1. A Curriculum for the Future
The New Secondary Curriculum
Steve Keeble
SSAT
Lead Practitioner
North Suffolk
Small Rural
Secondary Schools
and Curriculum
Change

2. Objectives
• A better understanding of issues in small rural schools
surrounding implementation of the new secondary
curriculum
• A shared understanding of issues of collaboration in
rural settings
• A better understanding of how we can make the most
of the opportunities presented by the new secondary
curriculum
• Share issues raised by delegates
• Use Teacher Voice to feedback to SSAT/QCA

3. Jot down
2 exiting things and
2 challenging things about
implementing curriculum change
for your school
Task

4. The benefits of rural schools
• A school is an important element of a thriving
village/town
• Children are educated closer to home and the curriculum
can be directly related to the local environment.
• There is easy accessibility for parents and teachers
alike.
• The rural village/town secondary school may also play a
key role in the social, as well as educational, life of the
community.
• It may provide a rich cultural resource for the village and
be a focus for a range of activities.

5. But………
• a balance has to be struck between:
• the difficulties and increased costs of maintaining a
small school
• Appropriate specialist status
• The curriculum offer, broad and balanced or specific to
the community, i.e. vocational emphasis e.g. land
based/engineering with limited staffing
• Ability to offer diplomas and multiple lines of learning
• the consequences of its closure, particularly in terms of
traveling times for students

6. Context
• Specialism Business and Enterprise with a Rural
Dimension
• Catchment Rural, Acorn says high percentage of wealthy
achievers but….
• Feeder Schools 6; Year 6 class sizes 4-16
• NOR 345
• 5+A*-C GCSE Rising Trend (But variance due to small
cohort) JVA A*-C= 8/A*-C inc En/Ma= 5
• FE Colleges 45 Minutes travel….few busses
• Bussed in? 80%
• SEN Statements 17%
• School Action/+ 22%

7. I want to improve
myself......... I want to
Learn….. I want to see how
good I am...... I want to know
that I am making progress
I want to improve
myself......... I want to
Learn….. I want to see how
good I am...... I want to know
that I am making progress
I don’t have a clear career path
but I know I want a good job and
for that I need qualifications.
I want to contribute to society
and I know the sort of person I
want to be.
I want my personal growth
recognised in some formal ways

8. Opportunities
• Because of the school’s Business and Enterprise Specialist status,
students have an option to take vocational courses at key stage 4.
• A philanthropic local farmer
• Initially an opportunity to offer vocational options in partnership with
a local FE provider
• From 2008 a new partnership with locality schools
• Gives wider exposure to different student cohorts-more opportunity
for role model development
• More appropriate curriculum for our students
• Opportunity to personalise learning through wider curriculum choice
• An Innovative Curriculum Model Designed to Meet Learner Needs?

9. Barriers to Remove
• Rural families do not have a tradition of going on to post
compulsory education
• Compliant parent body
• A reluctance among students to be independent learners
• Connexions advisors find low career expectations and
lack of ambition
• With broadened option offer small KS4 class sizes
• Expensive
• Transport

10. Solutions
• An SLT prepared to take risks!!
• Some “Creative” Timetabling
• Vertical Federations
• Horizontal Federations
• Access to funding linked to partnership working
• Schools within schools
• Flexible environments
• Local business partnerships
• Integrated locality transport

11. Preparing to Change…….
• Super rationalist: this is not possible, because this is not the * way
we do things
• Nay Sayers: Yes, but have you thought of this and that, and these,
it's just not possible is it!
• Passive Resistors: Yes, that's a great idea, yes brilliant.... Have
you done something about it: No!
• Things will get back...: Don't worry he's got this new idea, go along
with it, he will have forgotten next week!
• Seasoned Veterans: We tried this in 1937, and it didn't work, so it
won't work, sorry.
• Bottom Liner: NO, it will never work, no discussion on that.
• Yes, ... but: It is a very good idea, BUT have you thought to ...

