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5 cross curricular observations about successful departments
Creating cohesive, consistent and interconnected learning experiences that are replicable and successful is a paragon of education. Achieving this game plan across a school is no mean feat.
Rather like attempting to host the Olympics with only one set of sporting rules for all events, bringing the vision together is a challenge. With so many varied disciplines and so much knowledge and skill to develop in our young people, we could be forgiven for finding it difficult.
The Subject Success Research Team investigated the curricula of over 400 successful departments in 236 schools. With my curiosity hat on, I wanted to investigate whether there are any visible cross-curricular approaches, particularly, but not exclusively, in those schools featuring several departments in the research.
My curiosity hooked, I’ve focused, rather arbitrarily, on the schools which have 4+ subject departments included in the subject success research. In the following observations I have listed the subject departments next to the school’s name on the first occasion.
Having spent some time sitting with the fascinating subject directories, I’ve become very interested in the patterns and connections between departments, disciplines and how each chooses to communicate their curriculum.
There is so much to uncover by digging into the directories that I have had to be selective and have chosen observations that piqued my interest. To this end I would encourage you to dig around for yourself too - it is time well spent!
As we head into the last few weeks of term and the September Inset planning is already well under way, a pause to consider our opportunities to take cross-curricular thinking to the next level and explore what successful teams are doing can help us focus.
It has been a privilege to be able to explore the curriculum of so many successful subject departments. Read on to explore how departments use:
Immersive Opportunities
Interdisciplinary Approaches
Cross-Curricular Strategies
Building Independence and Learning Habits
Oracy
Study Skills
Pedagogical Priorities
CPD
1. Immersive Opportunities
At Shireland Collegiate College (DT), a physical space has inspired the development of cross-curricular experiences through its immersive classroom. The whole-school curriculum includes cross-curricular themes called its ‘Literacy for Life’ (L4L) programme.
The L4L programme consists of subjects taught through themes.
Each theme runs for around three weeks and has elements of all the subjects taught through it.
The immersive classroom allows for the integration of various subjects into themed learning modules, where academic and personal competencies are continuously assessed and developed.
Themes such as "Citizen Me" and "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" incorporate elements of English, Science, Geography, History, and more.
Take a look at the Yr7 programme below and find out more about the classroom here:
By using immersive, theme-based teaching, Shirelands Collegiate Academy helps students progress academically while nurturing essential life skills, making learning more engaging and effective.
2. Interdisciplinary Approaches
Creating connections across different subjects and developing versatile skills is cited by several departments in the Subject Success Research as enhancing learning. These interdisciplinary strategies ensure that students not only grasp subject-specific knowledge but also become adept at applying their learning to various real-world contexts, fostering a holistic educational experience:
At Ada Lovelace CofE High School (English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, RE), the curriculum is aligned to emphasise common skills, such as integrating pie charts in maths with data presentation in other subjects, linking sustainability concepts in science, and applying advanced reading strategies taught in English. The RE curriculum, in particular, supports the school's ethos by contributing to the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development (SMSC) policy, fostering tolerance and critical thinking through collaboration with other humanities departments.
Ealing Fields (English, Maths, Science, PE, RE, History, Languages) and Ada Lovelace CofE High Schools extend this by incorporating a robust 'Ethics' curriculum at KS3, further honing students' critical thinking and moral reasoning.
Grey Coat Hospital's (History, Geography, DT, Performing Arts) Geography curriculum includes a specific IT skills unit, equipping students with digital competencies that enhance their geographical analysis.
Ark Elvin Academy’s (English, Maths, Science, Languages) Languages department connects practice with: “Processes such as deciphering meaning without complete comprehension and conjugating verbs develop pupils’ other skills, such as logic, task-sequencing and mathematical processing.”
Dormers Wells High School’s (English, Maths, Science, History) Science Department dedicates specific weeks to developing essential cross-curricular skills in Year 9, such as numeracy, literacy, and practical investigations, thereby deepening students' scientific understanding and encouraging independent learning:
3. Cross-curricular strategies
Cross-curricular strategies can support consistency of vision for students to not only achieve academically but also develop the personal qualities necessary for bright futures. There were several strands emerging from the curriculum documents including these examples:
Love of Learning
Bishopshalt School’s (English, Maths, PE, Business) curriculum vision emphasises a broad and holistic educational experience that extends beyond academic results. The curriculum overview states:
“We take the term ‘educational’ in its most broad sense: this means more than just a set of academic results. It includes a child’s intellectual development, but also social and emotional development, citizenship and responsibility, happiness and success.
