At primary level, both KS1 and KS2 the design and technology curriculum has hardly changed in any meaningful way. There is a small change at KS2 where students are now required to communicate using a specific list of methods, see below.
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Who would have believed the new primary history curriculum would have turned out so well?
On Monday the DfE published the latest draft of the new National Curriculum and many working in the primary sector greeted it with a massive sigh of relief. Most of the grand excesses of the February draft had either been softened or gone altogether and nowhere were these revisions more welcome than in the History […]
Geography: Comparing the old and new KS.2
Click here to read this blog as a Word Document Click here to read this blog as a Pdf On analysis it is clear the emphasis in the primary Geography curriculum has shifted noticeably from developing enquiry skills to acquiring geographical knowledge. Although students are still required to develop practical skills in fieldwork, compass reading […]
Geography: Comparing the old and new KS.1
Geographical enquiry skills now termed as Geographical skills and fieldwork
No longer requirement for students to ask geographical questions or express their own views
Introduction of simple compass skills (directions etc)
New requirements:
Science: Comparing the new and the old – Key Stage 2
The new curriculum for KS.2 is divided into three sections. The first two can be analysed alongside the aims and objectives of SC1: Scientific Enquiry in the old curriculum (see Table 1). The third section – Programmes of Study (see Table 2) – can be compared directly with the old PoS.
Science: Comparing the new and the old – Key Stage 1
These changes seem to indicate a slightly reduced curriculum load and more emphasis on the names of things: animals, plants, classifications etc. Most schools should find resourcing the new unit on seasons relatively easy, but don’t throw away the ones for electricity and forces, they’ll probably be back after the next curriculum review.
The new Primary History Curriculum is (whisper it) really good
The history programmes of study have been the most controversial aspect of the curriculum review process. The current draft document, which is likely to become law in August with some minor revisions, is very different from the draft history curriculum published in February. These changes are likely to be welcomed by primary school teachers.
The curriculum: where are we now?
The National Curriculum feels like an experiment that is coming to an end. More an albatross than a carrier pigeon to the governments that nurtured it, it has failed to deliver on its original purpose of bringing enlightenment and world-class standards to our nation’s schools.
Exploring History Through Dramatic Inquiry
Mantle of the expert has always been an enigmatic approach, not least because of its name, which is hardly catchy, but also because it seems to contradict many of the assumptions of how a classroom should work. Some have called it nothing more than a drama convention, others like to label it as a return to progressive, laissez-faire education. The truth is mantle of the expert resists easy analysis and is difficult to pigeon-hole. On the surface it seems quite straight-forward – establish an imaginary context, in which the children work as a team of experts, for a client who commissions the team to complete various tasks, that create opportunities for curriculum teaching and learning – however underlying this simple structure is a sophisticated pedagogic approach that incorporates drama and inquiry to create multilayered narrative threads, complex power relationships and dynamic learning opportunities.
The tolerance of ambiguity
This blog started life as a comment on Debra Kidd’s article for #blogsync – Progress? It’s more complicated than they’d have you believe! however, as it grew I thought it might deserve a place of its own and so have decided to also publish it here and add it to the #bogsync list.
Some questions for the authors of the National Curriculum review
The 16th April deadline for submitting a reply to the DfE’s consultation on the draft National Curriculum is rapidly approaching. There has been a great deal of discussion over the past two months over the form and content of the document, principally in regards to the primary history curriculum. Unfortunately the national debate over the […]
A system where good people, do bad things, for the right reasons
This morning I read a post on the Guardian website from another ‘Secret Teacher’. The article was a heart-felt groan of frustration and professional angst from someone who was doing bad things, for good reasons, and watching children suffer as a consequence. Later in the comments section, a contributor (@jadedjogger) asked: “Yes. It’s an own-goal […]
Draft Curriculum as a word cloud
Just out of interest I put both the draft national curriculum and the current 2000 curriculum into a word cloud generator – a visual representation of the most common occurring words in the two documents – below are the results. Unsurprisingly the word ‘pupil’ appears a great deal in both.What appears to be immediately different is the […]
Responses to the National Curriculum review
Consultation to finish 16 April 2013 On 7 February 2013 the Secretary of State for Education announced a public consultation on the draft National Curriculum which will run until 16 April 2013. A final version of the new National Curriculum will be available in autumn 2013 for first teaching in schools from September 2014. Background […]
Some thoughts on the draft National Curriculum for History in Primary Schools
Key Stage 1 The KS1 Curriculum is divided into three sections: Vocabulary Concepts History studies Vocabulary The section on vocabulary seems a straightforward and reasonable list of words children should know and understand by the end of Year 2 Simple vocabulary relating to the passing of time such as ‘before’, ‘after’, ‘past’, ‘present’, ‘then’ and […]
Children learn best when they use their imagination
As a child I loved games. Playground games, skipping games, card games, board games like Risk and Colditz, obscure data games like Logacta and, most of all, role-play games, where I could imagine being someone else involved in dangerous and exciting adventures.
