Through the use of this book, schools will become familiar with

strategies for

teaching the child, not the curriculum!

Contents of the BookRationale for Change

Key Principles

Big Decisions

Long Term Planning

Planning the Learning Journey

Recording and Assessment

Skills Ladders and Sample Plans

Introduction

Why 'The Inside-Out Curriculum'?Any truly effective curriculum must have a built in flexibility and be able to fully meet the needs of all the children, through all subjects, and at all times. It should be designed with this in mind, therefore, to meet the needs of all children, individual and groups – from the inside to the outside.

This publication had been fully updated since the inception of the new Department for Education and the coalition government. It still keeps the same concepts of flexibility, creativity, and an emphasis on the development of children’s life skills. It takes schools on an exciting journey in creating a curriculum personalised for its own pupils, leading to high levels of enthusiasm, interest, fascination … and progress.

What do we mean by“the curriculum”?

The curriculum means all learning and other experiences that each school provides. This includes the National Curriculum, religious education, collective worship, sex education and, where relevant, careers education.

What are the aims ofthe curriculum?

The curriculum put forward by Sir Jim Rose in his Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum has now been discarded. However, he identified three main goals for children, to be obtained through the curriculum – these remain relevant, no matter which curriculum is being followed. These are...

To provide opportunities for all children to develop successfully towards being:

•Successful learners•Confident Individuals•Responsible Citizens

The National Curriculum lays down the minimum expectations of the ground to be covered for Primary Schools. The QCA subject documents go further, to some extent indicating the methods which should be used, and making statements about these aims. In other words,

The National Curriculum has become a written prescription …

The Main Purpose of this Book:

It starts with the book and is then taught to the children – and that sums up the main dangers behind it: schools have become tempted to teach the curriculum and to varying extents ignore the needs of the child.

This book aims to turn this ideology on its head: let’s start with the child and the needs of that child, and then turn to the book for help, support, and guidance. This publication is not meant to be a statement of intention, but rather a guide for schools when designing and moving through the curriculum. It presents not an existing state of affairs, but rather a curriculum of change and opportunity.

Through the use of this book, schools will become familiar with

strategies for

teaching the child, not the curriculum!

•Raised achievement for all through a focus on applying generic key skills across the curriculum

•Planning at all levels which takes into account the context of the children we are teaching

•A skills progression in all subjects so that all children can access the learning at an appropriate level

•A relevant, exciting and creative curriculum

•The accountability and statutory responsibility to ensure that we are teaching the whole curriculum

The book focuses on:

•Teaching mixed age classes

•Teaching groups with different characteristics – e.g. gender, ethnicity

•Teaching classes with a wide range of ability

•Adapting teaching styles to the learning styles of the children

•Engaging all children in learning, raising standards of attitudes and behaviour

Strategies covered will be an aidto the teacher when:

TasksExemplar Task from the book:

Take in children’s work in English and the humanities, from a random selection of children and age groups:

• How well are we using the foundation curriculum to develop pupils’ life-long skills? – Is there enough emphasis on independent thinking and learning, or over emphasis

on worksheets and mundane tasks?• How well are high attainers in writing upholding these standards in other subjects?

– Do children drop their own expectations when writing in history, for example?• Look at the attainment targets for (e.g.) geography. As a group, can you make an

accurate assessment of the actual subject level, as opposed to the quality of writing and presentation? – If not, you will need to question whether enough geography is actually being

taught.• Are children working at age appropriate levels in foundation subjects?

– If not, question the quality or presence of assessment in these subjects. If children are not taught at the right level, then how can they have the opportunity to excel?

• Are children encouraged to develop their skills of enquiry, and are they given enough independence in learning?– These are the skills for life-long learning.

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