12. 2005
• BLOCK 1:
• Land based studies
• Geography
• ICT
• Applied Business **
• BLOCK 2 :
• Art & Design
• Food Technology
• Graphics
• Resistant Materials
• Applied Business**
• BLOCK 3:
• PE
• French
• ASDAN
• Applied Business**
• BLOCK 4:
• Expressive Arts (Dance,
Drama, Music)
• History
• ICT
• Applied Business**

13. 2008
• BLOCK 1:
• *Motor Vehicle Studies
• *Building and Construction
• *Land Based Studies
• *Hairdressing
• Art and Design
• Food Technology
• Business Studies
• BLOCK 2:
• *Motor Vehicle Studies
• *Building and Construction
• *Land Based Studies
• *Hairdressing
• Spanish
• History
• ICT
• BLOCK 3:
• Graphics
• PE
• Resistant Materials
• Music
• Life Skills
• BLOCK 4:
• Business Studies
• Geography
• French
• ASDAN
• ICT
• Twilight
• Customer Service Technical
Certificate
• GCSE Drama

14. Problem solving, reasoning
and numeracy
Physical
development
Personal, social and
emotional development
Knowledge and
understanding of the world
Communication,
language and literacy
Creative
development
PSHE
PW EW+FC
PEMuMFL RE SCMaICTHiGeEnD & TCiA & D
The curriculum as an entire planned learning experience underpinned by a broad set of common values and purposes
Whole curriculum
dimensions
Approaches to
learning
Components
Every Child
Matters outcomes
Focus for learning
Curriculum aims
Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic wellbeing
Attitudes and attributes
eg determined, adaptable, confident,
risk-taking, enterprising
Knowledge and understanding
eg big ideas that shape the world
Skills
eg literacy, numeracy, ICT, personal,
learning and thinking skills
Successful learners
who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
Responsible citizens
who make a positive contribution to society
Confident individuals
who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
The curriculum aims to enable all young people to become
Statutory
expectations
Overarching themes that have a significance for individuals and society, and provide relevant learning contexts:
Identity and cultural diversity - Healthy lifestyles – Community participation – Enterprise – Global dimension and sustainable development –
Technology and the media – Creativity and critical thinking.
Varied and matched
to learning need
e.g. enquiry,
instruction, active,
practical, theoretical
Assessment is
fit for purpose
and integral to
learning and
teaching
Opportunities for
spiritual, moral,
social, cultural,
emotional,
intellectual and
physical
development
In tune with
human
development
Assessment
develops
learners’ self-
esteem and
commitment to
their learning
Personalised -
offering challenge
and support to
enable all learners
make progress and
achieve
Assessment uses
a wide range of
evidence to
encourage
learners to
reflect on their
own learning
Involve
learners
proactively in
their own
learning
Resource well-
matched to
learning need
eg. use of time,
space, people,
materials
Relevant,
purposeful
and for a
range of
audiences
Environment RoutinesLocationsLessonsLearning outside the classroomEvents Extended hours
Evaluating impact
Accountability
measures
To secure
The curriculum as an entire planned learning experience underpinned by a broad set of common values and purposes
Whole curriculum
dimensions
Approaches to
learning
Components
Every Child
Matters outcomes
Focus for learning
Curriculum aims
Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic wellbeing
Attitudes and attributes
eg determined, adaptable, confident,
risk-taking, enterprising
Knowledge and understanding
eg big ideas that shape the world
Skills
eg literacy, numeracy, ICT, personal,
learning and thinking skills
Successful learners
who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
Responsible citizens
who make a positive contribution to society
Confident individuals
who are able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
The curriculum aims to enable all young people to become
Statutory
expectations
Overarching themes that have a significance for individuals and society, and provide relevant learning contexts:
Identity and cultural diversity - Healthy lifestyles – Community participation – Enterprise – Global dimension and sustainable development –
Technology and the media – Creativity and critical thinking.
Varied and matched
to learning need
eg enquiry,
instruction, active,
practical, theoretical
Assessment is
fit for purpose
and integral to
learning and
teaching
Opportunities for
spiritual, moral,
social, cultural,
emotional,
intellectual and
physical
development
In tune with
human
development
Assessment
develops
learners’ self-
esteem and
commitment to
their learning
Personalised -
offering challenge
and support to
enable all learners to
make progress and
achieve
Assessment uses
a wide range of
evidence to
encourage
learners to
reflect on their
own learning
Involve
learners
proactively in
their own
learning
Resource well
matched to
learning need
eg use of time,
space, people,
materials
Relevant,
purposeful
and for a
range of
audiences
PSHE
PW EW+FC
PEMuMFL RE SCMaICTHiGeEnD & TCiA & D
Problem solving, reasoning
and numeracy
Physical
development
Personal, social and
emotional development
Knowledge and
understanding of the world
Communication,
language and literacy
Creative
development
Environment RoutinesLocationsLessonsLearning outside the classroomEvents Extended hours
Attainment and
improved standards
Behaviour
and attendance
Further involvement in education,
employment or trainingCivic participation Healthy lifestyle choices
Three key questions
3
How well
are we
achieving
our aims?
1
What
are we trying
to achieve?
2
How
do we
organise
learning?
To make learning and teaching more effective so that learners understand quality and how to improve
Involves the whole
school community
eg learners, parents,
teachers, employers,
governors
Chooses
assessment fit
for purpose
Creates a
continuous
improvement
cycle
Uses a wide
range of
measures, both
qualitative and
quantitative
Uses ‘critical
friends’ to offer
insights and
challenge
assumptions
Uses information
intelligently to
identify trends and
clear goals for
improvement
Looks at the whole
child eg curriculum
aims, progress in
skills, subjects and
dimensions
Uses a variety of
techniques to
collect and
analyse
information
I want to contribute
to society and I know
the sort of person I
want to be.
How good am
I? What am I
like? What do I
want to
achieve?

