Curriculum planning – where next?

Over the last few years, most schools have revisited their approach to curriculum planning. Rightly or wrongly, the publication of the latest Ofsted framework, particularly one with a very specific focus, tends to redirect people’s energies.

There is so much excellent practice around curriculum in the SSAT network. Some of it was prompted by the Ofsted focus, some pre-dates it. In many cases it has involved a lot of work, both from subject leaders and their departments and senior leaders who are leading CPD. However, the consensus is overwhelmingly that the process has been a valuable one, empowering subject leaders to make the most of their expertise and opening up useful conversations about numerous aspects of practice.

The process of curriculum review and planning tends to start broad and become increasingly focused. Big picture gives way to more detailed consideration of curriculum delivery – pedagogy, assessment, knowledge acquisition. Now that most schools’ work is a few years in, many are finding it helpful to revisit the big picture again. Here are a few questions which might be useful:

1. Does the whole-school intent still reflect what you believe to be most important?

Some schools have adjusted their statements over the last few years in light of wider changes. For example, some have given anti-racism greater priority in light of the school community’s response to the murder of George Floyd. For others, learning about wellbeing and mental health now has greater prominence post-pandemic.

2. Is there clear alignment between whole-school and departmental intent?

This alignment needs to go both ways – subject leaders and teachers should be able to explain how their work contributes to achieving the curriculum intent for the whole school. But equally, now that subject leaders’ work is probably more advanced, the whole-school intent can be revisited to ensure that it is reflective of what is being said at department level.

3. Is the sequencing working as you hoped?

Now that revised plans have been worked through a few times, teachers will be well-placed to reflect on whether the order of curriculum content feels logical in practice. Some schools are recognising where content needs to come earlier, or greater emphasis needs to be placed on a particular areas of learning. Or conversely, some are finding that there may be some content which could be removed or reduced.

4. Can everyone who teaches a subject explain the key components (big ideas/golden threads) that underpin the curriculum plans?

Many schools are finding it useful to revisit the logic behind curriculum decisions with new members of staff and/or non-specialists teaching in the department. This is particularly important if some colleagues are only teaching in one or two year groups and may struggle to see the bigger picture. Ensuring that links between previous and future content are made explicit in curriculum plans is a useful way of flagging where pupils can be encouraged to recognise connections even if the member of staff is not doing that naturally.

5. Can every member of staff in a department explain what progression looks like in their subject?

Again, this is about ensuring that everyone understands assumptions behind curriculum decisions. Even if a teacher does not teach across all key stages, it is helpful for them to understand what goes before and what pupils are working towards.

6. Is your curriculum working for everybody, including pupils with SEND?

How is your curriculum working for different pupils in your school? How does it work for a highly able, but disengaged pupil? Where will they be stretched and challenged? What experience does a pupil with SEND have? Is the balance of support and challenge right?

7. What do your pupils have to say about the curriculum?

Student voice can be a powerful tool when you are reviewing the impact your curriculum is having on different pupil groups. Triangulating their feedback with available data and intended outcomes should give a rounded perspective on how things are working.

8. Is your assessment practice an integral part of your curriculum?

Assessment and curriculum planning sit naturally side by side. The work most schools have done in mapping out progression across key stages prompts a logical understanding of what should be measured and why. Planning for formative assessment is also key. In some schools, work around curriculum has prompted changes to assessment strategy with some adjusting the extent to which assessment is driven by whole-school expectations and providing more room for subject-specific assessment design.