Taking Forward the Primary Curriculum: Preparing for the 2014 National Curriculum: (Taking it Forward)

This book has a simple intent. In September 2014, primary schools in England will be expected to adopt a new national curriculum. There is good time to prepare. At this point of curriculum change and development in England's schools, the contributors offer their considered reflections on how primary schools across the country might take forward and shape their own curriculum framework for pupils. The spirit of the book is, based on considerable leadership experience in schools, letting-a-thousand-flowers-bloom rather than recommending a one-size-fits-all approach. This book does not set out to analyse the content of the 2014 Primary Curriculum, nor to present ways in which individual schools should plan their schemes of work and weekly or monthly planning. That is rightly the province of each school, learning from and sharing best practice with others. Rather, the contributors to this book present underpinning values, ideas and approaches to successful curriculum planning, rooted in many years of leading and working in schools. Their reflections come from varying perspectives: teachers, headteachers, directors of foundations and leading thinkers on education, each of whom is involved in the work of the National Education Trust (www.nationaleducationtrust.net), an independent charitable foundation which champions best practice.

Table of Contents:
About the contributors Foreword, Roy Blatchford Part A: National and international perspectives 1. Who owns the school curriculum now? Richard Howard 2. International perspectives on the primary curriculum, Deborah Eyre 3. Schools are not islands, Tim Coulson 4. The values-led curriculum, Neil Hawkes 5. Computers in learning: challenging a few orthodoxies, Chris Yapp 6. The advent of a boutique curriculum, Rob Stokoe 7. Shaping an inspiring curriculum - home and abroad, Chris Nourse 8. Golden keys for curriculum leadership, Kathy Wood 9. Which routes for your school? Roy Blatchford Part B: Implementing the new curriculum 10. A 4 -19 curriculum imperative, Peter Hyman 11. Aspiring to a child-centred curriculum, Will Power 12. Developing independent learners, Kate Atkins 13. For the love of learning, Katy Peters 14. A tapestry curriculum, Dave Smith 15. Creating independent learners: an art or a science? Jane Ratcliffe 16. Why reading and writing are fundamental, Kate Dethridge 17. Mathematics, security and simplicity, Kate Frood

About the Author :
Roy Blatchford is founder of www.blinks.education working with schools, multi-academy trusts, colleges, universities and local authorities in the UK and internationally. He currently chairs and advises a number of Boards in the education and charity sectors. Following headships in London, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes, he was Founding Director of the National Education Trust. He has extensive experience of writing inspection frameworks and has reviewed over 1,000 schools, colleges and faculties in Europe, India, USA, Middle and Far East. He was one of Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) in England, and has served as an education policy adviser to the UK and other national governments. Roy was lead author of the 'Teachers Standards' (2012) and chaired ASCL's 'The Forgotten Third' (2019). He is the author/editor of over 150 books including 'The Restless School', 'The Three Minute Leader' and 'Must Do Better'. He was appointed CBE for services to education in the 2016 New Year Honours.

Review :
The contributors are people who understand the realities of primary education yet retain that spark of imagination and creativity about what might be possible. The book will provide that most important of opportunities - to share good practice and debate with others. I've no doubt that minds and opinions will be changed by these contributions.' Estelle Morris