“Children are naturally curious” is a phrase that is often heard when discussing or debating learning. Classrooms become places buzzing with curiosity – pupils confidently sharing ideas, asking great questions, and working together to figure things out! That’s what happens when primary children are taught the critical thinking skills of argument and reasoning.  At first glance, you … Big Ideas for Young Critical Thinkers: Why Arguments and Reasoning Matter in Primary Schools

You don’t need telling the world is changing, and so must our approach to education. In UK primary schools, the curriculum has long fluctuated between different teaching approaches: thematic, single-subject, knowledge-rich, and skills-based. But with pupils facing a rapidly evolving world, where critical thinking skills are fundamental, schools are now asking a vital question: Why … Preparing Students for a Global Future: Perspectives and Interpretations in UK Primary Schools

The Perfect Harmony: Nurturing Creativity within a Knowledge-Rich Primary Curriculum In the realm of education, there has often been a perceived tension between fostering creativity and imparting a knowledge-rich primary curriculum. The dichotomy between the two has been the subject of a longstanding debate, with some arguing that a rigorous focus on knowledge acquisition stifles … Nurturing Creativity within a Knowledge-Rich Primary Curriculum

Ah, the brave new world of education! With each passing day, technology is becoming as much a part of the classroom as the trusty blackboard. One of the most buzzed-about arrivals in this digital revolution is none other than our silicon friend, Artificial Intelligence.  But before you picture robots in teacher’s gowns, let’s get one … Byte-Sized Learners: Navigating the AI Frontier in Primary Education 

Since the inception of the latest inspection framework, have you come across the belief that Ofsted don’t like the thematic curriculum approach? Probably. However, what evidence is there for this? How has this idea taken root in so many schools’ psyche? Let’s apply the Key Stage 2 English curriculum objective here: Distinguish between statements of … “Ofsted don’t like the thematic curriculum approach.” Fact or Fiction?

Have you ever heard of someone called Edward Tufte? Probably not. Well, he wrote a book called ‘Beautiful Evidence’, which has an entire chapter devoted to the pervasive cognitive style of PowerPoint, which is quite worrying and certainly gets you thinking… A subsequently published short article of his was entitled: PowerPoint Is Evil Power Corrupts. … What’s wrong with too much teaching by PowerPoint?

When it comes to planning a curriculum there are so many suggested approaches as to how to tailor, personalise, set clear targets, meet national curriculum guidelines, be inspiring and aspirational (the list goes on!) that it can often feel overwhelming and quite frankly, exhausting. You may think you’ve covered all the bases only to find … A Connected Curriculum

In a previous blogpost, we looked at powerful knowledge and concluded that this is knowledge with significance. So, now we want to explore further what significance means within the curriculum design process, and how this should be given due consideration. Let’s start with a definition… Significance means “sufficiently great or important enough to be worthy … The Importance of Significance within Curriculum Design

In at the Deep End! Part 2 Welcome back! Once again, we are donning our goggles and taking a dive down into the subject of curriculum depth. In our previous blog on the topic, we discussed three important aspects of what is required to ensure curriculum depth. In this part, we will explore another three.  … Curriculum Depth Part 2

Change Leaders and Change Managers In our first instalment, the terms ‘lead’ and ‘manage’ were mentioned as key styles, both in their day-to-day roles and through periods of change. This blog will discuss and distinguish between the features of ‘change leadership’ and ‘change management’.  Historically, these terms have been used interchangeably to mean the same … Be a Champion for Change!

Leading and Managing Change within School – Because we want to vs. Because we have to  There are usually two routes through which changes occur within a school; external factors or internal ones. It is how the Headteacher leads, guides and supports these changes that will determine how successful these changes will be. This post … A Head’s Role in Leading and Managing Change Within School

Curriculum Depth – In at the Deep End! Part 1 Let’s take the analogy that the curriculum is like a swimming pool; we want our pupils to be confident enough to swim both widths and lengths (stamina for learning), starting on the surface, in the shallow end.  We also, however, want our pupils to become … Curriculum Depth Part 1

How to Become an Inspirational Headteacher in the Current Climate Staff wellbeing and time management are often on the lips of headteachers when asked about their current situation, but what does this really mean? Is it just cakes in the staffroom and extra PPA time? What real impact is their role having on the school? … How to Become an Inspirational Headteacher

How Can You Personalise Your School Curriculum when it is primarily driven by National Curriculum coverage? Have you considered that even a small shift away from the rigid one-size fits all approach could have a positive impact? Time Problem  Trying to cover too much content in too much detail leads to shallow learning, reflected in … How Can You Personalise Your School Curriculum?

Talking to Pupils About the Russia-Ukraine Crisis The Russia-Ukraine crisis has recently sparked new conversations around how we teach our children about conflict in a way which is sensitive and age-appropriate. Your youngest pupils may not be aware of this particular conflict, but certainly your ‘tweens’ will be hearing and seeing things that they may … Teaching Children About Conflict

Have you ever been asked to make your curriculum more global? For many years, as the Primary Headteacher of a successful British International School and like Headteachers everywhere, I wanted the very best curriculum for my children. A curriculum that opened their young minds as global citizens, was inclusive, helped them to be more creative, … <strong>What is a global curriculum? </strong>

Can you explain the difference between them? If not, let us help you with this simple guide to components and composites! Pupils are on a learning journey made up of incremental steps. These steps are known as components of the curriculum.  Our aim as teachers is to help them reach different destinations on that journey. These are … Components and Composites

We are told that pupils need powerful knowledge, but what does ‘powerful knowledge’ mean and what does it look like? OK, let’s start by defining powerful. Powerful is having a lot of strength or force or having a great effect.  So, what qualifies as knowledge with a lot of strength, force and has a great … What is Powerful Knowledge?