The Chartered College of Teaching and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy are seeking to bring together teachers, school leaders and experts to co-design a curriculum that “will meet the needs, interests and contexts of the children and communities they serve”.
A key goal of the Rethinking Curriculum project is to equip teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to plan and implement curriculum development.
It is no small undertaking – the five schools will be asked to join the project for a pilot year, with each school designing and piloting curriculum development resources based on principles, values and areas chosen by them.
While each school curriculum will be different, it is expected that the processes used to build them will be grown and shared.
The project leaders will access expert support for the areas each school requires and support a co-design process in developing resources and professional development.
The pilot year will then lead to further resources being developed for all primary schools to access in their own curriculum journey.
The Chartered College is inviting schools to register their interest in the pilot year, including schools with a strong curriculum in place and those on the journey to developing this. It is also interested in hearing from schools who feel that their curriculum design may help others and provide a case study.
Alison Peacock, chief executive of the Chartered College of Teaching, explained: “An expansive, inspiring curriculum that connects with local communities is vital for pupils’ learning and wellbeing. But school-led curriculum design is declining, and there are many reasons why schools choose national schemes and off-the-shelf resources.
“Rethinking Curriculum will work with teachers and leaders to build the skills and knowledge they need so that curriculum development will be sustainable, context-specific and impactful.”
- For details of the project and to enquire, visit https://chartered.college/rethinkingcurriculum/