Reconfiguring the curriculum

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• Reconfiguring the curriculum

Part of system redesign at Serlby Park
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CONTEXT

• Characteristics
• Ex-pit village
• Traditional low educational expectations
• Limited employment opportunities
• Curriculum Change rationale-post-14
• Results seem to have come up against a barrier
• Diploma and other initiatives need another
  timetabled approach
• The school is only large enough for year groups
  of 130 max.
• Previous KS4 offer was very limited (9 GCSE
  subject choices, sometimes repeated across 4
  option blocks)
• Area was judged to be in need of a vocational
  input
• Broadening choice is expensive
• Broadening choice can lead to staffing imbalances

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The Next Five Years?

• Greater choice ie. Specialist Diplomas-51 new
  lines of learning by 2013
• Much greater flexibility to use a thematic,
  competence-based approach-new curriculum
  orders-KS3, SATs.
• Creation of foundation diplomas-modular and
  varied ie. OCN, Pathways
• Young Apprenticeships a much more viable feature
  of provision
• Less age-rigid organisation/structure.examinatio
  ns when ready
• Travel to other institutions much more common
• Outside providers much more common-place
• Extended schooling much expanded
• Collaborative QA Processes-more shared
  responsibility for achievement
• Electronic/multi-media approaches become the
  norm, not the exception

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Structure
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Why redesign?Timetabling

• Research points to real advantages and is
  supported by results (so far)!
• Plenaries assume greater significance
• Broadening the curriculum is more cost-efficient
• Why 16?
• Structured G and T provision
• Year 11 is a coursework/revision log jam why
  not spread the load?
• Part-timers are easier to recruit
• Collaboration is on a surer foundation
• Individual subjects face much more competition
  under present system- more students will ease
  these problems
• Staffing imbalance is not extreme
• Travel logistics are eased
• Timetable can roll forward with a real purpose
• The wider variety of experience cuts pressures on
  school to provide everything-external
  providers, other schools, work .

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Why redesign?Pupil outcomes

• Increase in examination performance
• Personalised learning through wider curriculum
  choice
• Learning needs reinforcement ideally within 24
  hours-hence it is actually more beneficial to
  cram more into a few days
• Lower attainers spend 2 years in GCSE and our own
  experiences show that they get the same grade (or
  better) after 1 year (76 of cases)
• We do not catch them at their most enthusiastic
• There is no extrinsic reward for GCSE work until
  after they have left school
• GCSE choices locks in a student for two years,
  regardless of whether the course is the suitable
  one
• Gives wider exposure to different student
  cohorts-more opportunity for role model
  development

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Why not?
Difficulties in timetabling different age groups
together Individualising the learning
experience is expensive Broadening the options
choice could be a threat to traditional
subjects and certainly could lead to staffing
imbalances Pupils may not be ready for GCSEs at
an early age Different age groups may not work
well together
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Example-Option Block

• PE GCSE Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
  YA Food Level 2
• French Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
  Maths AS Level 3
• Food Tech. Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
  Pathways Level 1
• Cake Decorating Levels 1 and 2 ABC
  Individual Arrangements
• Res. Materials Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
• Spanish Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
• Building Trades Level 1 City/G
• Construction Btec Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
• Hair and Beauty Levels 1 and 2 City/G
• (Cert./BTEC) Edexcel
  
• Horsecare Level 1 BHS
• Childcare Levels 1 and 2 AQA
• Art Levels 1 and 2 AQA
• Music Levels 1 and 2 AQA
• Drama Levels 1 and 2 AQA
• History Levels 1 and 2 AQA
• Geography Levels 1 and 2 Edexcel
• Business Levels 1 and 2 AQA 2 years
• YA Construction Level 2