My love of games continued into adulthood and when I became a teacher I wanted to use them in my lessons to engage and excite my students.
Inequality is a part of the system
It seems like inequality is built into the education system.
I believe all right minded people in education, including Michael Gove, are motivated by a desire to close the achievement gap, but we are all hamstrung by an education system that disadvantages children who do not benefit from a rich learning environment at home.
20 Great books on education
A collection of twenty great books on education. Well , strictly speaking nineteen great books on education and one great book on Social Science. All are definitely worth a read. Some you can but through Amazon, others are out of print but available on the internet, either through the Google Books project or elsewhere as Pdfs. Follow the links…
Let’s imagine
Article for the BlogSync Initiative : “The Universal Panacea? The number one shift in UK education I wish to see in my lifetime”
Lets imagine, just for a moment, there really is a universal panacea for all our problems. A shift in thinking so monumentally seismic it will make us think differently about everything – root and branch.
The Mary Seacole debate: a teacher’s view of the primary curriculum
We should be looking not at the content and minute details of the primary national curriculum, but its purpose. My hunch is teachers do not view this argument as educationally important but rather as an empty balloon inflated by politicians and launched by journalists for reasons of politics and circulation.
Free education from political meddling and hand control to teachers
Last week I was chatting to my dad. He’s a retired head teacher who taught for 50 years (starting in 1957), I’m a teacher who started 17 years ago. We were, as teachers do, putting the world to rights. Essentially we are both educational optimists and although we complain about the specifics we have always believed things are generally improving… Until now.
A fresh look at behaviour management in schools
Teachers are judged by how strict they are. Everyone who has been to school thinks they are an expert and many policies are based on half-baked ideas about emotional intelligence and reptile brains.
Anglo-Saxons
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: The Anglo-Saxons Age Range: KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: History Inquiry Question: What effects did the Anglo-Saxon invasions and settlement have on English history? Expert Team: History researchers Client: BBC Commission(s): To do the background research for a series of programmes called ‘The Really Interesting History of Britain’. Note: The planning for this […]
Blue Waters Health Spa and Centre
Author: Luke Abbott August 2011 (from an original idea taught at Sidegate Primary School Ipswich 2007, then developed by advanced MoE trained teacher for 6 weeks.) Year group range: Year 5, 6, 7 Curriculum Topic/Theme: HEALTHY LIVING – Science, PHSE, Citizenship focus-food and healthy living. (Please see Nurturing Circumstances as a mode of enterprise above Inquiry Questions:What are the basic […]
Mountain Rescue
Authors: Tim Taylor & Prof. Brain Edmiston Theme: Mountain Environments Age Range: KS1 & KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: Science Inquiry Question: What can be learnt from studying extreme climates and environments? Expert Team: Mountain Rescue Team Client(s): An injured climber and then others Commission: To rescue the climber and then other commissions Context: This unit starts initially with the rescue of an experienced climber […]
Titanic
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Titanic Age Range: KS2 (possibly KS1) Main Curriculum Focus: History and English Inquiry Question: “What might the Titanic disaster tell us about changes in attitudes towards life and people’s place in society and how these have changed since 1912?” Expert Team: A team of marine archaeologists Client(s): The British Museum Commission: to explore the wreck, as sensitively as possible, […]
Dinosaur Island
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Dinosaurs Age Range: EY – KS1 Main curriculum focus: History & Science: SC2: Humans & Other animals Inquiry Question: “What can evidence from the past tell us about the history of our planet and the place of human beings?” Expert team: Scientists Client: The Worldwide League for Nature (WLN) Commission: To preserve, protect & study […]
