This document discusses key aspects of pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment. It emphasizes that curriculum is a form of pedagogy, as teachers design engaging classroom activities to help students achieve desired learning outcomes. It also stresses the importance of defining the big ideas and skills students should master by the end of their education, then working backwards to design a coherent program of study from year to year. Additionally, the document notes that a school's culture conveys its values through both explicit statements and the everyday examples set by teachers in classrooms.

1. Pedagogy, curriculum
& assessment
Jon Curtis-Brignell
Assistant Head: Teaching and Learning

2. Redesigning
Schooling

6. What kind of teaching for what
kind of learning?
1. What
are,
for
your
school,
your
desired
outcomes
of
educa5on
(DOEs)?
Consider:
• the
knowledge,
abili4es,
a5tudes
and
values
which
you
want
young
people
to
have
acquired
by
the
4me
they
leave
school.

7. What kind of teaching for what
kind of learning?
2. What
kinds
of
learning,
in
your
school,
with
your
students,
will
deliver
your
DOEs?
Consider:
• What
do
students
need
to
learn
in
order
for
you
to
have
achieved
your
DOEs?
• Different
kinds
of
learning
processes
are
needed
to
deliver
different
kinds
of
outcome.

8. What kind of teaching for what
kind of learning?
3. What
kinds
of
teaching
will
lead
to
the
kind
of
learning
that
is
needed?
Consider:
• Teaching
is
a
way
of
engaging
different
kinds
of
learning
processes
in
learners’
minds.
It
depends
on
s4mula4ng
and
engaging
the
kinds
of
learning
that
will
deliver
the
outcomes
you
said
you
valued.

9. What kind of teaching for what
kind of learning?
4. What
kind
of
leadership
is
required
to
create
the
kinds
of
teaching
and
learning
which
are
desired,
and
so
ensure
that
students
leave
your
school
with
your
DOEs?
Consider:
• Only
when
you
have
some
clarity
about
the
first
three
ques4ons
can
you
begin
to
priori4se
the
leadership
strategies
that
will
cul4vate
the
necessary
kinds
of
pedagogy.

10. Pedagogic leadership

11. A culture of and for learning
A
school
signals
its
values
through
different
aspects
of
its
culture.
There
are
the
visible,
public
espousals
of
these
values
through
brochures,
websites,
speeches,
newsle:ers
and
other
publica;ons.
(Lucas
and
Claxton,
2013)

15. A culture of and for learning
Most
importantly,
values
are
conveyed
moment-­‐by-­‐
moment
by
teachers
in
classrooms
–
through
their
running
commentary;
the
kinds
of
ac;vi;es
they
create;
the
way
they
lay
out
the
furniture
or
configure
group
work;
the
kind
of
language
they
use
and
the
example
they
set.
(Lucas
and
Claxton,
2013)

16. Curriculum is pedagogy
The
failure
to
realise
that
curriculum
is
pedagogy
has
been
one
of
the
great
tragedies
of
the
last
quarter-­‐
century
in
England’s
educa;on
system….
curriculum
development
is
an
inherently
crea;ve
process.
It
is
the
process
by
which
teachers
take
the
desired
outcomes
from
the
intended
curriculum
and
convert
them
into
engaging
ac;vi;es
in
classrooms.
-­‐
Dylan
Wiliam,
Principled
Curriculum
Design

17. Curriculum is pedagogy
• We
need
to
create
‘real’
understanding
(powerful
knowledge)
• Depth
before
breadth
–
focus
on
excellence
• The
Trivium:
Grammar,
Dialec4c
and
Rhetoric
• Extended
enquiries
(independence)
• PorRolios
of
excellence
• Interleaving
rather
than
blocking
content
• Embedded
forma4ve
assessment
• Habits
of
Mind

18. What is your ‘signature pedagogy’?
Signature
pedagogies
make
a
difference.
They
form
habits
of
the
mind,
habits
of
the
hand
and
habits
of
the
heart….
they
prefigure
the
culture
of
professional
work
and
provide
the
early
socialisa;on
into
the
prac;ces
and
values
of
a
field.
Whether
in
a
lecture
hall
or
a
lab,
in
a
design
studio
or
a
clinical
seNng,
the
way
we
teach
will
shape
how
professionals
behave…
(Shulman,
2005)