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• Process
• Options Choices process begins one year earlier,
  in Year 8
• It is repeated each year (2 choices)
• Students choose 1 from each block each year
  (unless it is a two year course)
• If course is full, they are first priority next
  year
• Languages are given first priority in Year 9
• Logistics
• 6 option qualifications-ongoing choice of what
  to study and at what level (8 best GCSE
  equivalents used for capped APS)
• Level 3 is now much more viable (earlier, if
  required)
• Cores almost unaffected (for now!)-helps new
  performance tables
• Helps to greatly extend choice, both logistically
  (little timetable disruption) and cost-wise (much
  larger cohort)

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Obstacles

• the secondary blockings system remains the
  greatest structural (and psychological) barrier
  to change
• the inclusion of maths and English in the league
  tables may well lead to less willingness to
  change
• individualising the learning experience is
  expensive
• Broadening the options choice could be a threat
  to traditional subjects and certainly could
  lead to staffing imbalances
• subject dominance/ fear continues to play a major
  role in limiting changes to the timetable
• Perception that more ICT-led learning cant give
  students the experiences a teacher can

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Areas for concern Points raised by staff

• MFL development -Early AS level/more languages/
• 
  conversation classes/ video-conferencing
• Break in option subject study -52 of students in
  FE start
• subjects they have never studied
• -Many HE courses are completely
  new
• YEAR 9- too early intellectually???
• PE-too weedy???

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Curriculum for 2008-9 Timetable plan for KS3 KS4
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Possible Y7 8 Core Day (Tues/Thurs)
Y7 8 Core Day (Tues/Thurs)
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Y7 8 Cross-Curricular days (Mon, Wed, Fri)
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Foundation Learning Tier (Years 9,10,11-lower 10
of attainers and offered in addition to the
option blocks)

• BTEC Introductory Vocational Certificate and NOCN
  Qualifications (points?)
• Trowel skills
• Looking after children
• Healthy bodies
• Horse riding
• Introduction to ICT
• Leading to Construction Level 1, Health and
  Social Care Level 1
• Performing Arts
• Motorbike maintenance
• Art
• Leisure and Tourism
• Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (25 points)
• Work placement (half day or full day)
• Princes Trust Excel
• Functional skills pilot (both entry level 3 and
  level 1)
• 3 wider key skills (51 points)
• Improving own learning

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Aims and Objectives of our KS3 curriculum

• To ease transition in terms of the social and
  emotional aspects of learning (SEAL)
• To provide a Primary based cross curricular
  approach to learning.
• To learn how to learn and how to think
• To develop soft skills
• Ultimately helping pupils to settle more
  quickly and so reduce the learning loss / dip in
  attainment

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THE NEW QCA CURRICULUM SERLBY PARK COMPETENCIES
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Department Physical Education 2007 Year 11 GCSE
A-C rate 57 2008 Year 11 GCSE
66 2008 Year 9/10 GCSE 74
History 2007 Year 11 GCSE A-C rate 49 2008
Year 11 GCSE 51 2008 Year
9/10 GCSE 67 (Yr9
72) French 2007 Year 11 GCSE A-C rate
52 2008 Year 11 GCSE
56 2008 Year 9/10 GCSE 74 (Yr
9 79)
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Timeline for redesign

• Presentation to staff October INSET day
• Written proposal to all staff November requesting
  feedback
• Repeat written proposal to all staff January
  requesting feedback
• Evaluation forms to departments January-all
  returned bar 1
• Full governors meeting January-proposal adopted
• Student assembly January (Year 8)
• Parent Information letter/booklet January (Year
  9)
• Discussion relevant TLR1s/TLR2s February/March
• Research and timetable questions February/March
• Parent Information Evening/Student options day
  March (Year 9)
• Parental information letter/booklet March (Year
  8)
• Parent Information Evening Year 8 April (Year 8)

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Evaluating redesign

• Pupil survey
• 100 of Year 9 consider it a positive move
• 54 of Year 10 consider it a positive move
• 95 of Year 10 would have opted for the change if
  the opportunity had been given to them last year
• Staff survey
• 95 of affected staff rated the move positive,
  or very positive in informal survey March 08