When we talk about ambition at Key Stage 3, it’s tempting to start with curriculum plans. I’m more interested in what pupils encounter once they’re in the classroom. What are they reading? What ideas are they being asked to grapple with? How much are they expected to explain, discuss and write?
These questions have shaped our work on The Ambitious Years. We want Years 7–9 to be intellectually substantial in their own right. That means giving pupils access to rich material, including genuine extracts from scholarship, and helping them make sense of it through careful explanation and discussion. The material can be demanding. That is a reason to think hard about how we teach it, rather than lower the pitch.
We’ve also been thinking about what helps schools make this happen. The self-evaluation toolkit gives colleagues a way to examine pupils’ experience of KS3. The subject booklets offer examples of what it can look like to build learning around substantial texts and ideas. And the conversation resources are there to help teachers and leaders discuss the choices behind their curriculum, not simply adopt a set of materials.
On Thursday 24 September, 4–5pm, Catherine Priggs and I are hosting a webinar to walk through the principles behind The Ambitious Years and show how the resources might be used. It’s for teachers, subject leaders and senior leaders. It would be great to see you then, whether you’re already using the materials or are just beginning to explore the work.
You can find out more and register here.
Until next time
Mary