Curriculum and the Substance of Education

by Glynis Frater | Mar 22, 2022 | Curriculum, Leadership, Quality

What is the substance of education?

Curriculum and the Substance of Education — Creating a spiral curriculum to sequence learning and deepen knowledge

Substance is a word that has more than one meaning, a bit like outstanding which can mean something is exceptional or something remains unfinished, ironic really when you think about its use as a means of defining how well a school performs. Substance equally can mean a liquid or powder, often associated with drugs, it is also someone who has wealth, property and is affluent or in the case of the inspectorate it is the core, the essence, the soul of how schools deliver the curriculum.

“…..the curriculum is the substance – the rock on which good teaching is built. So that’s where we focus our attention on inspection”
Amanda Spielman ASCAL Conference 2022

There is a lot of evidence from inspection reports, first hand conversations and social media posts that many schools are not able as yet to demonstrate that their curriculum meets the exacting demands expected of them from OFSTED and their inspectors especially since the pandemic has left the profession with a lot to do.

Is substance the right word to use?

I am not sure, if I was describing how to deliver a profoundly relevant, deep and rich curriculum that I would use the word substance. Perhaps because it does have other meanings that make it less powerful it seems to lack creativity or soul. I am in total agreement that the curriculum is the foundation by which a school should build its core purpose which is the achievement of all pupils within its care. However, in order to achieve this a school leader must embrace many other key purposes that will ensure all learners do in fact move to the next stage of their education, work or life equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed.

Defining the curriculum content is the easy part. The standards based nature of the current National Curriculum programmes of study steer curriculum strategists to define what will be taught in all subjects in early years and at key stage 1,2 and 3. The National Qualifications Framework then takes over and provides the specifications for what students need to know and learn for GCSE, A Level, Degree, Masters study and PHD.

The more difficult part is defining and communicating how to deliver a curriculum that inter-twines knowledge and skills, builds on prior learning, puts assessment at its heart and ensures that all teachers and their support teams create the right environment and pedagogy to allow deep and remembered learning to take place.

A deeper look at curriculum vocabulary

So, how do school leaders convey to their teams and to those who teach what exactly they need to do to demonstrate that the curriculum does indeed have substance?

It is to other words and phrases from the curriculum vocabulary that will help to unpick this conundrum. Here are some that need careful consideration by the collective body of all of those with any kind of responsibility for curriculum planning and teaching and learning.

Deepening learning over time
Understanding concepts within and across subject divides
Making links between existing and new knowledge
Sequencing learning over time
Identifying what pupils should learn and remember
Consistent and accurate assessment of learning
Unconscious competent use of skills for learning
Cognitive load and long term-memory
Ensuring parity for all learners

The importance of professional dialogue and holistic curriculum planning

Creating a culture of collaboration that will ensure deep learning and profound understanding

Creating a harmonious and relevant curriculum cannot and will not happen where individuals plan for a year group or a particular subject or even across a phase, department or key stage. The curriculum is holistic and sequential, one element builds on another which creates a need to factor in reflection, recall and retrieval over time.

To some extent the National Curriculum programmes of study, especially in the core, do provide a road map that allows for the deepening of knowledge and understanding and opportunities to reinforce the learning on a regular basis. However, teachers need to know what has been taught before, in what way and to what extent has assessment given a true picture of deep learning.

This requires an element of joint planning, a profound conceptual understanding of a particular subject and how concepts transcend subject specific boundaries as well as a recognition that the core of English and Maths and to a great extent Science all have a foot in other curriculum areas.

Reviewing the curriculum and how it is delivered over time has never been more important and providing time before the end of this turbulent academic year for a deep dive into how the curriculum is planned, taught and assessed will reap rich rewards for all those involved in leading, managing and teaching the curriculum.

Creating a culture where professional dialogue leads to a shared understanding of curriculum sequencing, the inter-twining of concepts, the importance of skills and the use of assessment creates a foundation with which to build high performance planning, pedagogy and learning at the classroom and subject specific level.

Ten points to create a culture that will deliver a whole school synergy

Continuing professional development (CPD) needs to be at the heart of a truly inspirational strategy that ensures achievement for all. All staff have a part to play in realising the vision that will create a deep and rich curriculum that has all the elements that define high quality learning. Below is a ten point planned strategy that embraces all staff and will build exceptional teams, powerful pedagogy and incisive assessment of learning.

Create a synergy where professional learning conversations deliver high quality outcomes for all

Build a highly skilled leadership team that understand how the curriculum is structured and exactly what is needed to ensure outstanding pedagogy delivers a rich tapestry of learning for all learners
Plan your INSET days to embrace a whole school dialogue about curriculum intent and implementation
Make sure every meeting includes a deep dive into the curriculum
Plan schema to take account of prior learning, opportunities for recall and retrieval practice and define what pupils will know and can do at the end of each phase, topic, year and key stage
Know the programmes of study, not just the statutory requirements but the purpose of study, the aims, the concepts within the subject and those that complement or mirror other subject knowledge
Define the skills pupils will need and gain as they learn, which ones are part of the core of English and maths that are essential within science and the foundation subjects
Ensure assessment is an integral part of planning the curriculum, what will be assessed? How will the learning be assessed? What impact is assessment having on learning?
Create opportunities through CPD for professional learning conversations to take place that provide evidence that the curriculum is sequenced, assessment is integral and formative, all pupils can access the curriculum, and are challenged and motivated to learn
Use lesson observation as part of a professional learning journey so that teachers can work together to share their pedagogy and build a deeper understanding across all the curriculum subjects
Use points of transition into key stage 1 and then into key stage 2, especially between key stage 2 and 3, and most definitely at the end of key stage 3 in readiness for Key stage 4 to ensure at each pinch point that learning is seamless across the different transition bridges

Glynis at Learning Cultures is an expert in all things curriculum. With her superb guidance we have developed some exceptional and highly regarded resources. Planning CPD linked to the curriculum is pivotal. Be at the forefront of change and challenge that will deliver high quality curriculum outcomes for all. I have linked to different courses, events and programmes that are relevant across this post and some are included below.

Have a look at our new website for all the coaching, curriculum and other themes pertinent to our repertoire. We know we are the best and our resources and most definitely highly prised by many who have been a part of our own long journey to excellence and continuous improvement. Below is a sample linked to the above, we have a richly detailed website to find out more.