Information for primary schools

A revised curriculum for secondary schools, to be phased in from Sept. 2008, has some interesting implications and opportunities for primary schools as they prepare their pupils for learning in key stage 3. Primary teachers looking at the new curriculum on QCA’s website * have commented that it leans more towards effective primary practice than has any previous secondary curriculum and that, properly implemented it may do much to promote more effective transfer and progression.

The new secondary curriculum places emphasis on developing coherent learning experiences with relevance for young people – linking rather than separating the individual subjects. It provides a flexible framework within which schools will be encouraged to focus on the needs of the pupils, local issues and specific priorities for the individual school. For the first time the curriculum definition includes all the planned learning experiences in the school and beyond so that learning outside the classroom takes on a new importance. The whole school, whole curriculum approach is familiar territory to PSHE coordinators and schools working towards Healthy Schools status. The difference this time is that all school staff – including senior leaders and heads of department for core and foundation subjects – will be encouraged to plan the curriculum in this way.

It seems sensible for primary colleagues to begin to consider the implications of the changes to the secondary curriculum for their own work. The PSHE Subject association invites its members to reflect on them and take the opportunity to make suggestions about the primary curriculum before any possible revision of key stages 1 and 2 is announced.

The new curriculum is aims led, flexible and coherent. The aims place personal development and the acquisition of personal, learning and thinking skills at the heart of the curriculum and reflect the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes stating that the curriculum should enable all young people to become:

– successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve

– confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives

– responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

Scope for personalisation and taking account of local issues and priorities enables schools to develop their curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils and their specific community circumstances. Whole curriculum design should link learning to life outside school and make connections between subjects and cross-curricular themes and dimensions.

Three questions are used for curriculum design, development and implementation. These are equally relevant for primary schools planning their curriculum.

• what are we trying to achieve?

• how do we organise learning?

• how well are we achieving our aims?

The cross curricular dimensions reflect some of the major ideas and challenges that face society and have significance for individuals in the 21st century. These can provide unifying themes to give learning relevance and help young people make sense of the world. It will be interesting to consider these dimensions in relation to the learning opportunities offered in primary schools as the secondary curriculum needs to build on the primary offer and value the wide range of knowledge, skills and experiences pupils bring to year 7. The curriculum dimensions are:

-identity and cultural diversity

-healthy lifestyles

-community participation

-enterprise

-sustainable futures and the global dimension

-technology and the media

-creativity and critical thinking

In the new secondary curriculum PSHE assumes greater prominence than previously. PSHE education (personal, social, health and economic education) is described in two new programmes of study:

• personal wellbeing

and

• economic wellbeing and financial capability

These programmes of study draw together personal, social and health education, including sex and relationship education, the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL), careers education, enterprise, financial capability and work-related learning. PSHE education makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development alongside the contribution of all other subjects and curriculum experiences. It is essential to achieving the curriculum aims and makes an explicit contribution to all seven of the cross curricular dimensions. Primary colleagues may wish to consider their own provision for the areas of curriculum now encompassed by the programmes of study for PSHE education.

The programmes of study for PSHE education are designed in exactly the same way as those for other subjects all of which have as their main focus key concepts and processes rather than content. Each programme of study includes:

• an importance statement describing why the subject matters and how it contributes to the aims

• key concepts that define the big ideas that underpin the subject

• key processes - the essential skills of the subject

• range and content setting out the breadth of subject matter from which teachers should draw to develop the key concepts and skills and

• curriculum opportunities that enhance and enrich learning, increasing its relevance and making links to the wider curriculum.

The key concepts for PSHE education in personal wellbeing are:

• personal identities

• healthy lifestyles

• risk

• relationships

• diversity

and in economic wellbeing and financial capability are:

• career

• capability

• risk

• economic understanding.

The key processes for PSHE education in personal wellbeing are:

• critical reflection

• decision-making and managing risk

• developing relationships and working with others

and in economic wellbeing and financial capability

• self-development

• exploration

• enterprise

• financial capability.

Primary colleagues attending PSHE Subject Association events during the consultation on the secondary curriculum indicated that these concepts and processes were relevant for key stages 1 and 2 and that it would be important to consider them in planning the primary curriculum if they are to provide a firm foundation upon which secondary schools can build.

The two programmes of study can support each other not only through the common concept of risk but also through further exploration of the concepts and processes. Understanding risk in both positive and negative terms and the ability to manage risk in relation to relationships, health, finance, enterprise and career choices requires planning across the two programmes of study. However other links are important, for example, between the concept of personal identities and that of career in which developing a sense of personal identity is essential for career progression. Both require an understanding of personal qualities, attitudes and skills will help to create the coherent and relevant learning experiences for which the curriculum has been designed.

However, it is by making links right across the curriculum that true coherence will be achieved. Identity and cultural diversity – an essential theme for 21st century living – is a recurring theme in a range of subjects. Healthy lifestyles, traditionally addressed mainly through PSHE and physical education requires a whole curriculum approach to adequately achieve the curriculum aims. Primary school’s experience of whole curriculum planning will provide examples of subject links that may help secondary schools. In particular, considering the links with citizenship is important for primary schools where there are an existing joint PSHE and citizenship frameworks for key stages 1 and 2.

It will be as schools develop their own responses to the new curriculum that examples of really rich learning experiences will emerge. PSHE education, with its history of whole school planning, cross curricular approaches and learning beyond the classroom has an enormous contribution to make. The PSHE Subject Association will develop support materials to help with the process and will also collect, from its members, examples of creative and innovative practice that will support the whole school community as well as developing the subject as one of high status and significance. It will work with association members from the primary phase to consider ways in which the primary curriculum can support change and prepare for any future review of key stages 1 and 2.

Let us have your views.

* www.qca.org.uk/curriculum and follow the links to the new website