When I first came into the profession more than half a century ago, art was a focal part of the primary curriculum. It is not surprising, with a very large proportion of the curriculum dedicated to art, that standards were often high and sometimes quite remarkable. Since the focus... View Article
‘Things always seem to go round in a circle in education.’ These are the words that I heard so many times when I was an NQT (or ECT now), from more experienced staff members or when I went on courses. To some extent, this is true. There are things that... View Article
If you’re thinking about your curriculum and how it all fits together, it’s really important that you consider substantive concepts. Your curriculum will be focused on how the children in your setting learn the key knowledge that relate to their topics. You will probably have considered how you will put... View Article
Many primary school leaders evidently see history as a strength in their curriculum given the proportion of history deep dives carried out during inspection, normally based on the headteacher suggesting this subject when asked to suggest a subject that is a strength. This makes sense… History is very... View Article
Developing progression across the Primary curriculum is an absolutely crucial aspect of developing learners who continue to be successful throughout their education. As teachers, what we do matters so much more than just for the day, week or term that we teach something, but in the wider sense of what... View Article
When I was still in the classroom my favourite way to deliver a History lesson was to make it personal. I gave the children a story that they could believe in, with amazing characters that would relate to their own lives. I then rooted it meticulously in a different time,... View Article
