http://curriculumdesign.ssatrust.org.uk

This series of 18 events are designed to help subject leaders to understand how subject areas can work together effectively to deliver the New Secondary Curriculum. Each event will showcase ways of working together across a range of different subject areas.

Foundation Learning Tier:14-19 Delivery Guidance for 2009/10

Hello,

Please be aware presentations from the summer term events focussing on assessing the impact of your curriculum are available to view here.

The new National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 came into effect for students starting in Year 7 in September 2008. A survey was conducted by Ofsted between May 2008 and March 2009 to evaluate the quality of schools’ planning to introduce the new curriculum and their progress in introducing the changes. Inspectors based their evaluations on the progress which schools might reasonably have been expected to have made at that early stage of implementation. This report may be helpful for many colleagues in your schools, seeing OfSTED begin to describe in more detail the practice they are seeing and how they judge it, but of course outcomes speak louder than curriculum diagrams.

For more information, or to book please go to http://curriculumdesign.ssatrust.org.uk/Events/event.php?id=8

Thinking of my own school, I'm aware that many people are well advanced with working out the details for their training days on return to school for the new term.  If curriculum design forms part of your sessions please be aware that there is a free SSAT resource called "Training Day on a Stick" that contains materials that can be used for a traditional day, or broken into pieces for a number of smaller sessions or indeed simply raided for good ideas, video clips etc.  As well as a number of activities and resources that have proven invaluable to us when running training days for people, it also includes short film interviews with Y7 students about the curriculum (ideal for a "how would our school meet the needs of..." discussion) and two excellent video keynotes from Ian Gilbert and John Davitt.

If you've been to one of our recent events you'd have been given one at the end of the day - if you couldn't make it but would like a copy of the resources (which we'll be making available on this website in coming months) do please get in touch curriculumdesign@ssatrust.org.uk

On a similar note, if you use Twitter, we've seen the web-tool "Twitterfall" used to create backdrops for a session - it is a tool that combs Twitter for certain key words (that you determine) and pulls them out to make a display.  We'd like to suggest that if a number of schools used the tag #totd (tweet on training days) in messages containing either key questions and responses during their days that would make for a really interesting shared resource - imagine a thought provoking question from a school in Corby splashing on screen in a school in Wakefield during a discussion...

From the OfSTED website:

The new National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 came into effect for students starting in Year 7 in September 2008. This survey was conducted between May 2008 and March 2009 to evaluate the quality of schools’ planning to introduce the new curriculum and their progress in introducing the changes. Inspectors based their evaluations on the progress which schools might reasonably have been expected to have made at that early stage of implementation. The schools in the survey had embraced the opportunity to introduce more variety into teaching and learning to engage and motivate students. They had made less progress in linking subjects and incorporating skills across the curriculum, although there were examples of good and outstanding practice in these areas. 

The OfSTED report, released on 25^th June 2009, looks at quite a broad sample of secondary schools and the implementation of the new secondary curriculum, which of course the SSAT, and our team in particular through the Lead Practitioner network have been supporting (see point 2 on p7 of the report - link below).  There is a lot in the report which is both reassuring and heartening that resonates with the comments made by Lead Practitioners about the feedback they’ve had from schools – ie it rings true.

The comments in the report about specialism (point 11 on p10) underline what we think (as strong believers in the specialist schools movement of course) in terms of the great opportunity the new curriculum offers a school to make specialism permeate the daily experiences of learners.  If you have more examples of your own, we’re always keen to hear – please email us or use the comments facility in the blog.

The way that collapsed timetable days and integrated blocks of time are treated in the report is interesting as they are themes that we know hugely interest the schools we talk to – although implementation is clearly an issue (the high take-up for the Leasowes Curriculum Exchange day illustrates how much Flexible Fridays have captured people’s imagination).

Finally the message about PLTS and the mix of practice is no surprise – the examples in the report are useful, and you’ll find many more in the resources section on this site.

All I’d ask for now, speaking personally, is clear guidance on how to show this kind of innovation in my SEF… time and again at events the issue of accountability and how inspection teams will react to curriculum innovation is raised as a barrier.  This report may be helpful for many colleagues seeing OfSTED begin to describe in more detail the practice they are seeing and how they judge it, but of course outcomes speak louder than curriculum diagrams.

www.ofsted.gov.uk/Publications/080262

We really would be interested to post your comments and responses to this, very important report.

