I was very pleased to be asked by Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, to carry out an independent review of the primary curriculum in England.
The interim report was published on 8 December. It presents work in progress to put forward recommendations to create the best curriculum that we can for primary children. In order to achieve this it takes account of the remit of the Review, the key issues raised through consultation and what we know about how learning is advanced in our leading edge schools.
Update from Sir Jim Rose
Whatever else the interim report of the Primary Curriculum Review had to say, the suggestion to link aspects of subject content in cross-curricular studies, though hardly earth shattering, has grabbed the lion’s share of the headlines.
Let’s be crystal clear, claims in the press that the review advocates ‘abolishing subjects’ and returning to old style ‘topic’ work are ill-founded, largely mischievous and downright wrong.
Subject teaching is strongly defended in the review: ‘high quality subject teaching must not disappear from primary schools’. Equally, the review recognizes ‘the benefits to children of well-planned cross-curricular studies’. The simple truth is that subjects must be firmly established and well taught in order for children to make worthwhile links across them. This is certainly not a throwback to the past where ill-defined ‘topic work’ ruled the primary roost and sold many children short of a good education. That point, too, is made clear: the review eschews terms such as ‘topics’ precisely because of the rudderless curriculum these gave rise to in the past.
We need a primary curriculum which is challenging and constantly enriches children's understanding, where they can apply knowledge and skills learnt in one subject to better understand another. So, for example, it makes sense to capitalise on local history when studying local geography through researching, say, the reasons early settlers chose particular locations to put down roots. Some of the best teaching we have seen has been about helping children to make these kinds of connections. None of this excludes direct teaching of history or geography, as we found in the Camden junior school, where the interim review was launched this week, with the children who were studying the Tudors in depth.
Where the sceptics are silent, of course, is in voicing constructive views on solving one of the key problems we are trying to fix. How can we best help primary class teachers solve the ‘quarts-into-pint-pots’ problem of teaching 13 subjects, plus religious education, to sufficient depth, in the time available?
The QCA, with the help of subject experts, is on the case and we will do our best in the interests of primary children to solve it by the time we get to the final report.
The report explores a curriculum design based on a clear set of culturally derived aims and values, which promote challenging subject teaching alongside equally challenging cross-curricular studies. Placing literacy, numeracy, ICT and personal development at its heart, the provisional model aims to secure high achievement in these vital skills for learning and life. Six areas of learning are proposed to give schools optimum flexibility to localise the curriculum and respond to children’s different but developing abilities, to provide ample opportunities for cross-curricular and discrete teaching and to help smooth the transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage to the primary curriculum. The areas of learning are shaped by the key ideas which are deemed essential to a child’s understanding.
Part 1 of the report explores a number of important issues, which have surfaced so far and merit further discussion. Part 2 reports provisionally upon the main aspects of the remit letter:
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Curriculum design and content;
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Reading, writing, numeracy and ICT;
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Personal development;
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Transition and progression, including issues around summer-born children; and
- Introducing languages at Key Stage 2.
Provisional recommendations are set out in both parts of the interim report, which is available to download.
Further information on using areas of learning to design a high quality curriculum can be found in the attached article: The curriculum – what is it? The Royal Society Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) put forward their key ideas in mathematics in a recent paper, which can be downloaded.
Additional aspects
Additional aspects of the Review include consideration of the appropriateness of two early learning goals.
The Review will also consider and report on provision for dyslexia.
Timeline
The Review began in the spring term 2008. An interim report was published on 8 December 2008. A final report will be published in spring 2009, followed by a statutory consultation on the draft programmes of learning. Implementation of a revised primary curriculum will begin from September 2011.
The role of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
The QCA has a key role in supporting the national consultation process, in gathering a wide range of evidence to inform the recommendations of the Review and in developing the programmes of learning for the revised curriculum. The QCA will be holding an informal consultation on the draft programmes from January 2009. Further information can be found on the QCA’s ‘Thinking Primary’ web pages.
Consultation
Since the Review began, we have met with a wide range of contributors. The Review team is in the middle of a series of school visits to see the current curriculum in action and seek the views of teachers, pupils, governors and parents. Much helpful information has also stemmed from contributions from individuals and groups, such as parents and carers.
I wish to thank everyone who has contributed to the Review so far and look forward to meeting many more of you in the near future.
Contributing to the Review
Sir Jim Rose welcomes contributions and comments on the interim report from everyone with an interest in primary education. If you wish to contribute, please use the contact details below to share your views on the interim report by 28 February 2009.
Earlier in the year, the Review held a call for evidence which closed on 30 April 2008; an analysis of the responses is now available.
Contact Details
Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum
2nd Floor
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
0207 783 8430
Primary.Curriculum@DCSF.gsi.gov.uk
Jim Rose
December 2008
