Cross-curriculum

A school in Blackpool responds to local educational needs

By designing their own curriculum, Collegiate High School in Blackpool has responded well to the needs of its pupils. The town's lack of investment has created areas of deprivation, leading to low aspirations and under achievement for many pupils. The Ulysses project aims to make the pupils more independent and successful learners. Their success has lead to them being a case study for the Key Stage 3 curriculum reforms. Individual needs are met by the staff, in a combination of a tutor group format and cross-curricular teaching.

A Community Curriculum

Raising attainment with an innovative cross-curricular approach

Hinchley Wood School in Surrey has developed Thinking Smart, a new approach to the Key Stage 3 curriculum based on the RSA's Opening Minds programme. This high-attaining school believes that its students can do even better by Thinking Smart, using the cross-curricular approach with an emphasis on group work and core competencies. The school's innovations have also led to an 80 per cent drop in exclusions and a 50 per cent drop in behaviour incidents. Head of science Sue Eacott has been won over by the approach. In this programme, she teaches a lesson on cells which is full of wonderful examples of student creativity and collaboration.

A Cross-Curriculum Approach

Explore an innovative approach to the KS3 curriculum

At Whitley Abbey Business and Enterprise College in Coventry, an innovative approach to the KS3 curriculum enables Year 7 pupils to spend the whole morning with just one teacher, covering multiple subjects. Using the RSA's Opening Minds approach, the school focuses on providing learners with core skills and competences in order to engage with their learning and with the world. In this programme, we follow a cross-curriculum lesson in which risk-taking is a key skill, and observe a lesson on migration where pupils are asked to make difficult decisions. Teachers also discuss the benefits of the school's approach for pupils and their own teaching, and reveal the challenges of teaching outside their specialist subject. The school believes that responsibility for learning leads to responsible behaviour, with falling detention rates and improved attendance being evidence for the innovation's success.

A Flexible Timetable

An insight into a 21st century personalised curriculum

Richard Green, executive principal at Waingels College, explains why he wanted to get away from a "one-size fits all" curriculum and develop a fluid, open and personalised approach to learning fit for the 21st century. Year 7 pupils at Waingels undertake the RSA's Opening Minds curriculum, staff use a skills-based approach in other years, and have vertical learning groups in some areas. The school ensures teachers are not isolated and brings them together regularly to reflect on the impact of their innovations. In this programme, we follow a Year 7 lesson dedicated to listening skills and a Year 9 science lesson aiming to develop effective thinking skills. We also drop in on a pupil feedback session where teachers explore the impact of these new approaches to learning.

A Personalised Curriculum

Improving the fortunes of an ailing Bristol school

Headteacher John Matthews speaks frankly about Brislington Enterprise College's struggle to cater for every child and the poor state of the school's buildings. But in 2008 the Bristol school is to be replaced by a state-of-the-art college, designed to work as seven small schools in one. A fresh teaching approach is being adopted to combine classes, and teach subjects through project-based work until the end of Key Stage 3. Staff prepare for the challenge with regular meetings to discuss teaching techniques and to talk about any difficulties they may encounter.

A Sense of Hope

Achieving a whole school approach to enterprise education

Find out how Foxhills Technology College in Scunthorpe is achieving a whole school approach to enterprise education via the appointment of an enterprise champion. Rachel Dixon has spent three years ensuring that enterprise is embedded across the curriculum at the school. This is partly achieved through inter-departmental sessions, allowing teachers to discuss ideas for a cross-curricular approach, with Rachel then suggesting ways in which these proposals can be refined. In addition, Rachel leads a class of low ability pupils as they design and cost a school restaurant, intended to run on a commercial basis in the following term. Finally, she leads a lesson during which older students, known as economic well-being officers, take the lead in assessing a series of enterprise resources and making recommendations as to which would be most attractive to fellow students.

Business Champion

How one school is measuring the impact of the new curriculum

Teacher Steve Williams measures the impact of the new secondary curriculum on his Year 7 class through peer assessment, and by gaining evidence of the students? group work. St Philip Howard Catholic High School, Sussex, has given 20 per cent of its Year 7 curriculum time to a "Challenge Day", where learners engage in cross-curricular activities designed to develop their personal learning and thinking skills. Steve gathers photographic evidence of the pupils' cross-curricular activities to gauge how groups of learners are working together. He also gives the class self-assessment spider diagrams, and they use peer assessment to evaluate each others' work. Later, headteacher David Todd gives his thoughts on the important role the school plays in is assessing the impact of the new curriculum. This is part of a series exploring the impact and changes that the new secondary curriculum will bring to schools around the country.

Capturing Impact

Alex Gibbons presents her creative techniques in teaching science

Alex Gibbons, from Thomas Tallis School in south east London, teaches science by inventing creative activites for a Year 9 class who find the subject challenging. Alex presents a video showing how a puppet making activity and a puppet show have transformed the process of learning the reactivity series at her school. After watching the video, Alex discusses the techniques with consultant Adrienne Jones, arts college manager Jon Nicholls and deputy SENCO Jenny Armstrong. They explore the benefits of this creative approach on pupils' learning and retention, the impact on interpersonal skills and the possibilities of new methods of delivery using technology.

Chemical Puppets

Teachers share tips for successful cross-curriculum teaching

Secondary teachers discuss their own experiences of cross-curricular teaching and why they feel it enriches their student's learning. The consensus is that you can?t just randomly stick subjects together, but how do you combine maths, science and drama in a way that works? The teachers discuss why they decided to try cross-curriculum teaching, agree a risk involved is that you are working beyond your own subject specialism, and you need to work with colleagues to offer a really cross-curriculum project. They stress that cross-curriculum work needs to be relevant and meaningful, and if planned well can be an enriching and rewarding experience for all involved. The teachers also consider what to do when cross-curriculum teaching goes wrong. This programme is part of a series where secondary teachers share their tried and tested strategies for success in the classroom, from group work to creativity and time management.

Cross-Curriculum Teaching

How a 'learning language' is used to support the new curriculum

Gordano School in Somerset demonstrates the thinking tools it has used to underpin the new skills-based secondary curriculum. Called "Gordano Learning Language", the tools support a set of core principles. The school shows how they are taught explicitly to Year 7 and 8 students during regular Wednesday afternoon sessions. Later, we see how teachers want the learning language to permeate every lesson, and the trialling of different measures to evaluate the impact of embedding their new curriculum into everyday learning. This is part of a series exploring the impact and changes that the new secondary curriculum will bring to schools around the country.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Secondary Cross-curriculum