A question was bugging me: “How on earth can senior leaders support subject leaders with developing the curriculum in subjects beyond the senior leaders’ own subject specialisms?” Consequently, a few months ago I published this tweet: The response to the…
This much I know about…my old hobby-horse (all SLT should teach!)
I am off to fresh woods and pastures new. I am in my eighteenth and final year as a secondary school headteacher. In September, for the first time in over three decades, I will not be a member of school…
This much I know about…Huh: curriculum conversations between subject & senior leaders
I am off to fresh woods and pastures new. I am in my eighteenth and final year as a secondary school headteacher. In September, for the first time in over three decades, I will not be a member of school…
This much I know about…how to develop the school curriculum and take everyone with you…(long read)
This is my fourth and final post on curriculum development. Here I propose a way of developing the curriculum which takes everyone with you, is user-friendly, is based upon sound principles, is academically aspirational and is focused upon developing teachers’…
This much I know about…two challenges facing school leaders when developing the curriculum
In this short series of posts I am exploring the issues surrounding curriculum design. In the first post I began with the role of the senior leader in the process of shaping the school curriculum and in the second post,…
This much I know about…educating senior school leaders about the curriculum so that they can support subject leaders with curriculum development
I have been thinking for some time about how senior leaders support our subject leaders in curriculum development. For instance, I line manage Modern Foreign Languages at Huntington School and we have a Subject Leader, Cherry Bailey, with a pretty…
This much I know about…defining the terms used to discuss the school curriculum
In this short series of posts I am exploring the issues surrounding curriculum design. In the first post I began with the role of the senior leader in the process of shaping the school curriculum: “So, when it comes to…
This much I know about…what school leaders should know about curriculum design
In 33 years of teaching I have taught subjects way outside my English literature specialism. I think the most challenging was attempting to teach the Level 2 GNVQ in Leisure & Tourism. I was, metaphorically, only ever one page ahead…
This much I know about…two sentences by John Steinbeck
I have just finished Professor Stanley Fish’s, How to write a sentence and how to read one. It was a delight. Whilst I was reading it, I thought of two John Steinbeck sentences which I have always admired. Now feeling sufficiently…
This much I know about…what it feels like when you are criticised about your remote teaching
I have been a teacher for 32 years, a head teacher for 17 years and, at the age of 56, this much I know about what it feels like when you are criticised about your remote teaching. We don’t mine coal….