19. English departmental signature pedagogy

20. The backward design of a curriculum
• Define
what
a
learner/historian/mathema4cian/
ar4st
/etc
should
know
and
be
able
to
do
by
y11/13,
and
then
work
backwards
to
devise
a
programme
of
study
from
y7
to
achieve
that.
This
will
include:
• ‘Big
ideas’
/
threshold
concepts
• Powerful
knowledge
(‘knowing
that…’)
• Key
skills
(‘knowing
how
to…’)

21. Programme of study
Obviously
in
secondary
schools,
the
content
of
GCSE
will
have
a
strong
influence
on
the
selec<on
of
‘big
ideas’.
But
schools
should
be
careful
not
to
assume
that
GCSE
syllabuses
embody
all
the
big
ideas
that
will
be
important,
either
for
further
study,
or
for
life
aCer
school…Focusing
only
on
what
is
important
for
examina<on
success
may
help
the
school
succeed,
but
is
likely
to
be
disastrous
for
current
secondary
school
students.
-­‐
Dylan
Wiliam,
Principled
Assessment
Design

22. Threshold concepts / big ideas
Learning
should
be
an
adventure,
not
a
journey.
-­‐
Mar4n
Robinson
A
threshold
concept
can
be
considered
as
akin
to
a
portal,
opening
up
a
new
and
previously
inaccessible
way
of
thinking
about
something.
It
represents
a
transformed
way
of
understanding,
or
interpre<ng,
or
viewing
something
without
which
the
learner
cannot
progress.
As
a
consequence
of
comprehending
a
threshold
concept
there
may
thus
be
a
transformed
internal
view
of
subject
maQer,
subject
landscape,
or
even
world
view.
Jan
Meyer
and
Ray
Land,
“Threshold
Concepts
and
Troublesome
Knowledge:
Linkages
to
Ways
of
Thinking
and
Prac<sing
within
the
Disciplines”,

23. Examples of Threshold Concepts

24. Threshold concepts are:
• Integra5ve:
Once
learned,
they
are
likely
to
bring
together
different
parts
of
the
subject
which
you
hadn’t
previously
seen
as
connected.
• Transforma5ve:
Once
understood,
they
change
the
way
you
see
the
subject
and
yourself.
• Irreversible:
They
are
difficult
to
unlearn
–
once
you’ve
passed
through
it’s
difficult
to
see
how
it
was
possible
not
to
have
understood
before.
• Recons5tu5ve:
They
may
shi`
your
sense
of
self
over
4me.
This
is
ini4ally
more
likely
to
be
no4ced
by
others,
usually
teachers.
• Troublesome:
They
are
likely
to
present
you
with
a
degree
of
difficulty
and
may
some4mes
seem
incoherent
or
counter-­‐intui4ve.
• Discursive:
The
student’s
ability
to
use
the
language
associated
with
that
subject
changes
as
they
change.
It’s
the
change
from
using
scien4fic
keywords
in
everyday
language
to
being
able
to
fluently
communicate
in
the
academic
language
of
science.

25. Big ideas in English
• The
rela4onship
between
context
and
meaning
• The
rela4onship
between
form,
structure
and
meaning
• The
rela4onship
between
language
and
meaning
• The
rela4onship
between
grammar
and
meaning
• The
rela4onship
between
the
writer
and
the
reader
in
construc4ng
meaning:
the
role
of
interpreta4on.

26. Threshold concepts from a SoL on Poetry
• What
it
means
to
be
poe4c:
the
no4on
of
cra`ing
poe4c
language.
• The
nature
and
importance
of
figura4ve
language
and
metaphor.
• The
kinds
and
importance
of
poe4c
form.
• The
impact
of
structure
on
meaning;
structural
devices
such
as
metre,
rhythm,
rhyme
that
are
used
to
achieve
this.
• The
role
of
the
reader
in
construc4ng
meaning:
'informed
personal
response'.
• Ambiguity
of
interpreta5on

27. The English draft model

28. Schemes of Learning - Consistency

29. Don’t forget
• Consider
transi4on
(map
the
gap)
• Inspire
and
interest
students
• Build
in
tes4ng,
assessment
and
challenge
• Build
in
real
understanding
(not
teaching
by
numbers)
• High
expecta4ons
-­‐
you
get
what
you
seele
for.
Learning
is
what
happens
when
students
are
forced
to
think
hard!

