‘Look how far we’ve come!’

Well hello there, and welcome to update #106!

As we come to the end of the year, I thought it would be good to reflect on the gains in curriculum conception and implementation in recent years.

We can often feel that there is so much more to do.

This can be overwhelming.

Yet, we neglect to clock the gains we’ve made, and just how far we’ve come.

When we do give ourselves a pat on the back for what we’ve achieved, it does two things:

• It gives us a sense of pride in what can be achieved over tune

• It gives us the energy to carry on.

So, here are my observations:

There has been a marked shift in discussion of and appreciation for the curriculum across all parts of the sector in the last few years.

This has partly, but not solely been driven by the Education Inspection Framework.

Prior to this, the quality of discourse about the curriculum was frequently muddled:

· Privileging of skills over knowledge, particularly in primary

· Thematic topics with no underlying coherent curriculum principles

· Focus on KS4 at the expense of KS3 in secondary, with the latter often framed as a mini KS4

· A lack of ambition, particularly for pupils with lower starting points

· An inability to talk about the distinctive aspects of individual subjects

· Lack of clarity about the purpose and limitations of assessment

That being said, there were many settings doing great work, thinking hard and providing a cracking offer for young people.

Since 2019, interest in and deep engagement with curriculum principles and consequent implementation and impact has been a key feature of school improvement priorities.

Schools have been supported in these conversations through blogs, podcasts, inspection guidance, training and books about the curriculum.

These are some of the great strides that have been made:

· Increased confidence in articulating the purpose of the curriculum, beyond framing it in terms of SATs outcomes in primary and KS4 and KS5 exam results in secondary

· Greater attention paid to considering what an ambitious offer might be for all pupils, regardless of their starting points

· Recognising the importance of sequencing the curriculum so that pupils are able to make connections in their learning, over time

· More thought given to how the curriculum moves from the ‘intent’ statements to the quality of what lands on pupils’ desks, in other words the implementation of the curriculum

· A greater emphasis on a curriculum that is accessible to all, including those with lower starting points

· More thoughtful approaches to assessment

· Senior leaders paying attention to how teachers are supported to develop their subject knowledge

I think it is important for the sector to appreciate the great gains that they have made both individually and collectively.

This will encourage us all to continue to reflect on and refine the curriculum we provide for young people.

Until next time

Mary

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PS In January I’ll be running three online sessions on assessment to explore how to

• Gather light-touch evidence to show whether pupils have learnt the curriculum

• Make judgements about pupils’ work

• Share meaningful information about pupils’ work with governors, trustees, and external visitors

Free to join the live sessions, registration here.

Live sessions, recordings and resources for schools with a subscription for The Teachers’ Collection.