15. Drilling Deeper
• Clear and relevant links across subjects and the world beyond
school ensuring coherence and relevance for the learner.
• The Dimensions provide overarching thematic links – and are
themselves interdependent.
• The curriculum must be designed to enable personalisation – to
value each individual and address her/his needs, aspirations and
interests.
• Learning must be organised so that time, people and resources are
deployed to optimise learners’ progress.
• This requires a culture of the recognition of all interests,
contributions and successes – not solely academic –drawing on the
great potential of your staff
• STUDENT VOICE should contribute to the design of the learning
process – i.e. curriculum review.

16. OfSted’s view
The Common Inspection Framework asks inspectors
to evaluate how well programmes and activities
(which in the case of schools is the curriculum)
meet the needs and interests of learners. To do
this Inspectors evaluate:
• the extent to which the curriculum matches
learners’ needs
• the extent to which the provision contributes to the
learners’ personal development and well-being, for
example their capacity to stay safe and healthy and
their spiritual, moral, social and cultural
development.

17. Ofsted’s expectations of what a school will
do in relation to its curriculum are as
follows:
• ensure that it meets the needs of all learners and
enables them to achieve high standards
• constantly seek to improve the curriculum
• ensure that it is relevant to, engages and hopefully
inspires all learners
• make links where relevant across and between
subjects and aspects
• allow choice and scope for personalising learning
• promote creativity and independent learning

18. 18
Managing Change…
VISION + SKILLS + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = CHANGE
SKILLS + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = CONFUSION
VISION + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = ANXIETY
VISION + SKILLS + RESOURCES + ACTION PLAN = RESISTANCE
VISION + SKILLS + INCENTIVES + ACTION PLAN = FRUSTRATION
VISION + SKILLS + INCENTIVES + RESOURCES = TREADMILL
[Source: 21st Century Learning Journeys: No Time for Hesitancy
adapted from T. Knoster, 1991, TASH Conference, Washington DC]

19. Outcomes
• All Land Based Studies students have gained at least a
pass at Lv2 2005/2008
• Current Year 10 perceptions being evaluated via video
diary as part of a National Applied Learning Survey
• Pupils have more opportunities to access vocational
courses
• Increased opportunities for staff CPD in developing skills
in teaching “New” qualifications
• Strengthened partnership secures funding
• Work in Progress!!
•

20. Future Plans
• Further expansion of Vocational Curriculum Offer
• The Tardis Effect
• Diplomas
• “Super Blocks” of time for subjects to collaborate
• Core days and Options Days
• Redevelopment of the school day
• 2 Year KS3 for Maths and Science
• Exploring “Opening Minds” or competency curriculum
equivalent for Year 7
• Increased number of “Flexi Days”

21. Final Thoughts
• “All education is, in a sense, vocational, vocational for
living” (John Newsom)
• “It's fairly obvious that American education is a cultural
flop. Americans are not a well-educated people culturally,
and their vocational education often has to be learned all
over again after they leave school and college”
(Raymond Chandler)
• Vocational education programs have made a real
difference in the lives of countless young people
nationwide; they build self-confidence and leadership
skills by allowing students to utilize their unique gifts and
talents.

22. Further information
Useful links
• SSAT www.ssatrust.org.uk/curriculumdesign
• NCSL www.ncsl.org.uk/lnpartnershipevents
• QCA http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/

23. Support
If you want advice or support on any of the issues
discussed today
Phone: 01493660218
Email: sajh@btinternet.com

24. Finally
Please complete the evaluation sheets.