For 3 years, we researched and investigated how to deliver a curriculum that meets the needs of our pupils, taking account of our ethos, values and mission statement. We identified the following as being especially significant:
‘Memory is the residue of thought’ Dan Willingham
‘Learning is a change in long term memory. If nothing has changed in long term memory, then nothing has been learned’ Paul Kirschner
‘'You can always google it' is the most dangerous myth in education today’ Dylan Wiliam
‘Progress means knowing more and remembering more’ Ofsted
As our understanding of the research evidence available grew, it became clear that we needed a knowledge-rich curriculum, which was intelligently sequenced and fully resourced. It also became clear that there were significant barriers (expertise and teacher time) to us being able to develop such a curriculum ourselves. Consequently, we have hunted high and low to find materials that we could purchase from organisations better equipped than ourselves, but with similar ethos, values and intention. You will find a list of curriculum providers under the tab: 'Curriculum Overview; Whole School'
As a result, we have ensured that pupils in each phase receive a rigorous, coherent and intelligently sequenced curriculum, which builds on what has come before. Our curriculum is grounded in the strongest available evidence about how pupils learn and retain knowledge in the long term – focusing in particular on research from cognitive science.
