disciplined curriculum innovation booklet

8/19/2019 Disciplined Curriculum Innovation Booklet

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Disciplined curriculum innovation

Making a difference to learners


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The new secondary curriculum offers a real opportunity to innovate and create aschool curriculum that meets the needs, interests and aspirations of your learners.

Over the past two years QCA has been working with schools, trying out ideas for

curriculum innovation and sharing experiences. We’ve found that successful,effective curriculum innovation must be disciplined. It must be focused, based onevidence and closely monitored.

The following seven-step processof disciplined innovation, triedand tested in schools, will helpyou transform your curriculumand ensure your changes have

an impact on learners’achievements, lives andprospects.

For more information on thenew secondary curriculum seewww.qca.org.uk/curriculum

An opportunity

to innovate

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W ha t a r e y o u t r y

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starting point

3: Set cleargoals

4: Design andimplement

5: Reviewprogress

6: Evaluate andrecord the impact

7: Maintain,change or move on

1: Identifyyour priorities


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What are our learners like now?

Consider your learners’predominant attitudes,

attributes, skills, knowledge andunderstanding. How well arethey achieving the aims of thecurriculum and the fiveoutcomes of Every ChildMatters? Are they attaining thehighest standards possible?

Where could they be?

What are your priorities for yourlearners? What are their

aspirations? Your school will haveset out its priorities fordevelopment in the schoolevaluation form (SEF). Thegovernment has also definednational priorities for secondaryschools, such as developingsuccessful learners, confidentindividuals and responsible

citizens; improving progress andattainment in subjects; improvingpupils’ personal, learning andthinking skills and functionalskills; increasing participation,enjoyment and engagement;and improving behaviour andattendance. It is not practical totry to address everything at

once. Identify the mostimportant areas for developmentin your school and focus onthose.

Is our curriculum helping themget there?

Think about its strengths and

weaknesses. How well does yourcurriculum meet the needs,aspirations, interests and talentsof all learners? Does it reflectthe needs of the localcommunity?

You could consider thesequestions at all-staff meetingsand use questionnaires andfocus groups to gather parents’and pupils’ views. Schools havefound that innovation is mostpowerful when it involvescollaboration between schoolleaders, teachers, parents,learners and the community.

1: Identify your priorities

Curriculum innovation is not about change for the sake of it. It’s about change for the benefit of yourlearners. What difference can you make to their learning, lives and prospects and how can you go aboutmaking it?

Ask the following questions:

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What are you trying to achieve?


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‘If curriculum innovation is going to work, it has got to be strategicand incremental. We made a number of small changes over a longperiod of time. We also involved a wide range of staff, from subjectteachers to senior leaders, in working groups that took responsibilityfor different aspects. You can’t impose a ‘one size fits all’ innovation,you’ve got to win hearts and minds. If you can prove a curriculuminnovation works, people will embrace it.’

Mandi Collins, Thomas Estley College

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Once you have finished yourdiscussions, clarify your visionfor your learners as a set of priorities that start with the

phrase ‘We want our learnersto… .’ Don’t try to do too muchat once. Limit yourself to amaximum of three priorities,work to achieve these and thenmove on.

Make sure you set realistictimescales – curriculum

developments do not happenovernight. Our work withschools shows that it is oftenbest to start by changing thething that will make the biggestimpact, as the noticeable resultswill kick-start the innovationprocess.

For a range of tools to help you identify your priorities seewww.qca.org.uk/curriculum


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You will only know whatimpact you’ve made if you know where youstarted.

Before you begin tochange your curriculumyou need to establishyour baseline.

For each of your

priorities, describe whatyou see and hear in yourlearners, using hard datato support yourdescription. Make sureyou choose the mostappropriate tools tocollect and make senseof what you see and hear.

The schools we workedwith used tables like thefollowing for recordingstarting points andevaluating impact.

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2 STARTING POINT: What are our learners like

now? (September 2008)

Most of our learners focus on learning factsand being able to answer questions. Aboutone in 10 show a reasonable degree of curiosity and creativity, asking questions andsuggesting directions to take that interestthem. Almost all questions asked in lessons arefocused on what needs to be done.