Our curriculum, both academic and co-curricular, is framed around the following principles: it is designed to instil a love of learning, build students’ character, ensure that our students show kindness and enable all to chase brilliance. We believe that these four strands of our curriculum will ensure that all students have ‘bright futures’.”
Building Independence and Learning Habits
Akin to the ‘Habits of Mind Across the Curriculum’ (Costa & Kallick, 1991) the Twyford CofE Academies Trust (which features three schools with 4+ departments in the research) has produced descriptors to measure the success of learning habits both in and out of the classroom. Additionally, memory and literacy descriptors ensure consistency and reinforce the importance of these habits in all aspects of students' education:
The Star Academies (which feature 6 schools with 4+ departments in the research) have leadership built into the curriculum to develop independence and resilience. The curriculum allocates time for leadership development through timetabled periods, half-termly Leadership Days, cross-curricular activities, and community service projects:
Oracy
Many schools are increasingly highlighting their 'Oracy strategy' in addition to published Literacy and Reading Strategies as a critical component of their educational approach, emphasising the importance of effective communication skills for student success. For instance:
Mossbourne Community School (English, Science, Social Science, History, Performing Arts, Languages, Geography) underscores the role of oracy in unlocking opportunities for higher education and prestigious careers by fostering confident, articulate communicators. Their curriculum integrates high standards for pupil talk, participation in speaking competitions, drama programs, and various forms of public speaking.
Similarly, Mossbourne Victoria Park (English, Maths, Science, Social Science, Languages, History) has developed a specialism in oratory, encouraging students to engage with language through debates, discussions, and recitals, supported by an ‘Oracy Passport’ to master formal English and appropriate communication registers.
Levenshulme High School (English, Maths, Science, Languages) sets high expectations for oracy, providing students with opportunities to present ideas, ask questions, and develop vocabulary, ensuring effective communication.
Bishopshalt School incorporates the Voice 21 Oracy Framework into their curriculum, aiming to teach students to both speak and learn through talk, fostering their voices for bright futures. These examples illustrate a shared commitment to developing students' oracy skills, recognising their pivotal role in academic and life success.
Study Skills
By emphasising study skills in the curriculum, departments ensure that students not only excel academically but also build the resilience and skills needed for independent study.
Valentine High School (Maths, Geography, Business, DT) uses ‘Learning Journeys’ which are strategically designed to run alongside each key stage, each contributing to a comprehensive learning framework. necessary for lifelong learning. This approach highlights the importance of teaching students how to learn, preparing them for future academic challenges and personal growth.
At Levenshulme High School, study skills are woven into subject curricula:
“Our curriculum has been designed carefully to create opportunities to revisit work, reflect on progress and review on learning. Our students are provided with a wealth of opportunities, both in academic and pastoral settings to: improve memory skills, develop effective study skills, increase self-confidence, understand the importance of reflective practices and regular review in order to become independent learners.”
4. Pedagogical Priorities
While the pedagogical priorities are not surprising, (they are the embodiment of the ‘best known bets’ of cognitive science and research) what is interesting are the different expressions of how they are woven into the practice expectations of the departments:
“We know that deep knowledge is required for complex thought, and that pupils remember best with extended, deliberate practice that is spaced out rather than crammed. All our teachers teach with the aim to ensure pupils love these subjects for the rest of their lives.”
