A Curious Curriculum: Teaching foundation subjects well

Written by Claire Banks and Mick Waters, A Curious Curriculum: Teaching foundation subjects well details the insightful and transformational steps that a school can take towards designing and delivering a rich, rigorous and wide-ranging curriculum.

Foreword by Mary Myatt.

Rather than being a model curriculum that can be uprooted and planted in any school, the book is a model schools can use to design their own curriculum, one that not only encourages children to be active participants in their own learning, but also to see the benefits of being part of a bigger, wider family of learners.

The authors concentrate on the foundation subjects, particularly history, geography and science but also design and technology (DT) and art and design – areas that are often challenging for teachers in primary schools. Subjects are brought together and explored under “big ideas” and, crucially, the emphasis is on avoiding the superficial and trivial and rooting teaching in extending and challenging children.

In A Curious Curriculum, Claire Banks and Mick Waters share the story of one multi-academy trust (MAT) which designed and delivered a shared educational vision, a rationale for excellence in the curriculum, and the resources and support given to help reduce teachers’ workload.

Claire and Mick present a clear model both for supporting a group of schools or leading one school, offering a fresh perspective on working on a MAT-wide curriculum, as well as providing a range of snapshot examples of the curriculum in action – in the form of documents, plans, photos and the learners’ own work. The book shares transferrable lessons from the trust’s journey to success, setting out an educational philosophy that pairs pedagogy with a well-structured curriculum designed with learners’ best interests at its heart.

All children deserve an engaging, exciting curriculum designed to spark their curiosity, feed their imagination and develop their skills and knowledge. With clear timelines and an honest and transparent dialogue about the challenges and benefits of working together collaboratively and the importance of external expertise, A Curious Curriculum is an essential read for all school leaders.

Suitable for executive leaders, head teachers, curriculum coordinators and subject leaders in primary school settings.

Contents include:

• Introduction: a curriculum built on a good foundation
• PART ONE:
• The essential features of the Curious Curriculum


• PART TWO:
• How we have made progress. Securing good practice, outcomes and quality. A story of communicating, convincing and problem-solving


• PART THREE:
• Twenty-five pieces of advice to change learning in your school

Mick Waters

A former head teacher, Mick Waters works closely with teachers and leaders in schools, MATs and local authorities to support the development of teaching approaches and curriculum to ensure the best learning outcomes for children. For some years he was Director of Curriculum for England, based at the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA), and before that held the post of Chief Education Officer for the City of Manchester. He is also invited to work at a policy level with government in different parts of the world.

Claire Banks

Before becoming Director of Education for The Olympus Academy Trust, a cross-phase multi-academy trust in north Bristol, Claire Banks was a head teacher for nine years in an inner-city primary school. Throughout her career she has been interested in social and emotional learning and school climate, which has led to her work on leadership culture. Claire now works on curriculum design and school improvement in a system leadership capacity, offering school-to-school support to school trusts. Her passion for succession planning for the profession has led to her coaching and mentoring on aspiring heads and women in leadership programmes.