● The Chartered College of Teaching is seeking five primary schools who wish to co-design their resources to support curriculum development
● The new project, in partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy, will bring teachers together with experts to develop curriculum that meets their needs and contexts
● Rethinking Curriculum will equip teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to plan and implement curriculum development
A new project to support primary school leaders and teachers to design their curriculum is launched today.
In partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0-11 Years) (HHCP) and funded by The Helen Hamlyn Trust, the Chartered College of Teaching will bring together teachers, school leaders and experts to co-design curriculum that will meet the needs, interests and contexts of the children and communities they serve.
The Rethinking Curriculum project will also build teachers’ knowledge and skills in curriculum design and implementation, a key area which members have identified as important to improve.
Five schools will join a pilot year for the project, 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, the Chartered College expects that the processes used to build them will be grown and shared, developing professional agency and putting the school community at the heart of curriculum design.
Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching said:
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. I’m delighted to partner with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0-11 Years) on this exciting project.
Dominic Wyse, the Founding Director of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0 to 11 Years)
(HHCP), said:
Curriculum is a vital focus of the work we do at the HHCP. In recent years we have undertaken
projects on children’s agency in the national curriculum. Our research provides evidence on optimal
curriculum and assessment systems. We are thrilled to be working with the Chartered College of
Teaching (CCT), and to bring our expertise in research to this collaborative project.
Alice Bradbury, Co-Director of the HHCP and Professor of Sociology of Education at IOE, UCL’s
Faculty of Education and Society, added:
Curriculum is an important part of what children experience every day in their primary schools. We
are excited to be working with the CCT on the Rethinking Curriculum project, to equip teachers with
the knowledge, resources and confidence to design and deliver a curriculum that is expansive,
inspiring, and connected to their local communities.