Dixons Kings Academy (Maths, Science, RE, Computing and IT) presents a curriculum vision centred on expanding students' knowledge across all areas, emphasising the acquisition of "powerful knowledge" that goes beyond exam preparation. The school employs a retrieval-based curriculum, planned and executed to ensure students develop a robust understanding of their subjects:
“Staff understand what powerful knowledge is, and can identify it in their subject (not just exam rubric)
All subjects have a retrieval based curriculum which is carefully planned and carried out in a considered manner
We build a thirst for learning and a love of subjects at KS3 by using varied topics and an innovative curriculum – but this also provides a good grounding for KS4
Our knowledge organisers are consistent and accessible across school
Each subject area has a clear overview of their planning and rationale, through the use of a curriculum intent document and a curriculum overview
Each faculty has a link to university research (in some aspect) so that they can be sure they are teaching the most useful and up to date knowledge to our students
Our curriculum is informed by the latest evidential research from cognitive science about memory, forgetting and practice in order to help students remember more, and apply the best of what has been thought and said. By employing our curriculum as a progression model, we make knowledge stick so that it can be flexibly applied in a variety of different contexts and situations.”
The ‘Learning 7’ at Paddington Academy (Maths, History, Business, Languages) is deeply rooted in research and evidence-based practices, particularly focusing on cognitive science and Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. Their ‘T&L 7’ framework sets the standard for excellent teaching, emphasising the importance of presenting material in small steps, modelling, guided practice, and frequent formative assessment. The academy places a strong emphasis on the concept that learning is a change in long-term memory, integrating retrieval practice into lessons and homework to counteract the forgetting curve:
At Swanlea School (English, Maths, Science, RE), departments utilise the ‘Swanlea Learning Cycle’ where:
“Subject specialists ally high quality, clear teacher explanation and instruction with a wide range of assessment strategies to embed key concepts in students long term memory. Teachers use assessment for learning techniques to check pupil’s understanding and to provide high quality feedback to support learning, using these also to inform and adapt their teaching. Key pedagogical practices include our focus on questioning through ‘cold-calling, no opt-out and say it again better.’”
Dormer Wells High School’s: ‘DWHS 9’ gives a framework for achieving great learning across departments and curriculum areas. Their documentation states that the DWHS 9 is a ‘key driver’ and:
“represents the essential aspects of great learning for our students. These aspects of “Great Learning” are regularly shared with our students and our own professional development as staff focus on them to ensure they are embedded within our practice.”
Ark Isaac Newton Academy (Maths, PE, History, Performing Arts) ‘Newton’s Nine’ is intended to build successful classroom routines and expectations:
5. CPD
Writ large through the curriculum documentation is the commitment of schools to give time to practitioners to maintain and extend expertise in curriculum areas. With the knowledge of cognitive load theory (applicable to staff too), time to specifically focus on curriculum delivery and content is valuable:
St Thomas The Apostle College, in addition to their professional development offer, also puts aside “five twilight inset sessions offering training bespoke to your curriculum area”
While the Paddington Academy documentation states:
“How do we get better at teaching?
We are proud of the very high standard of teaching and learning in every lesson at Paddington Academy, but we know that ‘every teacher needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better.’ Our teaching staff engage in a comprehensive and rigorous programme of professional development to ensure that our students are receiving the best possible quality of education.
Every member of the teaching staff engages in a weekly Curriculum Masterclass, focusing on developing their subject and curricular knowledge.
Every teacher also engages in a fortnightly Deliberate Practice session, during which they discuss and rehearse a specific teaching strategy.
We run a separate, fortnightly programme of Continuing Professional Development. Strands have included curriculum leadership, SEND development and leadership development.”
🔎 Compare cross curricular strategies in your subject
To help you learn how these departments do what they do, our team have been busy gathering everything they can including:
performance data
intent statements
exams boards
time allocation
Year 7-11 sequencing
subject specific curriculum features
planning and delivery resources
team structure
extracurricular activities and…
…more.
Here’s an example of the subject specific directories they’ve been building👇
Subject Success Directories are produced exclusively for members of our paid Curriculum Thinkers Community.
Not a member yet? Get free access here.
Already a member and can't access directories? Activate your membership plan link or DM Fiona Flint and ask for your membership plan link.
🔎 What aspects of curriculum practice are we unpacking through our subject success research?
To help you get as much as possible out of our Subject Success Research, over the coming weeks we’ll bring you different slices of what we’ve found:
Subject-specific curriculum models used by successful departments
Making links between subjects: cross curricular observations
Sequencing decisions by subject, year group and key stage
Resources like options booklets, curriculum maps, knowledge organisers, revision materials and…
…more
If you don’t want to miss out on all these…
Sent with ❤️ Curriculum Thinkers Team at We Are In Beta.