Best Practice

The place of subjects and skills in the curriculum

Curriculum
The relationship between subjects and skills and their place in the curriculum is at the heart of the debate over what 21st century education should look like. Bill Watkin introduces two articles from two schools outlining their different approaches.

Following the problems surrounding the GCSE results in 2012, and the secretary of state’s introduction, in September, of the proposed reforms to key stage 4 qualifications, the focus has been understandably on assessment and accountability, rather than on pedagogy and curriculum.

However, should we not be exploring what we teach young people, how we teach them and what for, before we decide how we test what has been learned?

It is critical that we establish an assessment framework that is rigorous and challenging, and that will inevitably entail reform. But it is even more vital that we get teaching and learning right, if we are to see ever-improving standards and if we are to remain globally competitive.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here