30. Assessment without levels
“What
we
want
is
a
model
of
ability
based
on
each
child
being
capable
of
anything
and
us
looking
progressively,
through
assessment,
at
what
ideas
a
child
has
understood.”
Tim
Oates,
Cambridge
Assessment
“A
culture
shiC
regarding
the
nature,
range
and
purposes
of
assessment
needs
to
take
place,
in
recogni<on
of
the
new
opportuni<es
provided
both
by
the
new
curriculum
and
the
removal
of
levels.”
NCTL
Report
September
2014
“Assessment
should
be
the
servant,
not
the
master,
of
the
learning.”
Dylan
Wiliam

31. Why change from levels?
• Can become a “label” that creates a fixed mindset
• Don’t deepen understanding – too general
• Accuracy of levels (especially sub levels) is unreliable
• They do not always progress smoothly to GCSE
• Successful schools and nations don’t use them
• Wording is often both confusing and limiting
• They no longer exist

32. What do we NEED from a new assessment
system?
• Forma4ve
and
summa4ve
• Fits
with
new
KS3
Na4onal
Curriculum
• To
measure
progress
accurately
• To
benchmark
against
KS2
and
KS4
• To
allow
meaningful
&
understandable
parental
repor4ng

33. What do we WANT from a new assessment system?
• Smooth
transi4on
through
key
stages
• To
allow
a
“growth
mindset”
focused
on
effort
and
progress
• To
provide
real
stretch
and
challenge
at
all
levels
• To
develop
our
‘habits’

34. Progress so far?
• Spoken
to
our
primary
feeder
schools
• Lots
of
research
in
current
thinking
• Curriculum
working
group
• Lots
of
mee4ngs
with
curriculum
leaders
and
departments
• Presented
to
governors
• Consulta4on
with
parents
• Consulta4on
with
students

35. New proposal
A
dual
system
on
:
1. Effort
towards
Tallis
Habits
reported
3
4mes
a
year
2. Progress
in
subject
specific
competencies
reported
twice
a
year
Addresses the feedback points 1 and 2 from the previous slide

36. Habits of Mind
• Effort
towards
the
Habits
‘ideal’
is
reported
using
words
• Students
will
self-­‐assess
their
Habits
• Parents
will
also
assess
their
Habits
• Differences
between
teacher,
student
and
parent
discussed

37. What have we chosen to do?
• Aeainment
for
each
year
is
judged
using
four
thresholds
–
Emerging,
Developing,
Securing
and
Excelling
(scaffolding
towards
excellence)
• Expecta4ons
change
in
each
year
• Progress
is
judged
at
3
levels
–below,
good
and
outstanding
• More
importance
given
to
effort
towards
each
of
our
Habits

38. What does this mean?
Good progress

39. How do we define our ‘Thresholds’?
• Define
what
a
learner/historian/mathema4cian/ar4st
/etc
should
know
and
be
able
to
do
by
the
end
of:
• Year
7
• Year
8
• Year
9
How
would
this
look
for:
• Learners
who
are
excelling?
• Learners
who
are
secure?
• Those
who
are
developing
their
learning,
but
are
not
yet
secure?
• Emerging
learners
who
are
working
towards
expecta4ons
for
their
year
group?
And
how
do
we
scaffold
progress
in
between?

40. Tracking progress and reporting to
parents
In
tracking
progress
and
repor4ng
to
parents,
we
will
look
at
performance
rela4ve
to
baseline
threshold:
• Working
below
baseline
threshold
–
Below
expected
progress.
• Working
within
their
baseline
threshold
–
Good
progress.
• Working
above
their
baseline
threshold
or
at
the
top
of
or
beyond
the
Excelling
threshold
–
Outstanding
progress.

41. The draft VMPA model

42. Assessment
fails
to
focus
on
the
skills
that
are
relevant
in
life
in
the
21st
century.
Assessment
has
been
called
the
“hidden
curriculum”
as
it
is
an
important
driver
of
students’
study
habits.
Unless
we
rethink
our
approach
to
assessment,
it
will
be
very
difficult
to
produce
a
meaningful
change
in
educa<on.
-­‐-­‐Eric
Mazur