Courageous Curriculum Overview

Jonathan Lear, a teacher from Sheffield, spoke at a headteachers’ conference about how he had revolutionised his school’s curriculum and I knew this would fit with our school’s ethos perfectly! We were able to arrange for several road trips to Sheffield so that teachers could see for themselves the awesomeness in action.

Many staff meetings and planning sessions later we had the foundations for our own Great Easton version of an exciting and innovative curriculum.

One of the most frustrating elements of teaching is never having enough time. We start the term buzzing with ideas about the outcomes we will see in all the different subjects…however, the reality is often very different as we felt as though we were continually spinning plates and rushing the children through a curriculum. Whilst we did our best to make learning as fun and meaningful as possible, there was always a nag in our head that there must be a different way. So hearing what Jonathan had to say about re-thinking the approach to the curriculum resonated with us.

Ultimately, we are passionate that children will leave GEPs ready “for life in the twenty-first century by creating opportunities for learning that are engaging, motivating and memorable.” Our new curriculum “ is a system that encourages independence, curiosity and creativity; a system that produces collaborators, innovators, leaders and, above all, a system that helps our children to understand what it means to be human”. (Guerilla Teaching by Jonathan Lear Independent Thinking Press 2015 p.11)