Coursework and the controlled assessmentelements of GCSE and GCE qualifications areusually well presented but lack the depth andquality needed for higher marks. Too much of it lacks a deep personal slant and affects thefinal grade in these qualifications. Our learnersare particularly weak at generating their ownideas and ways of tackling tasks set.

90% of them make two levels of progress bythe end of key stage 3. Across all subjects,more achieve level 6 than 5 and there are fewlevel 7s and above. 53% gain A* to C GCSEs.Only 3% achieve A* grades and too high aproportion achieve D grades.

1 PRIORITIES

Priority 1We want ourlearners tobecomeindependentenquirers andtake responsibility

for their ownlearning

by July 2010

2: Record your starting point

What are you trying to achieve?

4 DESIGN AND

IMPLEMENT


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It is easy to say that yourpriorities are for pupils tobecome more responsiblefor their learning orbecome more engaged.

But what does this actuallymean in practice?

So that you can judgewhether you have achievedyour priorities, you need toset clear goals for each. Thebest way to do this is to lookat the picture of your learnersat the moment and definehow you would like this tochange.

3 SET CLEAR GOALS: What will our learners be like when

we have achieved our priorities?

The large majority of learners will be curious andsuccessful. They will ask questions, find creative solutionsand be clear about what interests them. Not only will theybe good at taking tests and passing exams, they will beable to develop lines of thinking and show high levels of critical analysis and deeper understanding. They willachieve higher marks in coursework, controlledassessment and independently generated projects.Marks for externally assessed elements and controlledassessment will be equally balanced.

All our learners will make two clear levels of progression ineach key stage. Over one third will make three levels of progress and 30% will achieve at least level 7, with over70% gaining the equivalent of 5+ A* to C GCSE gradepasses and with the percentage of A* increasing to 10%

of all grades.

‘We have a research and development system in place to collect information aboutour learners and our teaching. R&D teams made up of staff from across the schoolinterview students, use questionnaires, talk to teachers, carry out their ownobservations and analyse data. We’ve found it invaluable to have a picture of whatour learners are like before we make a change to the curriculum. It’s so satisfying tolook back a year later and be able to see clearly the difference we’ve made.’

Caroline Gibson, Honywood Community Science School

3: Set clear goals

5 REVIEW PROGRESS

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Only when you are clear about your priorities andgoals can you make decisions about how to build a

curriculum that will best help you realise your vision.

Defining your priorities and goals will give you a clearidea of the attitudes, attributes, skills, knowledge andunderstanding you want your learners to acquire. Howwill you organise your learning to help you achievethis?

Think about:

the components of your curriculum, such aslessons, learning outside the classroom androutines

approaches to learning and assessment to ensurethey are varied and are matched to learners’ needs

the type of experiences learners will need.

There are many ways you could change yourcurriculum. For example, you could change the wayyou teach subjects, introduce dimensions, focus onpersonal, learning and thinking skills, introduce singlelesson days or week-long lesson days, change thequalifications you offer at 14–19, introduce a personaldevelopment curriculum or personalise the curriculum.

You will need to consider how to make the best use of time, staffing, space, resources, approaches to

teaching and learning, and approaches to assessment.

4: Design and implement curriculum changes

For more detailed guidance on curriculum designsee The Big Picture on www.qca.org.uk/curriculum

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How will you organise learning?


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Reorganise the curriculum into fiveareas of learning – making my way inthe world; physical, scientific andtechnological learning; mathematics,systems and applications;communication and expression; place,time and diversity

Reduce reliance on textbooks/published resources and use moreresearch and investigation through ICTand local resources

Introduce core tasks as anothermeasure of progress to be usedalongside levels

Limit learners to eight courses leadingto qualifications in key stage 4

Introduce week-long lessons takingplace once each term to focus ondeep learning and learning outsidethe classroom

Develop a system of peer and self-assessment moderated by teachersand parents

Appoint learning managers who willhave responsibility for one third of a

year group and will stay with them foralmost all their learning

4 DESIGN AND

IMPLEMENT

A well-designed curriculum:

is personalised for learners, focusing on their greatest needs,aspirations and interests

uses time, staffing, space, resources and approaches to teaching,learning and assessment in ways most likely to meet the priorities

is reviewed regularly to ensure it is having the desired impact onlearners and their learning

evolves in response to changes in learners.

