A Curriculum for the FutureThe New Secondary Curriculum

Steve Keeble SSAT

Lead Practitioner North Suffolk

Small Rural Secondary Schools

and Curriculum Change

Objectives

• A better understanding of issues in small rural schools surrounding implementation of the new secondary curriculum

• A shared understanding of issues of collaboration in rural settings

• A better understanding of how we can make the most of the opportunities presented by the new secondary curriculum

• Share issues raised by delegates• Use Teacher Voice to feedback to SSAT/QCA

Jot down

2 exiting things and

2 challenging things about implementing curriculum change

for your school

Task

The benefits of rural schools

• A school is an important element of a thriving village/town

• Children are educated closer to home and the curriculum can be directly related to the local environment.

• There is easy accessibility for parents and teachers alike.

• The rural village/town secondary school may also play a key role in the social, as well as educational, life of the community.

• It may provide a rich cultural resource for the village and be a focus for a range of activities.

But………

• a balance has to be struck between:• the difficulties and increased costs of maintaining a

small school• Appropriate specialist status• The curriculum offer, broad and balanced or specific to

the community, i.e. vocational emphasis e.g. land based/engineering with limited staffing

• Ability to offer diplomas and multiple lines of learning• the consequences of its closure, particularly in terms of

traveling times for students

Context

• Specialism Business and Enterprise with a Rural Dimension

• Catchment Rural, Acorn says high percentage of wealthy achievers but….

• Feeder Schools 6; Year 6 class sizes 4-16 • NOR 345• 5+A*-C GCSE Rising Trend (But variance due to small

cohort) JVA A*-C= 8/A*-C inc En/Ma= 5• FE Colleges 45 Minutes travel….few busses• Bussed in? 80%• SEN Statements 17%• School Action/+ 22%

I want to improve myself......... I want to Learn….. I want to see how good I am...... I want to know that I am making progress

I want to improve myself......... I want to Learn….. I want to see how good I am...... I want to know that I am making progress

I don’t have a clear career path but I know I want a good job and for that I need qualifications. I want to contribute to society and I know the sort of person I want to be.I want my personal growth recognised in some formal ways

Opportunities

• Because of the school’s Business and Enterprise Specialist status, students have an option to take vocational courses at key stage 4.

• A philanthropic local farmer• Initially an opportunity to offer vocational options in partnership with

a local FE provider• From 2008 a new partnership with locality schools• Gives wider exposure to different student cohorts-more opportunity

for role model development• More appropriate curriculum for our students• Opportunity to personalise learning through wider curriculum choice• An Innovative Curriculum Model Designed to Meet Learner Needs?

Barriers to Remove

• Rural families do not have a tradition of going on to post compulsory education

• Compliant parent body• A reluctance among students to be independent learners• Connexions advisors find low career expectations and

lack of ambition• With broadened option offer small KS4 class sizes• Expensive• Transport

Solutions

• An SLT prepared to take risks!!• Some “Creative” Timetabling• Vertical Federations• Horizontal Federations• Access to funding linked to partnership working• Schools within schools• Flexible environments• Local business partnerships• Integrated locality transport

Preparing to Change…….

• Super rationalist: this is not possible, because this is not the * way we do things

• Nay Sayers: Yes, but have you thought of this and that, and these, it's just not possible is it!

• Passive Resistors: Yes, that's a great idea, yes brilliant.... Have you done something about it: No!

• Things will get back...: Don't worry he's got this new idea, go along with it, he will have forgotten next week!

• Seasoned Veterans: We tried this in 1937, and it didn't work, so it won't work, sorry.

• Bottom Liner: NO, it will never work, no discussion on that.• Yes, ... but: It is a very good idea, BUT have you thought to ...

