pupil premium, which is rising rapidly, including in English
and mathematics.
The school’s actions have secured improvement
in achievement for those supported by the pupil
premium, which is rising, including in English and
mathematics.
There are excellent policies underpinning practice
which ensure that pupils have high levels of literacy,
or pupils are making excellent progress in literacy.
The well thought out policies ensure that pupils
make at least good progress in literacy.
The school has highly successful strategies for
engaging with parents to the benefit of pupils, including
The school works well with parents, including
those who might find working with the school
difficult, to achieve positive benefits for pupils.
The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.
The school’s arrangements for safeguarding
pupils meet statutory requirements.
those who find working with the school difficult.
42
The behaviour and safety of pupils at the school
Attitudes
1 Outstanding
2 Good
Pupils’ consistently display a thirst for knowledge and a
love of learning, including in independent, group and
whole class work, which have a very strong impact on
their progress in lessons. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are of
an equally high standard across subjects, years, classes
and with different staff.
Pupils’ attitudes to all aspects of learning,
including in independent, group and whole
class work, are consistently positive, and have a
good impact on the progress they make Pupils
respond very quickly to staff’s instructions and
requests allowing lessons to flow smoothly and
without interruption. Low-level disruption in
lessons is uncommon. Pupils’ attitudes to learning
are positive across subjects, years, classes and
with different staff. Pupils understand the
importance of good attitudes and behaviour in
school life, adult life and work.
Parents, staff and pupils are unreservedly positive about both behaviour and safety.
There are few well founded concerns expressed
by parents, staff and pupils about behaviour
and safety.
Pupils’ behaviour outside lessons is almost always
impeccable. Pupils’ pride in the school is shown by their
excellent conduct, manners and punctuality. Pupils are
keenly aware how good attitudes and behaviour
contribute to school life, adult life and work.
There is a positive ethos in, and around, the
school. Pupils conduct themselves well at all
different times of day, including at lunch time,
attend regularly, have good attitudes and are
punctual to lessons.
Skilled and highly consistent behaviour management by all staff makes a strong
Behaviour is managed consistently well. There
are marked improvements in behaviour over
time for individuals or groups with particular
behavioural needs.
Pupils are fully aware of different forms of bullying, including cyberbullying and prejudice-based bullying, and actively try to prevent it
from occurring. Bullying and derogatory or aggressive language in
all their forms are rare and dealt with highly effectively.
Pupils have a good awareness of different forms
of bullying. There are few instances of bullying
and these are dealt with effectively by the
school.
All groups of pupils are safe and feel safe at school and at
alternative provision placements at all times. They understand very
clearly what constitutes unsafe situations and are highly aware of
how to keep themselves and others safe, including in relation to esafety.
Pupils are safe and feel safe at school and at
alternative provision placements and
understand how to keep themselves safe in
different situations.
Views
Ethos
Behaviour
Management
Bullying
Safety
contribution to an exceptionally
positive climate for learning. There are
excellent improvements in behaviour over time for individuals or
groups with particular behaviour needs.
43
The quality of teaching in the school
Overall impact
Expectations
1 Outstanding
2 Good
Much of the teaching in all key stages and most subjects is outstanding and never less
than consistently good. As a result, almost all pupils currently on roll in the school,
including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, those for whom
the pupil premium provides support and the most able, are making rapid and
sustained progress.
Teaching in most subjects, including English and
mathematics, is usually good, with examples of some
outstanding teaching. As a result, most pupils and
groups of pupils on roll in the school, including
disabled pupils, those who have special educational
needs, those for whom the pupil premium provides
support and the most able, make good progress and
achieve well over time.
All teachers have consistently
Teachers have high expectations.
high expectations of all pupils.
They plan and teach lessons that enable pupils to
Expertise
Strategies
Basic skills
Motivate &
enthuse
Feedback and
Questioning
across the curriculum.
They plan and teach lessons that deepen pupils’
knowledge and understanding and enable them to
develop a range of skills across the curriculum.
Teachers use well-judged and often
imaginative teaching strategies,
including setting appropriate homework that, together with clearly directed and
timely support and intervention, match individual needs accurately.
Consequently, pupils learn exceptionally well across the curriculum.
Effective teaching strategies, including setting
appropriate homework, and appropriately targeted
support and intervention are matched well to most
pupils’ individual needs, including those most and
least able, so that pupils learn well in lessons.
The teaching of reading, writing, communication and
mathematics is highly effective and cohesively planned and
implemented across the curriculum.
Teachers and other adults authoritatively impart knowledge to
ensure students are engaged in learning, and generate high
levels of commitment to learning across the school.
Reading, writing, communication and mathematics
are taught effectively.
Teachers systematically and effectively check pupils’
understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where they may
need to intervene and doing so with notable impact on the
quality of learning.
Consistently high quality marking and constructive feedback from
Teachers listen to, carefully observe and skilfully
question pupils during lessons in order to reshape tasks
and explanations to improve learning.
teachers ensure that pupils make rapid gains.
Assessment
learn exceptionally well
Teachers and other adults create a positive climate
for learning in their lessons and pupils are interested
and engaged.
assess pupils’ learning and
progress regularly and accurately at all
key stages, including in the Early Years
Foundation Stage. They ensure that pupils know
44 to do
how well they have done and what they need
Teachers
to improve.
Designing your curriculum
How do we design a curriculum
-
which promotes and sustains a thirst for knowledge and a love
of learning?
with attitudes to learning of an equally high standard across
subjects, years, classes and with different staff?
in which the teaching of reading, writing, communication and
mathematics is highly effective and cohesively planned and
implemented across the curriculum?
in which teachers and other adults authoritatively impart
knowledge to ensure students are engaged in learning?
To what extent must curriculum policy and practice be
established at school level?
Is there a tension between doing the right thing and league
table outcomes? If so how is it addressed?
Question for teachers:
Do you see yourself as …..
….. a curriculum delivery
technician…
or….. a professional
designer of learning?
What are we going to do now?
Design and implement a complete world class
curriculum for our learners in our schools
• Build in all the learning experiences
needed for:
knowledge and understanding;
skills and competencies;
attitudes and values
• National Curriculum in perspective
Use ‘Year of the Curriculum’ programme
Be an evangelist for a 21st century curriculum for
England
"Education is not
filling a bucket,
but lighting a
fire."
W. B. Yeats