Tudor House
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Tudors Age Range: KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: History Inquiry Question: What effects did changing events, individuals and monarchs of the Medieval and Tudor periods have on the everyday lives of men, women and children from different sections of society? Expert Team: Curators of a Tudor Merchant’s House Client(s): National Heritage Commission: To restore a Tudor merchant’s house fallen on […]
Olympics
Author: Luke Abbott Theme: Olympics Age Range: KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: History & Science Inquiry Question: What does the Olympic games signify as a world event? Expert Team: Catering Company Client(s): The IOC Committee for Athlete’s Wellbeing Commission: To prepare breakfast’s at the IOC Olympic village for athletes participating in the games and to inform them and others visiting the village about the games […]
Holes in the Road
Author: Luke Abbott Theme: People who help us Age Range: EY, KS1, KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: Literacy, ICT, Science, history, maths and geography Inquiry Question: “In the event of serious road subsidence how are affected people able to keep to their daily routines?” Expert Team: An emergency investigation team. Client(s): An asphalt team’s foremen/person Commission: To sort out the mess unravelling at […]
The Selfish Giant
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: The Selfish Giant Age Range: KS1 – Early Years Main Curriculum Focus: Science, Reading, Art & Design, Geography Inquiry Question: “What responsibility to do we have to each other’s well-being and happiness?” Expert Team: Garden designers Client(s): The Giant’s Sisters Commission: Design a garden in memory of the giant and his friendship with the children Context: This unit begins with […]
Orang-utan Reserve
Author: Luke Abbott with Gearies Junior School Redbridge Theme: Animal care Age Range: years 4/5/6 Main Curriculum Focus: Literacy, ICT, Science and geography Inquiry Question: What are the responsibilities people have to safe guard animals in jeopardy? How can humans coexist with apes? Expert Team: Ape conserving team. Client(s): Timber production cooperative who are producing sustainable wood for trading. Commission: A […]
Bear Sanctuary
Author: Julia Walshaw Theme: Animal welfare and protection Age Range: Bear Sanctuary frame applicable to EYFS to KS2, but this particular client and commission suitable for upper KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: Science: SC2: Humans & other animals Inquiry Question: ‘What are our responsibilities towards other living things?’ Expert Team: Those who run a bear sanctuary Client(s): The police in Serbia Commission: To rescue […]
Animal Park Description
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Animal welfare & protection Age Range: EY to KS2 Main curriculum focus: Science: SC2: Humans & Other animals Inquiry Question: “What are our responsibilities to preserving and protecting endangered animals?” Expert team: Animal park rangers Client(s): The owner of a zoo Commission: To preserve and protect endangered animals and reintroduce them to their natural […]
Bear Sanctuary
Context: An experienced team has been looking after European Brown Bears in a mountain environment in Europe for many years. The sanctuary was founded by a lady named Roxanne after her pop career faded (see Michael Morpurgo’s The Dancing Bear) and has since rehabilitated many injured and abused bears before returning them to the wild. The team prides itself on maintaining as natural an environment as possible within the sanctuary, monitoring closely the levels of human intervention.
The team is commissioned by the Serbian police to accompany them to a Roma community in rural Serbia. The police have evidence that a bear is being kept in captivity as a dancing bear. Many pressures, including poverty, war, lack of opportunity and a desire to maintain dying traditions, have led the community to keep the bear dancing, despite the practice being illegal. The Bear Sanctuary team is asked by the police to take full responsibility for the welfare of the bear.
