The Year of the Curriculum Dave Peck CEO The Curriculum Foundation

The Year of the Curriculum

Dave PeckCEO

The Curriculum Foundation

Why ‘The Year of the Curriculum’?

• September 2014• National Curriculum disapplication 2013/14• The global 21st century curriculum race• Shift away from threshold measures to

progress measures• Abolition of NC levels• If we don’t overhaul the curriculum now……

What can we achieve today?

The curriculum and…..• …the national picture • …the international context• …planning your aims• …principles - the school leader’s dilemma• …marrying school and national curriculum• …competencies• …world class principles

How are schools responding?

Unreliable survey results:

Confident ready in time59%

Audit current content / slot in new NC content43%

Start from curriculum aims16%

Assessment integral to curriculum design40%

Continue to use NC levels / not sure38% / 59%

Confident new curriculum more engaging than old41%

Where do we begin?

“Could you detail what you regard as the essential elements of a 21st century curriculum for the young

people in this school?”

© Curriculum Foundation 6

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.


The National Curriculum in England:

2.2 The school curriculum comprises all the learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The national curriculum forms one part of the school curriculum.

3.2 …There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum

specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

What do we mean by ‘the curriculum’?

It’s very difficult and very important!

• How many teachers receive curriculum development training?

• How many develop a curriculum from scratch?• How many are confused about the definition

of the word ‘curriculum’?• How can children succeed if the curriculum is

poor? • What are we doing about it?

The Year of the CurriculumA curriculum design programme produced in partnership

with the NUT

What are we trying to achieve?

How shall we organise learning?

How shall we evaluate success?

How do we make it happen?

The programme consists of four modules, each with two units:

http://www.teachers.org.uk/campaigns/curriculum

Year of the Curriculum CPD Conferences:

• Tuesday 25th February, Manchester The Mechanics' Centre

• Tuesday 4th March, Newcastle Hilton• Tuesday 11th March, London, NUT HQ: Mander

Hall• Tuesday 25th March, Exeter, The Rougemont

Hotel by Thistle

Details NUT website

Getting started

Vision

• What is it for?

Aims

• What will it do?

Values

• What values will it develop?

EVALUATION !!!!

Without a clear vision or aims… …..how can we know whether we are doing it

right?…..how can we know what we are getting wrong?

13

What do young people need to succeed in the 21st century?

How would you describe a young person who is equipped for life?Take a couple of minutes to complete your description

Your list will probably include skills, attitudes, qualities, values and dispositions © Curriculum Foundation

© Curriculum Foundation 14creative

makes connections questioning

communicates well

confident takes risks

thirst for knowledge

curious

generates ideas

flexible

compassionate

persevering

listens and reflects

critical self-editing

skilled

shaper

literate

willing to have a go

thinks for themselves

shows initiative

gets on well with othersmakes a difference

acts with integrityself-esteem

respectful

‘can do’ attitude

learns from mistakes

independent

There is no right answer but your description undoubtedly includes some of the following:

loves learning


To what extent does the current curriculum deliver?

Does the current curriculum………. instill the values on your list?…. develop the attitudes on your list?…. teach the skills on your list?…. develop the competencies on your list?…. prepare young people for the 21st century?

If we express curriculum aims simply in terms of knowledge, do you think we can prepare our young people properly for life in the 21st century?

What does this mean for the curriculum?

Vision

• What is it for?

Aims

• What will it do?

Values

• What values will it develop?

More about principles later…..


Curriculum Aims – The Changing National Picture

The new ‘National Curriculum in England Framework’ (September 2013) has only two paragraphs in section 3 under the heading ‘Aims’:

3.1 The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

3.2 The national curriculum is just one element in the education of every child. There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.

To what extent will these ‘aims’ shape your thinking about your school’s aims?


International PerspectivesWhere? Curriculum aims

Australia has committed to …

….supporting all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

Alberta, Canada

….students develop an interrelated set of attitudes, skills and knowledge that can be drawn upon and applied for successful learning, work and living

New Zealand Confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners

Hong Kong ….essential life-long learning experiences for whole-person development in the domains of ethics, intellect, physical development, social skills and aesthetics …. all students can become active, responsible and contributing members of society, the nation and the world

Singapore ….holistically nurturing students to become well-rounded persons - morally, intellectually, physically, socially and aesthetically


Higher Order Thinking

Create

Evaluate

Apply

Understand

Remember

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Objectives has remained a key element of teacher training since its publication in 1956

Clearly if young people are to be engaged in deep learning it is critical that the curriculum is designed to take account of all levels and not just memorisation and recall

1. I am actively engaged in, and passionate about teaching and learning2. I provide students with multiple opportunities for learning based on surface and

deep thinking3. I know the learning intentions and success criteria of my lessons and I share these

with students4. I am open to learning and actively learn myself5. I have a warm and caring classroom climate in which errors are welcome6. I seek regular feedback from my students7. My students are actively involved in knowing about their learning (that is they are

assessment capable)8. I can identify progression in learning across multiple curricular levels in my

student work and activities9. I have a wide range of teaching strategies in my day to day teaching repertoire10. I use evidence of learning to plan the next learning steps with students

Which of these is dependent on a learner-centred approach?To what extent can a teacher be effective teaching a ‘traditional’ curriculum?

