Implementation
We are in the early stages of implementing a local, bespoke enquiry curriculum. “Curious City” provides us with a carefully constructed and progressive framework, established upon cognitive development theory. The framework guides our teachers to create contextually meaningful enquiry-led experiences.
Carefully planned enquiries, matched to cognitive development, expose learners to the wider world in carefully planned stages. We endeavour to draw upon local people, places and stories to ensure meaningful connections can be made. This ensures our pupils are truly inspired by the knowledge gained and approach used.
All enquiries are driven by an essential question/challenge. The purpose is to guide learners through a scaffolded process. They can be shaped over time, remaining true to the essential substantive knowledge within each enquiry while being responsive to the children’s needs and curiosity. Our curriculum map, over the course of a year, allows each enquiry to be approached through a different lens. By doing this, the curriculum ensures a balance of perspectives are provided and the purpose of each enquiry is clear.
Our Curious City Curriculum uses seven themes (see below) to steer and give a particular flavour to an enquiry. These seven themes provide a broad range of perspectives in order to create a balance of experiences each year which ultimately ensures a breadth of experiences over time.
States of Being (see below) enable learners to focus on and/or combine powerful knowledge in different enquiries. Each knowledge-engaged state symbolises an aspect of the curriculum, helping learners to master both the know of and know how of a subject, not just remember it. For instance, we want our learners to be Scientists, not just learn about science. As children get older, we want learners to discover for themselves that they can be an Author, Scientist, Geographer and Philosopher at the same time and that some adults combine these states to become Archaeologists, for instance. We want our learners to see the interconnection between what they are learning and how this knowledge is applied.