A project in collaboration with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0-11 years)

The Rethinking Curriculum project is kindly funded by the Helen Hamlyn Trust.

What is Rethinking Curriculum?

 

Rethinking Curriculum is a long-term curriculum development project that is focussed on building knowledge and skills within the English primary sector. Hover over or click on the boxes below to learn more.

Aims

The Rethinking Curriculum project is a long-term curriculum development project that is focussed on building knowledge and skills within the English primary sector. The project aims to support and equip teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to identify, plan and implement curriculum development work in a sustainable, context specific and impactful approach. This will mean that all pupils will have access to an expansive, inspiring curriculum that connects them with local communities and enables them to lead healthy, fulfilled lives.

The team

The Chartered College is collaborating with The Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy to design a project that is based on the needs of the current teachers and leaders of our schools.

You can find out more about the project team members from both the Chartered College of Teaching and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy on our project team page.

The project is kindly funded by the Hamlyn Hamlyn Trust.

How will it work?

We have carried out research into the current picture within schools and we are now beginning the process of expert co-design. We will be working with 5 partner pilot schools to develop their curriculum over the next year. We will access expert support for the areas each school requires and support a co-design process in developing resources and professional development. From this pilot year we will be evaluating and then further developing resources for all primary schools to access in their own curriculum journey.

How to get involved

There will be many ways to get involved in the Rethinking Curriculum project, from attending events or signing up for learning opportunities, to being part of the advisory group or applying to be a pilot school (pilot schools and the advisory panel are now confirmed). 

Receive project updates

Are you interested in the project and would like to be kept informed of upcoming events, publications, research, and wider opportunities to engage with the project? Please register to receive project updates by filling in the form below.

Pilot Schools

We have recruited schools from across the country to work with us to co-design and implement curriculum change resources, CPD and frameworks over the academic year 2023-24.

Expert Advisory Panel

We have a team of experts in the field of curriculum design who are involved with this project.

We have a new sister project launching in 2024:

Rethinking Curriculum- Supporting Middle and Subject Leaders in Primary Schools.

We have developed a sister project to the main co-design pilot thanks to support from The Helen Hamlyn Trust. We are pleased to share that we will be working with 3 Multi Academy Trusts to co-design resources to support subject leaders in primary school in their curriculum development. This project will be co-designed and piloted between January 2024 and July 2024. The MATs we are working with are in the central region of England and consist of over 30 schools serving over 12,000 students.

For more information about co-design representation in the sister project

For more information about who our co-design Partners are for the sister project

Resources

 

Here are resources that are beneficial to those that are interested in the curriculum, including the Curriculum Innovation and Impact issue of Impact from Spring 2023 and a bitesize learning module on Rethinking Curriculum.

Read the latest issue of Impact


Impact Issue 18, themed on curriculum, is available to read online now. A copy has also been sent in print to all fee-paying members and to every school in England – look out for your copy!

Bitesize learning: Rethinking Curriculum

You can now access an online micro-CPD unit for teachers and school leaders which you might find helpful to use as part of a discussion about your curriculum.

Read: The Rapid Evidence Review by Helen Hamlyn

A rapid evidence assessment (REA) about experiential learning in education was undertaken to synthesise research concerning children aged 4-14. The REA investigated the effects that approaches to experiential learning had on children’s motivation, engagement, agency, wellbeing, and academic achievement.

Events

Webinar: Teaching for creativity and creative thinking

Watch the webinar recording Rethinking the curriculum – Teaching for creativity and creative thinking with Bill Lucas and Jenna Crittenden now.

Webinar: Finding the balance of a knowledge-led curriculum

Watch the webinar recording Rethinking the curriculum – Finding the balance of a knowledge-led curriculum with Clare Sealy and Jenna Crittenden now.

Webinar: Making your curriculum choices ambitious

Watch the webinar recording for Rethinking the curriculum – Making your curriculum choices ambitious with Mary Myatt and Katy Chedzey now.

Webinar: Rethinking Curriculum – Experiential learning in primary schools

Watch the webinar recording Rethinking the curriculum – Experiential learning in primary schools with Jenna Crittenden and full guest panel now.

Upcoming webinar

Rethinking Curriculum – Oracy in primary schools
February 27, 2024
16:00-17:00

Upcoming webinar

Rethinking Curriculum – Place based and community curriculum in primary schools
March 26, 2024
16:00-17:00

Upcoming webinar

Rethinking Curriculum – Climate Education and Sustainability in primary schools
April 30, 2024
16:00-17:00

Upcoming webinar

Rethinking Curriculum – Outdoor learning in the primary curriculum
May 21, 2024
16:00-17:00

Upcoming webinar

Rethinking Curriculum – Play and the opportunity in primary schools
June 18, 2024
16:00-17:00

The Rethinking Curriculum project is kindly funded by the Helen Hamlyn Trust. The Helen Hamlyn Trust is an independent grant-making Trust founded in 2001. The trust initiates medium and long term projects based upon its core ethos of developing innovative projects which aim to create sustainable change, improve quality of life and benefit the public. 

The Trust’s work falls within the mission and objectives of The Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The Trust’s grant making is in the fields of medicine, arts and culture. education and welfare, healthy ageing, international humanitarian affairs and heritage conservation in India. The Trust builds relationships with leading organisations and individuals within these fields, connecting them to enable innovative projects to grow.

The Chartered College have worked on small scale projects with The Helen Hamlyn Trust before but this will be our first major project together.

Further information on The Helen Hamlyn Trust and Paul Hamlyn Foundation can be found : 

https://www.phf.org.uk/ 

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/3978891

Rethinking curriculum: Designing for the future

‘Education is the thread that connects every area of my Trust’s activities. In all our education work, we aim to address challenges and lack of opportunities. Encouraging children’s abilities at a young age is essential.’

Lady Hamlyn CBE

The Helen Hamlyn Trust’s core ethos is to support the development of innovative projects which aim to effect lasting change and improve quality of life. As an independent grant-making trust, its principal focus is on the initiation of medium and long-term projects linked to the shared interests of Helen Hamlyn and her late husband, Paul Hamlyn. The Trust works in the fields of medicine, arts and culture, education and welfare, heritage and conservation in India, international humanitarian affairs and healthy ageing.

The Trust is delighted to support this collaboration with the Chartered College of Teaching and the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0 – 11 years) at UCL’s Institute of Education as part of its continuing work to build on its Open Futures – askit growit cookit filmit learning programme: www.openfutures.com.

Over 12 years, Open Futures engaged 164 Primary Schools across England, benefitting over 80,000 children and enabling teachers to create meaningful, impactful learning environments and experiences. Open Futures was designed by, with and for the schools we worked with. Together, we established a flexible framework and training programme that addressed each school’s unique needs and diverse contexts. Every child matters every teacher matters, and every school leader matters.

The Trust has initiated this vital collaboration with the Chartered College of Teaching and HHCP (0-11 years) to support school leaders and teachers’ agency to have the confidence, as experts, to be ambitious in their curriculum design.

Young children have a right to an education that is meaningful to them and makes the best use of the most formative period in their development, nurturing their academic and personal, social and emotional growth in equal measure. This is what teachers go into the profession to do.

We hope this initiative will inspire teachers and school leaders nationally to do what they do best – provide meaningful learning experiences that allow young children to understand why what they are learning is important to them so that they want to learn more!

Latest announcements, blogs and updates from the project