A number of colleagues both in curriculum design and enterprise education have highlighted just how much Sir Ken Robinson's article in the TES resonated for them - in particular those who were lucky enough to hear him speak at the 2008 SSAT National Conference - if you missed it here is the article: Article Link

Face-to-face support from a Lead Practitioner

• be tailored to the needs of you, your centre and your learners
• provide resources, including an audit and planning tool, to help you move forward
• offer you practical solutions and advice including real-life case studies.

• understanding the implications of changes to A levels
• an introduction to the Extended Project qualification
• effective implementation of 14-19 reforms
• curriculum design - developing teaching and learning approaches
• maximising progression opportunities
• developing and demonstrating personal, learning and thinking skills
• using new technologies to develop independent learning skills.

Following up the earlier post about the Curriculum for Living conference, here is an article by Matthew Milburn the Headteacher of Kingstone School in Barnsley that sets out some of the key ideas that underpin the work in his own school, and the conference.

Conference Website

Thursday 2nd July 2009

Tankersley Manor Hotel, Sheffield, off M1 Junction 36

Friday 3rd July 2009

Kingstone School, Barnsley, off M1 Junction 37

Will you be coming to the Achievement Show 09 at the Emirates?  If you do, then look up our stand and say hello, and watch out for two showcases - 14:45 (Serlby Park) and 15:10 (Leasowes) in the Future Schools section - follow us on #achievementshow on Twitter.

To help us to evaluate our work, get a sense of how schools are responding to the changes in the national curriculum and plan for the next phase of support we have created a short online survey intended for:

1. Curriculum designers in school senior leadership teams or
2. Other members of staff who have been involved in the support programme (perhaps attending an event or conference)

It only takes 5=10 minutes to complete, thank you in advance.  [Click here to take the survey]

UCAS needs your views on the 14 - 17 curriculum again and your feedback is more important than ever.

For eleven years they have been asking schools for their opinions to gain a comprehensive snapshot of what's happening across the country. They play a crucial part in their understanding of the Diploma and the Reform Programme.

This year's survey is now live and we'd encourage schools to take part. You can complete the questionnaire by following this link to their website 2009 QCA UCAS annual survey http://www.ucas.com/about_us/policyservices/QCAannualsurvey/. The closing date is 31 July 2009.

No individual school or college will be identified in the final report, but all findings will be shared with other agencies including the DCSF, Ofsted and the Association of Colleges. Your comments will feed into forthcoming development work and assist Higher Education in formulating appropriate entry requirements.

Making the learning opportunities provided by new technologies consistently available to learners in all parts of their schooling is a real challenge.  Most schools will have some practitioners whose practice clearly shows the way forward, but how can we spread those ideas, those skills and that confidence?  We believe one key to that development is high quality peer coaching where practitioners are supported in making the very best use of their limited time in helping their colleagues to move forward.

The Peer Coaching for Learning with New Technologies programme was originally developed by Microsoft and is now in use in over 40 countries around the world.  It is based on the principle of schools developing the skills of a few key staff as Master Coaches who focus on developing those all-important coaching skills in the staff who have expertise in new technologies and are teacher leaders.  For England, Microsoft have worked with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and a number of local authorities to pilot the training for Master Coaches and develop an offering that can be delivered practically in the context of our schools.  These pilot schools are now at the point where they can report back on their progress and share the programme's impact on their practitioners.

Microsoft and SSAT intend to extend the group of schools using this programme and develop postgraduate accreditation to ensure that Peer Coaching becomes a really attractive piece of professional development for teachers, advisors, associate staff and their schools.  You are invited to a workshop on 10th July at Microsoft's offices in London where you can learn more about Peer Coaching for Learning with New Technologies, talk to schools who are using it, and find out how your school can be involved.

The workshop will run from 15:00 - 17:00. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP with your name and contact details by 29 June to i-pippah@microsoft.com We look forward to seeing you there.

This looks like a really interesting conference, especially for schools looking to develop both creativity and the "skills curriculum" - Kingstone are a school that have produced some exceptional workshops for SSAT on their cultural studies curriculum in recent years:

The blurb says:

Practically explore with colleagues how we can engage young people in the curriculum and make learning relevant, meaningful and fun. As well as hearing a key note from Professor Jonothan Neelands, you will get the chance to work with Dorothy Heathcote, Luke Abbott and teachers from Kingstone School who, for the last five years have been on a journey to make the curriculum come alive. This has led them to ask profound questions about how children learn, what the creative curriculum should look like and how we can authentically assess attainment and progress.