Blue Waters Health Spa and Centre
Author: Luke Abbott August 2011(from an original idea taught at Sidegate Primary School Ipswich 2007, then developed by advanced MoE trained teacher for 6 weeks.) Year group range: Year 5, 6, 7 Curriculum Topic/Theme: HEALTHY LIVING – Science, PHSE, Citizenship focus-food and healthy living. (Please see Nurturing Circumstances as a mode of enterprise above Inquiry Questions:What […]
Mountain Rescue
Authors: Tim Taylor & Prof. Brain Edmiston Theme: Mountain Environments Age Range: KS1 & KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: Science Inquiry Question: What can be learnt from studying extreme climates and environments? Expert Team: Mountain Rescue Team Client(s): An injured climber and then others Commission: To rescue the climber and then other commissions Context: This unit starts […]
Titanic
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Titanic Age Range: KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: History and English Inquiry Question: “What might the Titanic disaster tell us about changes in attitudes towards life and people’s place in society and how these have changed since 1912?” Expert Team: A team of marine archaeologists Client(s): The British Museum Commission: to explore […]
Dinosaur Island
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Dinosaurs Age Range: EY – KS1 Main curriculum focus: History & Science: SC2: Humans & Other animals Inquiry Question: “What can evidence from the past tell us about the history of our planet and the place of human beings?” Expert team: Scientists Client: The Worldwide League for Nature (WLN) Commission: To […]
Tudor House
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Tudors Age Range: KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: History Inquiry Question: What effects did changing events, individuals and monarchs of the Medieval and Tudor periods have on the everyday lives of men, women and children from different sections of society? Expert Team: Curators of a Tudor Merchant’s House Client(s): National Heritage Commission: […]
Olympics
Author: Luke Abbott Theme: Olympics Age Range: KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: History & Science Inquiry Question: What does the Olympic games signify as a world event? Expert Team: Catering Company Client(s): TheIOC Committee for Athlete’s Wellbeing Commission: To prepare breakfast’s at the IOC Olympic village for athletes participating in the games and to inform them […]
Holes in the Road
Author: Luke Abbott Theme: People who help us Age Range: EY, KS1, KS2 Main Curriculum Focus: Literacy, ICT, Science, history, maths and geography Inquiry Question: “In the event of serious road subsidence how are affected people able to keep to their daily routines?” Expert Team: An emergency investigation team. Client(s): An asphalt team’s foremen/person Commission: To sort out the mess unravelling at […]
The Selfish Giant
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: The Selfish Giant Age Range: KS1 – Early Years Main Curriculum Focus: Science, Reading, Art & Design, Geography Inquiry Question: “What responsibility to do we have to each other’s well-being and happiness?” Expert Team: Garden designers Client(s): The Giant’s Sisters Commission: Design a garden in memory of the giant and his friendship […]
The Roman Box
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: The Roman Box Age Range: KS2 – updated for C2014 Main Curriculum Focus: History Inquiry Question: History – Invaders & Settlers Expert Team: Archaeologists Client(s): Local museum Commission(s): 1. To examine the contents of a Roman security box 2. To recreate the stories behind the artefacts for the museum. 3. To […]
Orang-utan Reserve
Author: Luke Abbott with Gearies Junior School Redbridge Theme: Animal care Age Range: years 4/5/6 Main Curriculum Focus: Literacy, ICT, Science and geography Inquiry Question: What are the responsibilities people have to safe guard animals in jeopardy? How can humans coexist with apes? Expert Team: Ape conserving team. Client(s): Timber production cooperative who are producing […]
Sample Unit: Fairy Tale Problem-Solvers
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Fairy Tale Problem-Solvers Age Range: EY/KS1 Main Curriculum Focus: Personal, social and emotional development; Communication, language and literacy; Problem solving, reasoning; Knowledge and understanding of the world; Creative Development Inquiry Question: What does this tale tell us about the structure of traditional/fairy tales and their cultural/social purpose? Expert Team: Problem-Solvers Client(s): A […]
Animal Park
Author: Tim Taylor Theme: Animal welfare & protection Age Range: EY to KS2 Main curriculum focus: Science: SC2: Humans & Other animals Inquiry Question: “What are our responsibilities to preserving and protecting endangered animals?” Expert team: Animal park rangers Client(s): The owner of a zoo Commission: To preserve and protect endangered animals and reintroduce them […]
