Some initial clarification
Whilst we understand the rationale to maintain much of the present curriculum and assessment arrangements that have led to growth and success, we risk missing some of the fundamental issues that are holding back our system and failing to equip all our young people for a purposeful, successful future.
At the beginning of this discussion piece, it is important to recognise that the writers do not sit in one ‘camp’ or another. There is far too much polarisation in the debate about curriculum. What Mary Myatt writes is widely accepted:
‘A proper curriculum grounded in knowledge, concepts and overarching ideas of individual subjects is an entitlement for every child.’
Mary Myatt[1]
Whilst a curriculum roadmap shows a destination, it should offer a range of routes to get there, as Willingham writes:
‘Humans are hard-wired for stories. Stories are treated differently in the memory compared to other materials. They frame detail. Facts need to be related to one another, unifying ideas from each discipline…’
Daniel Willingham[2]