Personal Health Check for Visible Learning (Hattie)


Impact on International Standards

• “PISA tests students’ ability to apply their learning to think critically, solve problems and make judgements”

• “Japan responded by moving away from a narrow knowledge-based curriculum and to focus more on skills and broader understanding”

Andreas SchleicherDivision Head OECD i/c PISA

So if the curriculum is to improve the nation’s performance in PISA tests it must have a strong focus on the higher levels of learning not just knowledge

December 2013

Nation’s kids top fields in PISA tests

For the first time ever, Japanese 15 year-olds topped the list in reading and science performance in an international academic survey last year covering 34 developed countries, according to data released Tuesday by the OECD.

Japanese students also performed send best in Math in the triennial study…..

Who said this?

“Right wing critics of education want children to be lectured for six hours a day in serried

ranks”

Sir Michael Wilshaw January 2014

The ‘Traditional’ Approach

"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire."

W. B. Yeats

The School Leader’s DilemmaEvery child must have the knowledge to pass their examinations. THAT is what the National Curriculum is all about and THAT is the priority in our school.

To survive in the global economy of today, our young people need the skills to continue to learn throughout their lives. We must produce confident, employable young adults who can make their way in the world.


The debate in your own school….

Every school is positioned somewhere along this continuum with respect to its interpretation of the curriculum. Where is your school now and where do you want it to be?

How will your school’s belief with respect to the scope of the curriculum be reflected in curriculum aims and values?

Subject knowledge Subjects Plus All Planned Experiences All-inclusive

The school curriculum and the National Curriculum

School Curriculum

National Curriculu

m

Maintained schools since 1988 National Curriculum

School Curriculum

National Curriculum

National Curriculum

Where’s the silver lining?

National Curriculum

How much ‘school curriculum’ can be created and how will it be used for the benefit of learners?

What should we do with the school curriculum?

School Curriculum

National Curriculum

Excite imagination

World history

Skills and competences for learning and life

Sense of agency Hopefulness

Big ideas

Learners interests and talents

Environment and sustainability

Creativity

Local curriculum

Personalisation

RelevanceDrama

PSHE / Citizenship

Aims


New ZealandKey Competencies

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Using languages, symbols and texts

• Managing self

• Relating to others

Many high performing countries have a set of competencies at the heart of their curriculum.


Singapore21st Century Competencies

• Decision making

• Critical and media skills

• Information and communication skills


South KoreaStudent Competencies

• critical thinking and problem solving• communication• innovation and creativity• investigation • co-operation


There is no one ‘right’ set of competencies. Different countries have different sets – but there is a similarity around:

• Critical thinking – problem solving• Working co-operatively• Communicating well• Innovation - creativity

The current English Secondary National Curriculum has the 6 ‘Personal, learning and thinking skills” (PLTS). The never-implemented Rose Primary Curriculum had the “Essentials of Learning and Life”. The new English National Curriculum does not include competencies – so, given their importance internationally, you might like to develop your own as a school.

Perhaps this what the time and space is for?


Whose Curriculum Is It?Working with Stakeholders

Which competencies?

Many schools work with their stakeholders to think through what should be in the curriculum. So who should be consulted?

Teachers – the trained professionals?Employers – those in need of able and skilled future employees?Parents – who need to be confident of the appropriateness of the curriculum and informed enough to support children’s learning?Governors – with overall responsibility for the quality of the curriculum?Students – whom we hope will be inspired by the curriculum?

This is a matter for each school to decide


Working with Stakeholders Case Study

A school began to question how appropriate its curriculum was for all of its young people. This led to fundamental questions about the purposes and aims of the curriculum and the school’s values.

Consultation events were organised when parents, governors, teachers and employers, in mixed groups, discussed the purpose of the curriculum and produced ‘stick man’ descriptions of the ideal outcomes for a student in the 21st century.

The results shaped the school’s aims and values as well as the key attitudes, skills and competences. There was universal agreement that the time spent represented a sound investment.


World Class Curriculum Principles

Curriculum Foundation colleagues have worked on curriculum designs in many countries and have often been asked what a truly world class curriculum would look like.

No two schools are the same and therefore the design process inevitably produces principles which differ from one school to the next. Hence there is no blueprint, no ‘one size fits all’ set of curriculum principles.

However, there are common features which every curriculum should have if it is to prepare our young people for success in the 21st century global economy.

From these common features, the Foundation has developed a set of ten World Class Curriculum principles, grouped into four domains.

The document A World Class Curriculum – The Principles is available from the Foundation website.

These principles are offered here to show how a set of curriculum principles might be expressed and presented and NOT as the right answer!


Organising Your Curriculum Principles

The process by which you arrive at your own set of curriculum principles is for you and your colleagues to decide but you may wish to categorise the principles into domains in a similar way.

Curriculum designers certainly find it easier to take account of principles if they are grouped into categories.

Take a look at the four domains:

Consider a traditional, examination-focussed curriculum. To what extent would you expect each of the four domains to be represented?Is there an appropriate balance of these four domains in your school’s current curriculum?

Values, aims and

principles

Key competencies

for learning and life

The world’s major

branches of learning

Community, local,

national and global

contexts


Auditing Your Curriculum

Also available on the Foundation website is the World Class Curriculum audit: Click here

Schools can use this audit tool to RAG rate* the curriculum against each of the ten principles.

Many schools have used the audit as a starting point for their curriculum development process but it can be used at any stage, including at this point to cross-check or quality assure draft school principles.

Colleagues have reported that it leads to deep and valuable conversations and helps schools on the path to developing a quality curriculum.

*RAG rating: Red = not met; Amber = partially met; Green = fully met

http://www.curriculumfoundation.org/resources

"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire."

Documents

The Year of the Curriculum Dave Peck CEO The Curriculum Foundation