2005

• BLOCK 1:• Land based studies• Geography • ICT• Applied Business **• BLOCK 2 :• Art & Design • Food Technology• Graphics• Resistant Materials• Applied Business**

• BLOCK 3:• PE• French• ASDAN• Applied Business** • BLOCK 4:• Expressive Arts (Dance,

Drama, Music) • History• ICT• Applied Business**

2008

• BLOCK 1:• *Motor Vehicle Studies• *Building and Construction• *Land Based Studies• *Hairdressing• Art and Design• Food Technology• Business Studies• BLOCK 2:• *Motor Vehicle Studies• *Building and Construction• *Land Based Studies• *Hairdressing• Spanish• History• ICT

• BLOCK 3:• Graphics• PE• Resistant Materials• Music• Life Skills• BLOCK 4:• Business Studies• Geography• French• ASDAN• ICT• Twilight• Customer Service Technical

Certificate• GCSE Drama

Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy

Physical development

Personal, social and emotional development

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Communication, language and literacy

Creative development

PSHEPW EW+FC

PEMuMFL RE SCMaICTHiGeEnD & TCiA & D

The curriculum as an entire planned learning experience underpinned by a broad set of common values and purposes

Whole curriculum dimensions

Approaches to learning

Components

Every Child Matters outcomes

Focus for learning

Curriculum aims

Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic wellbeing

Attitudes and attributeseg determined, adaptable, confident,

risk-taking, enterprising

Knowledge and understandingeg big ideas that shape the world

Skills eg literacy, numeracy, ICT, personal,

learning and thinking skills

Successful learnerswho enjoy learning, make progress and achieve

Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

Confident individualswho are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives

The curriculum aims to enable all young people to become

Statutory expectations

Overarching themes that have a significance for individuals and society, and provide relevant learning contexts:Identity and cultural diversity - Healthy lifestyles – Community participation – Enterprise – Global dimension and sustainable development –

Technology and the media – Creativity and critical thinking.

Varied and matched to learning need

e.g. enquiry, instruction, active,

practical, theoretical

Assessment is fit for purpose and integral to

learning and teaching

Opportunities for spiritual, moral, social, cultural,

emotional, intellectual and

physical development

In tune with human

development

Assessment develops

learners’ self-esteem and

commitment to their learning

Personalised - offering challenge

and support to enable all learners make progress and

achieve

Assessment uses a wide range of

evidence to encourage learners to

reflect on their own learning

Involve learners

proactively in their own learning

Resource well-matched to

learning needeg. use of time, space, people,

materials

Relevant, purposeful and for a range of

audiences

Environment RoutinesLocationsLessonsLearning outside the classroomEvents Extended hours

Evaluating impact

Accountability measures

To secure

The curriculum as an entire planned learning experience underpinned by a broad set of common values and purposes

Whole curriculum dimensions

Approaches to learning

Components

Every Child Matters outcomes

Focus for learning

Curriculum aims

Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic wellbeing

Attitudes and attributeseg determined, adaptable, confident,

risk-taking, enterprising

Knowledge and understandingeg big ideas that shape the world

Skills eg literacy, numeracy, ICT, personal,

learning and thinking skills

Successful learnerswho enjoy learning, make progress and achieve

Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

Confident individualswho are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives

The curriculum aims to enable all young people to become

Statutory expectations

Overarching themes that have a significance for individuals and society, and provide relevant learning contexts:Identity and cultural diversity - Healthy lifestyles – Community participation – Enterprise – Global dimension and sustainable development –

Technology and the media – Creativity and critical thinking.

Varied and matched to learning need

eg enquiry, instruction, active, practical,

theoretical

Assessment is fit for purpose and integral to

learning and teaching

Opportunities for spiritual, moral, social, cultural,

emotional, intellectual and

physical development

In tune with human

development

Assessment develops

learners’ self-esteem and

commitment to their learning

Personalised - offering challenge

and support to enable all learners to make progress and

achieve

Assessment uses a wide range of

evidence to encourage learners to

reflect on their own learning

Involve learners

proactively in their own learning

Resource well matched to

learning needeg use of time, space, people,

materials

Relevant, purposeful and for a range of

audiences

PSHEPW EW+FC

PEMuMFL RE SCMaICTHiGeEnD & TCiA & D

Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy

Physical development

Personal, social and emotional development

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Communication, language and literacy

Creative development

Environment RoutinesLocationsLessonsLearning outside the classroomEvents Extended hours

Attainment and improved standards

Behaviour and attendance

Further involvement in education, employment or trainingCivic participation Healthy lifestyle choices

Three key questions

3How well

are we achieving our aims?