Relevant to anyone interested in revolutionising the curriculum, reducing disaffection, inspiring learners and enabling deep learning. There will be a choice of workshops on offer. An open plenary and discussion will allow for Q & A with a guest panel including Dorothy Heathcote, Jonothan Neelands, Luke Abbott, Guy Sheerer, workshop providers, students and teachers. A package offering a second day at Kingstone on Friday July 3rd is also available. Please see below for details.

 

The Date & Venue

Thursday 2nd July 2009

Tankersley Manor Hotel, Sheffield, off M1 Junction 36

Friday 3rd July 2009

Kingstone School, Barnsley, off M1 Junction 37

Interested in curriculum design?

Use iGoogle as your personalised homepage?

Well if you belong to this small, but highly influential demographic, this is the best link you'll find today.

If you follow it you will be presented with a specially crafted curriculum design widget to ensure you never miss out on a nugget of useful information again.

There is an interesting article on the Contemporary Media blog about the Our Life Our Curriculum project - we think from one of the team at Two Four.  We're equally excited about the next installment which will be looking in particular at the experiences that prove most memorable for our group of learners who now enter Y8.

PS We don't think SSAT have ever made any references to Holy Grails and personalising learning, so any Dan Brown fans please don't look any further for enigmas or clues!

It's a real pleasure to be invited to pop over to Sunny Usk to work with the Cardiff Secondary Headteachers at their conference "Leading For Learners: Curriculum, Pedagogy and Achievement.

I've used this blog post for any useful links for delegates, who can find the Our Life Our Curriculum elsewhere in this blog.

My slides are OK for download

The references to disruptive technologies are drawn from a blog by Lawrence Fisch - as someone who was impressed by "Shift Happens" the first time he saw it, but now am becoming a bit tired by it being rolled out quite unthinkingly, I really enjoy the thinking about how education has reacted to all kinds of new technology (including the scandal of the ballpoint pen being allowed in school), not that it solves the problem of what to do about it other than keep your head down and wait for the wave to pass higher up the beach!

Regional support meetings

• Manchester - 8 June
• London - 11 June.

Find out more and book your place at www.excellencegateway.org.uk/gqsp/events or view a full agenda.

Well, the media section of the website it on it's way (those web-pixies are working over-time) but in the meantime we now have a place to publish some really exciting video material.  We'll bring through quite a lot more that is associated with the "Training Day on a Stick" project (ie a set of resources you can use for a curriculum design training day all on one USB memory drive) (Training Day on a Stick has more of a ring to it!) in the next few days.

One piece of work we've been really excited about for a while now, is the Our Life Our Curriculum project where we've been working with 20 young people in year 7 up and down the country to record their journey into secondary school, their thoughts and feelings about their new school and (of course) the curriculum in particular.  This is very much part one - we're already working on the second which will address year 8 as the same students continue.  The project consists of individual films for each learner (which form a valuable resource for CPD when asking teams of staff about matching the curriculum to the needs of each child) and this, the intro film.  Enjoy!

As you may have seen, in the resources section we're working on taking the text of the two curriculum design booklets, the Introductory Guide (2007) and Disciplined Innovation in Practice (2008) and using them for a wiki.  The idea is to update the two documents, remove any anachronisms (like references to taking SATS early for example) and produce an update which will be on the website and will be the reprint for this year for anyone who didn't get copies.  The reprint will be going into a folder called Curriculum in Action which will also contain a great deal of new resources that focus more on specifics in curriculum design.  In the meantime though we realise that despite our noble intentions, there are people who "just want the booklets" and not some wiki, so until such time as the wiki is significantly better than the original texts we've posted pdfs of both of the booklets at the start of the resources section.  You can also get copies straight from here

Curriculum Design, Introductory Guide

Curriculum Design, Disciplined Innovation in Practice

The other piece of exciting news is that we have got copies for every delegate at our summer events of System Redesign 3 Curriculum Redesign (which is available as a pdf from our eShop).

Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the planning day on Tuesday 28 April 2009. We hope that you found the day informative and that you feel fully prepared for event six and beyond.

• Anuj or Hannah about anything to do with events
• Anuj about resources
• Jess or Fran about anything to do with action plans, MoUs, expenses and finances 

Welcome Lead Practitioners to the new site - we'll be posting the content and resources here now in the next few days - feel free to look around!