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Regular progress checks are essential to successfulcurriculum innovation.

You should plan ‘reflection points’ when you assess theprogress learners have made towards meeting thegoals and, as a result, what you should do next. Howfrequently you do this will depend on your priorities.Where goals are long term and involve substantialchanges to the curriculum, you will probably need toschedule two progress reviews a year. Short-term goalsare more likely to require termly tracking.

Collecting the right evidence from the right people

For each priority, collect evidence that shows progressin learners’ attitudes, attributes, skills, knowledge andunderstanding. The evidence may come from parents,learners and the community as well as teachers. Thesesame people may help you set priorities and evaluate

the impact of your changes. To ensure this process ismanageable, look to the everyday and only collectevidence that is directly relevant. For example, if youwant to improve pupils’ attitudes to learning, youshould look for improvements in behaviour, attendanceand motivation. Evidence could include participationrates in and out of school, behaviour logs, videos of classes, walk-through impressions and learners’ self-evaluation against criteria.

5: Review progress

Looking for evidence

Walk-through impressions

Landscape scan froman observation point

Photographs or videos

Witness accounts from staffor pupils

Results from practical tasksand tests

Results of RAG-ratingexercises

Listening to evidence

Questionnaires and surveys

Interviews and focus groups withpupils and parents

Reading reports, work, etc

Written and oral tests and exams

Learner logs and diaries

Informal discussions, mini surveys

Comments or vox pops fromteachers, pupils and parents

Making decisions based on evidence

Use the evidence you collect to answer two questions:What progress have your learners made towardsachieving the goals?

What action needs to be taken to improve theirprogress?

Your answers will help you decide what you need to donext. The decisions you make should aim to increasethe rate of progress and the extent of the impact you

are making.

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How will you know when you are achieving your aims?


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Expect the unexpected

When collecting evidence, you may not always see orhear the things you are hoping to find or you maydiscover learners have responded to curriculuminnovations in ways you did not expect. This in itself isnot a problem as long as you work out what needs tochange.

For tools to support the review process see

www.qca.org.uk/curriculum

5 REVIEW PROGRESS

(SEPTEMBER 2009)

In walk-throughs and observations, more than half of our more able learners show greater curiosityin their learning. They follow up their own lines of enquiry and make decisions and suggestionsabout the direction for their work. Their work ismuch more individually focused and reflects theirinterests. This degree of independent enquiry is

less evident in all other learners where thedependence on the teacher is still significant.

Around 55% of learners across the ability rangein years 7 and 8 have made better than expectedprogress. If the rate of progress is maintained it islikely that over 50% of these learners will reachlevels 6 and 7 by the end of the key stage.

The quality of independently generated projectsand work and its presentation have improved,

especially in the more able learners in years 7and 8. There is some evidence of improvementin year 10. The work is still well presented but isnow much more individual, amongst the moreable in years 7 and 8, following learners’ lines of interest rather than teachers’ suggestions.

We are making solid progress towards our goalsbut still have a considerable way to go, especiallyin years 9–11 and among the less able.

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Periodically, you should evaluateand record the impact of your

curriculum developments onlearners and their learning.

This is an opportunity to report onthe differences between yourstarting point and the currentsituation.

It is also an opportunity tocommunicate the differencesyou’ve made to your learnersthrough your reporting tools, forexample the SEF and governors’reports.

When’s the right time?

You need to be realistic about howlong it will take for an innovation tohave an impact. You are looking forsignificant, long-term changes andthese will often take time toemerge. For example, if yourpriority is to increase the qualityand extent of independent enquiryin the school, and you start with

years 7 and 8, you will be unlikelyto see the impact across the wholeschool in less than two years.