1What

are we trying to achieve?

2How do we

organise learning?

To make learning and teaching more effective so that learners understand quality and how to improve

Involves the whole school community eg learners, parents, teachers, employers,

governors

Chooses assessment fit

for purpose

Creates a continuous

improvement cycle

Uses a wide range of

measures, both qualitative and

quantitative

Uses ‘critical friends’ to offer

insights and challenge

assumptions

Uses information intelligently to

identify trends and clear goals for improvement

Looks at the whole child eg curriculum aims, progress in

skills, subjects and dimensions

Uses a variety of techniques to

collect and analyse

information

I want to contribute to society and I know the sort of person I want to be.

How good am I? What am I

like? What do I want to

achieve?

Drilling Deeper

• Clear and relevant links across subjects and the world beyond school ensuring coherence and relevance for the learner.

• The Dimensions provide overarching thematic links – and are themselves interdependent.

• The curriculum must be designed to enable personalisation – to value each individual and address her/his needs, aspirations and interests.

• Learning must be organised so that time, people and resources are deployed to optimise learners’ progress.

• This requires a culture of the recognition of all interests, contributions and successes – not solely academic –drawing on the great potential of your staff

• STUDENT VOICE should contribute to the design of the learning process – i.e. curriculum review.

OfSted’s view

The Common Inspection Framework asks inspectors to evaluate how well programmes and activities (which in the case of schools is the curriculum) meet the needs and interests of learners. To do this Inspectors evaluate:

• the extent to which the curriculum matches learners’ needs

• the extent to which the provision contributes to the learners’ personal development and well-being, for example their capacity to stay safe and healthy and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Ofsted’s expectations of what a school will do in relation to its curriculum are asfollows:

• ensure that it meets the needs of all learners and enables them to achieve high standards

• constantly seek to improve the curriculum• ensure that it is relevant to, engages and hopefully

inspires all learners• make links where relevant across and between

subjects and aspects • allow choice and scope for personalising learning• promote creativity and independent learning

18

Managing Change…

VISION + SKILLS + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = CHANGE

SKILLS + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = CONFUSION

VISION + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = ANXIETY

VISION + SKILLS + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = RESISTANCE

VISION + SKILLS + INCENTIVES + ACTION PLAN = FRUSTRATION

VISION + SKILLS + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES = TREADMILL

[Source: 21st Century Learning Journeys: No Time for Hesitancyadapted from T. Knoster, 1991, TASH Conference, Washington DC]

Outcomes

• All Land Based Studies students have gained at least a pass at Lv2 2005/2008

• Current Year 10 perceptions being evaluated via video diary as part of a National Applied Learning Survey

• Pupils have more opportunities to access vocational courses

• Increased opportunities for staff CPD in developing skills in teaching “New” qualifications

• Strengthened partnership secures funding• Work in Progress!!•

Future Plans

• Further expansion of Vocational Curriculum Offer • The Tardis Effect• Diplomas• “Super Blocks” of time for subjects to collaborate• Core days and Options Days • Redevelopment of the school day• 2 Year KS3 for Maths and Science• Exploring “Opening Minds” or competency curriculum

equivalent for Year 7• Increased number of “Flexi Days”

Final Thoughts

• “All education is, in a sense, vocational, vocational for living” (John Newsom)

• “It's fairly obvious that American education is a cultural flop. Americans are not a well-educated people culturally, and their vocational education often has to be learned all over again after they leave school and college” (Raymond Chandler)

• Vocational education programs have made a real difference in the lives of countless young people nationwide; they build self-confidence and leadership skills by allowing students to utilize their unique gifts and talents.

Further information

Useful links

• SSAT www.ssatrust.org.uk/curriculumdesign

• NCSL www.ncsl.org.uk/lnpartnershipevents

• QCA http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/

Support

If you want advice or support on any of the issues discussed today

Phone: 01493660218

Email: sajh@btinternet.com

Finally

Please complete the evaluation sheets.