© Curriculum Foundation1 Part 2 The Principles Whose curriculum is it? Who are the key stakeholders? What level of engagement?

Whose Curriculum? As pointed out previously, Paragraph 3.2 of the new National Curriculum framework for England tells us: ‘There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.’ So some of the curriculum is the nation’s and some of it is down to schools. Academies and Free Schools can use their discretion about the entire curriculum. Other maintained schools have the ‘wider school curriculum’ to design for themselves. So the first decision must concern who the school would want to involve in the curriculum design process, either directly or through a degree of consultation. As pointed out previously, Paragraph 3.2 of the new National Curriculum framework for England tells us: ‘There is time and space in the school day and in each week, term and year to range beyond the national curriculum specifications. The national curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.’ So some of the curriculum is the nation’s and some of it is down to schools. Academies and Free Schools can use their discretion about the entire curriculum. Other maintained schools have the ‘wider school curriculum’ to design for themselves. So the first decision must concern who the school would want to involve in the curriculum design process, either directly or through a degree of consultation. The national curriculum in England Framework document

Key Stakeholders: who to engage with and why Assuming we do not share Gradgrind’s belief in delivering the facts we know boys and girls need without reference to anyone else, what about: Teachers … who have professional knowledge about the curriculum? Support staff … who often have closer links with the local community than teachers and hence may form a strong bridge? Governors … who are ultimately responsible for the quality of the curriculum and hence need to be well-informed? Parents / carers … whose support with their children’s learning is vital if their potential is to be realised? Learners … who need to feel that the curriculum is shared with them rather than inflicted upon them? Other schools … in the locality where continuity and progression at transition are so important, both in national curriculum subjects and across all aspects of the school curriculum? Colleges and universities … for aspiration / continuity / progression or where particular relationships exist? The wider community … if not adequately represented by governors and parents? Learners spend more time in the community than they do in school. Employers … whose input can be very valuable in many respects, especially in the areas of motivation and employability skills? Having thought about who to engage with, we need to consider the level of engagement. Assuming we do not share Gradgrind’s belief in delivering the facts we know boys and girls need without reference to anyone else, what about: Teachers … who have professional knowledge about the curriculum? Support staff … who often have closer links with the local community than teachers and hence may form a strong bridge? Governors … who are ultimately responsible for the quality of the curriculum and hence need to be well-informed? Parents / carers … whose support with their children’s learning is vital if their potential is to be realised? Learners … who need to feel that the curriculum is shared with them rather than inflicted upon them? Other schools … in the locality where continuity and progression at transition are so important, both in national curriculum subjects and across all aspects of the school curriculum? Colleges and universities … for aspiration / continuity / progression or where particular relationships exist? The wider community … if not adequately represented by governors and parents? Learners spend more time in the community than they do in school. Employers … whose input can be very valuable in many respects, especially in the areas of motivation and employability skills? Having thought about who to engage with, we need to consider the level of engagement.

EmpowerCollaborateInvolveConsultInform Five Levels of Community Engagement What is the nature of the relationship you want the school to have with its community? Whose curriculum do you want it to be? What level of engagement is right for each of the stakeholder groups?

Characteristics of each level LevelDescription InformOne way relationship; school decides and tells ConsultTwo way discussion; school sets the agenda and school decides InvolveCommunity involvement in curriculum design process; school decides CollaboratePartnership; school and community decide EmpowerTrusting relationship; community actively involved and have authority to decide We shall consider the appropriate level of participation for learners later in the unit

The right level for your school… Paragraph 2.4 of the new framework states that: ‘All schools must publish their school curriculum by subject and academic year online.’ So the only statutory requirement is to inform but this level of engagement cannot provide the community with any significant degree of ownership of the curriculum. What level of engagement is right for your school at this stage? This is not simply a spectrum of engagement with ‘poor’ at one extreme and ‘good’ at the other. The implications of each level merit serious discussion. Reflect on the questions on the next slide. Paragraph 2.4 of the new framework states that: ‘All schools must publish their school curriculum by subject and academic year online.’ So the only statutory requirement is to inform but this level of engagement cannot provide the community with any significant degree of ownership of the curriculum. What level of engagement is right for your school at this stage? This is not simply a spectrum of engagement with ‘poor’ at one extreme and ‘good’ at the other. The implications of each level merit serious discussion. Reflect on the questions on the next slide.

Activity 2 The right level for your school… 1.What level is your school at now? 2.Is the level the same for all stakeholder groups? 3.Where do you want to be? This may involve a compromise between what is desirable and what is possible now. Empowerment of the community must be built upon a foundation of appropriate information, resources and skills (plus appropriate safeguards) …. and this takes time. 4.What level would be consistent with your vision and aims? 5.How does this guidance from Ofsted help? ‘The school has highly successful strategies for engaging with parents to the benefit of pupils, including those who find working with the school difficult.’ Descriptor for outstanding quality of leadership and management 6.What does engagement ‘with parents to the benefit of pupils’ look like with respect to the curriculum?