Developing your curriculum

The new secondary curriculum offers schools a real opportunity to innovate, building on existing good practice.

To make the most of the opportunities offered by the new secondary curriculum, schools will need to reflect on their current curriculum.

• What are its strengths and what needs to be developed?

• How well does it meet the wider aims of the curriculum?

• Does it reflect local contexts and meet the needs, interests and aspirations of all learners?

• How might you develop your curriculum to improve motivation and engagement and raise standards?

• Are there assumptions about how you use time, resources and approaches to planning that could helpfully be challenged or improved?

The activities in this section are designed to support thinking and discussion. The schools that piloted these materials found them useful in providing an evaluation of the strengths of their existing curriculum, and in identifying priorities for future development.

To help schools implement and develop the new curriculum, a programme of support is available for headteachers, curriculum planners and subject leaders.