Recording the impact

There are many ways to record theimpact of curriculum developmentson learners. The schools weworked with used grids andmatrices like the ones below toevaluate each of their priorities.

Time to celebrate

Making time to celebrateachievements is important.Celebrations of progress motivatestaff, learners and parents. Seeinghow far learners have come oftenresults in renewed enthusiasm forcurriculum innovation.

6: Evaluate and record the impact

Most of the school

Most of a key stage

More than one year group

Most of a year group

More than a class

Less than a class

No difference A littledifference

A noticeabledifference

A significantdifference

A considerabledifference

A majordifference

W

h a t p r o p o r t i o n o f o u r

l e a r n e r s h a v e b e e n a f f e c t e d ?

What is the degree of difference?10


P1 P3

P2

P1 = Priority 1P2 = Priority 2P3 = Priority 3


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Evidence ofimpact

Focusing Developing Establishing Enhancing

Priority:We want ourlearners to be…

This is an area of priority because…

The impact madeto date is limitedbecause…

There is evidenceof real impactbecause…

The impactachieved isconsiderable andwill be sustainedbecause…

Description of whatis seen and heardrelated to this goal

Description of improvements andareas that remainweak

Description of establishedimprovements andidentification of groups and areasstill lacking

consistency

Description of consistentlyembeddedimprovementsacross almost alllearners

Evaluation matrix

This grid provides a visual and descriptive evaluation of the extent of improvement in learners’ outcomes. Following your evaluation, place amark on the line that represents where you are in relation to the impactyou have made on your learners.

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Curriculum innovation is a processdriven by questions:

Are our learners making enoughprogress? Are we seeing sufficientchange? Are we making adifference to enough learners? Is ittime to change our priorities? Whenyou know the extent of the impactof your curriculum developments onlearners you should ask: Are we

going to keep doing what we aredoing, change our approach ormove on to another priority?

If you decide to keep doing whatyou are doing, you will need amaintenance strategy. The schoolswe worked with found that it waseasy to lose momentum on long-

term projects. Regular, but notoverly frequent, reflections onprogress are a successful way of keeping staff motivated andfocused on the goals.

Don’t be afraid to change yourapproach. Curriculum innovation isa form of managed risk-takingwhere no one has the definitiveanswer. If an approach doesn’tresult in changes, try a different one.

If the evidence shows you haveachieved your goals, celebrate and

then move on to your next priority.

Share your success

If you have any curriculuminnovation stories you’d like toshare with us, we’d love to hearfrom you. Contact us at

[email protected]

7: Maintain, change or move on

‘The most important thing is to keep asking questions. We know wedon’t have the answers. We ask “What if…?” and see what happens.If it works we pursue it, if it doesn’t we change tack.’

Sarah Bishop, Collegiate High School

‘Ofsted expects schools to seek to improve the curriculum by regularlyevaluating, reviewing and modifying it where necessary. We expectschools to take full advantage of all flexibilities to meet their learners’needs. We expect schools to ensure that their curriculum is relevantto, engages and hopefully inspires all learners, allowing choice andscope for personalised learning and promoting creativity andindependence.’

Jane Joyner HMI, Ofsted’s Divisional Manager for Curriculum andDissemination

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H o

w w

i l l y o u

o r g a n i s e l e a r n i n g ?

H o

w w

i l l y o u

k n o w

w h e n

y o u

a r e

a c h

i e v i n

g y o

u r

a i m

s ?

W ha t a r e y o u t r y i n

g t o

a c h i e

v e ? 2: Record your

starting point

3: Set cleargoals

4: Design andimplement

5: Reviewprogress

6: Evaluate andrecord the impact

7: Maintain,

change or move on

1: Identifyyour priorities

Disciplined curriculum innovation is an

ongoing process. Regularly evaluatingand developing your curriculum willhelp ensure your changes have animpact on learners’ achievements, livesand prospects.

For more information seewww.qca.org.uk/curriculum


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disciplined curriculum innovation booklet

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