Hello Curriculum Thinkers,
We hope you had a great term and have awesome plans to unwind over the break.
But if you do fancy doing some thinking and helping of others between now and next term, here’s a round up of 21 curriculum questions your fellow members have been asking inside the community.
Wishing you (and your students) all the best until then.
But before we get into the questions round up…
Join our team as a Curriculum Thinkers Master Class Host
Are you someone who loves to find great practice and learn from it? Perhaps you work flexibly and/or part time and want to help others share their wisdom?
Maybe you know someone who fits the bill?
We’re looking for a curious curriculum lover to join our team as a Curriculum Thinkers Master Class Host.
If you like meeting new people, asking questions, listening and learning, we’d love to hear from you.
📌 🤔 Community bulletin board - 21 curriculum questions you’re asking.
Huge thanks in advance to everyone who shares their advice to lift others up.
It means a huge amount to them.
No doubt it will make you feel warm and fuzzy too 😉
🏫 Whole school curriculum leadership
🗓️ 2 or 3 Year KS3?
We are moving from a 2 year KS3 to a 3 year KS3, what is your approach to curriculum, especially in year 9, and what are the merits of your approach?
🗓️ Timetabling
Think this broadly fits here as a timetable/structure of the day question... How long are people's lunch breaks? ( I mean the actual school one, not the five seconds you give yourself at your desk )
🥾Year 11 Boot camp
Hi All, I am looking for an Easter Maths/English Year 11 bootcamp. Something to take students away for a few days to engage and inspire whilst providing intensive English and Maths revision sessions. Looking to engage with this over the Easter break, does anyone have anything they have used that they would recommend? We are NorthWest based but willing to travel if its for a few days.
💻 Computing & ICT
✍️ Written responses
One area for improvement I am currently focusing on is students written responses, extended answers etc. linked to retrieval, recall and supporting students. Introducing the use of exercise books (which I have always used in my previous schools) and want staff and students to embed this practice to support their responses.
The use of writing frames, sentence starters I have always found useful in previous schools. Are there any other ideas and good practice out there? Thank you!
💰 Business
✍️ Written answers
I am looking for some help with my A level business groups (AQA). What have people found useful when it comes to improving the written answers of their students? Particularly for the C/D borderline students. Does anyone have any really good model answers or know where to find them?
🛠️ Design & Technology
🧑🏫 Ensuring consistency
A brief introduction to what I am doing to ensure consistency across classes and year groups, with a focus on KS3
📚English
📋 Consistent delivery document
The document attached has been created to support consistency across English classrooms - its primary audience is line managers who are not English subject experts.
🗣️ Vocab strategies
I just wanted to ask a quick question about what vocabulary strategies everyone uses. I've a loyal fan of Frayer but wondered what other routines and resources people have found effective.
🙏 SOWs to help with long term cover
we are experiencing long term cover across year groups in English. We have been able to collapse classes and stream lessons for KS4 but KS3 are therefore being impacted the most. It has been challenging as we are unable to follow the curriculum with inconsistent non-specialist staff.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Does anyone have any SOWs that are used specifically for cover purposes?
🌍 Geography
✍️ Extended writing
Hello I was wondering if anyone has a literacy map to support extended writing at KS3 to prepare learners for the transition to KS4 OCR B? Rather than reinventing the wheel. We are putting more deliberate practice into lessons but was looking at literacy mat which would be created as a handout as we remove the scaffold support. I may have missed it in the files - sorry. Thanks Arlene
🏰 History
🤖 AI
Hello, I am quite new to the community, I am wondering if anyone has come across any useful ways to incorporate AI into History planning and teaching? Thanks!
👋 Languages
📜 New Spec
I'm looking for any MFL teachers who are planning for the new specification and would like to work together? If you're interested or know anyone who would be then please let me know and we will look at organising something where we can share the workload and our expertise 😀
📊 Maths
6️⃣ Core Maths at 6th form
Hi everyone. I am interested in talking to schools that do Core Maths as part of their 6th form offer. Do students find it useful and how do you schedule it? Seems the government is keen to incentivise this course going forward.
✈️ Visiting other Maths departments
Dear all, our colleagues have the opportunity to visit schools on the 18th of March. Unfortunately we have 5 Maths teachers who are struggling to find a school who could accommodate them for the day. Are there any schools who could support a curriculum visit? Their focus is around mastery teaching for understanding curriculum, planning of resources and stretch and challenge in the curriculum. Thanks in advance.
🏸 PE and Sport
🗓️Timetabling for class size
Hello, for the first time this year I am in charge of producing the timetable for next academic year. I am toying with how to structure the KS3 PE classes to allow for slightly smaller class sizes
How do others go about their KS3 PE timetable classes? What are general class sizes in KS? Do you have mixed gender classes or avoid this completely?
🎭 Performing Arts
✅ Moderation
Hi all, First Time Eduqas team leader here.
Would anyone like to get involved in some moderation of GCSE performances and coursework. Wishing you happiness.
📝 KS3 cover resources drama
Just wondering if anyone has any useful resources of KS3 drama cover? How does everyone else manage a cover for a practical subject and keep interest in the subject?
🕌 RE
📝 GCSE religion choice
Hi leaders of the best subject (imo)
I wanted to ask which religions do you teach for GCSE and why?
We currently deliver Christianity and Islam but are considering the move to Buddhism and wanted to know your thoughts on why you offer the religions that you do.
⏯️ Assessment meet up recording
Where can I find the recording of the RE leaders meet-up session held on 6th Dec about assessment in RE please?
🧬 Science
📜 Mock exams set up
We currently complete paper 1 mock exams in December and these are run centrally in the hall. We do a second set of mocks in march covering paper 2, however we usually only complete Biology and Chemistry paper 2, as we haven't finished Physics. Most other subjects don't complete mocks in March and student effort is lower than December. Does anyone do an alternative? We were thinking of perhaps a skills paper.
📜 Students sitting higher paper
Good afternoon all, I am new here and I am the head of science at a mixed high school in a grammar area. One of my key focuses is on trying to get more of our students sitting a higher paper (currently around 30% sit a higher paper). Has anyone had any successes?
Your subject not in the list?
Got a question?
Sent this by a friend?
Sent with ❤️ Curriculum Thinkers Team at We Are In Beta.
If you need a hand accessing any resources in this email, hit reply and we’ll get it sorted.
Or…
Follow these steps to make sure you aren’t missing out on all the good stuff inside.