Curriculum Update: Our Commitment to You in Changing Times We know these are challenging times for schools. Budgets are stretched. Change is on the horizon. And for many school leaders, the uncertainty surrounding the Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR), due this autumn, is adding extra pressure to an already demanding landscape. We want to reassure … Curriculum Update Guaranteed!
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Balancing the Load: Protecting Purpose in Primary Teaching Ask any primary teacher what’s most fulfilling about the job, and the answer will often boil down to the same core themes: relationships with pupils, the joy of seeing progress, and the creative craft of teaching. But these same professionals are also carrying an increasingly heavy load, … Teachers Work Too Hard
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AI and the Primary Curriculum: A Cautionary Opportunity In recent times, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to get a foothold in UK schools, not just as a classroom curiosity, but as a serious contender in shaping curriculum design. With large language models capable of drafting lesson plans, writing curriculum overviews, and generating resource materials in … Curriculum Development and AI – Where’s the Harm?
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Let Teachers Teach: Why Less Prescription Matters This is a really relevant issue for teachers, especially in a climate where curriculum prescription and rigid teaching frameworks can sometimes feel stifling. In the ever-evolving world of education, the call for consistency and accountability has led to a growing trend: prescribing exactly how teachers should teach. While … How Strict Teaching Prescriptions Can Distract Teachers from What Matters Most
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Primary Curriculum Reform: A Moment for Renewal, Not Retreat In the ever-evolving landscape of education, change is both inevitable and necessary. Like a pendulum swinging between educational trends, the curriculum is once again being reviewed and this could be a major shift in thinking. England’s primary curriculum is on the cusp of significant reform, presenting … A NEW Primary Curriculum is Coming… Soon…
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SEND in Primary School: Supporting Every Learner How do we make sure our Curriculum for SEN really delivers? When we talk about education, the goal is clear: every child deserves the chance to be successful and thrive. For SEND pupils, those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, this means having a school experience that’s not … The Primary Curriculum – Opportunity and challenge for all?
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Primary Curriculum Reform: Why We Need More Than Good Intentions The interim report from the Curriculum and Assessment Review (2024) paints a familiar picture. Primary schools are working hard to meet the demands placed upon them. Leaders are making strategic choices, teachers are doing their utmost for children, and across the country, we see real … New Primary Curriculum – The Interim Report says What?
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Education providers and schools have an abundance of resources available to shape and provide effective learning experiences. Two widely recognised options include Twinkl and the thematic whole-school primary curriculum model. Twinkl is an online educational platform that provides teaching resources, learning materials, and tools for educators, parents, and learners. It offers a wide range of … Twinkl vs. A Thematic Whole-School Primary Curriculum: Go Compare!
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“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
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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
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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
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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
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Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start #julieandrewstribute. So, what’s the deal with the Model Music Curriculum (henceforth to be known as the MMC)? Well, in their own words when it was published, it is “the Government’s ambitious plan for all children to have access to an excellent music education… … Our Thoughts on the Model Music Curriculum
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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?
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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?
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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
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It is very easy to keep wearing the same old suit, day in and day out because it still fits (sort of!) and feels comfortable but is it really allowing you to feel your best, work your hardest or make you feel the most confident you can be? Or do you keep putting it off … Saville Row or Hand-Me Down?
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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
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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
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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!
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