Beyond teaching; experiencing a purposeful curriculum Rachel Ford
At the centre of education lies the coexistence of core values and effective communication that ensure a shared vision within every educational establishment is achievable and sustainable. The key thing that drives practitioners in schools is the desire to make a difference for all children, to have a positive impact on families and to contribute to a community. In the face of ever changing policy and rapid movement in priorities, schools continue to aim for these successes while trying to maintain the equilibrium between new pressures and expectations. Schools are preparing children for life beyond the classroom. Through a clear commitment to a vision for all pupils’ futures, our school provides pupils with experience and values they can continue to aspire to after leaving school. So, rather than being compared to those of other schools, a more sobering judgement of success would be to understand the success of the life chances that our schools are offering children compared to their family members in the past. As schools, we can make strides towards the commitment and value that we place upon the whole curriculum for every child. If we can create a trusted and safe environment for children to feel cared for, then we are creating a support mechanism that allows children and staff to face new challenges head on without fear of making mistakes and with an unfaltering love for all things new and exciting.
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To be successful we need to be honest about the challenges that we face; we need to inspire and lead change without compromising our values. Change should be driven by self-evaluation, provided that the self-evaluation is realistic and takes account of economic and social changes. The school community is at the core of all we do to ensure that individual needs are met. Putting it onto paper is the easy part. The challenge comes in finding practical ways to raise standards whilst maintaining staff morale through respecting worklife balance. Positive communication is key to ensure that we emulate respect for the community alongside demonstrating a sense of determination to contribute to a sustainable future. In these days where changes and challenges feel unending and where we wish we could do more to change a child’s story, there needs to be a moment of reflection, a time for perspective. Without faltering, the adults in our school strive for our children to have a voice and achieve their own true joy when they see the difference they can really make. Staff are proud that the children who leave here are the product of a school that was team based and pupil driven throughout the whole curriculum; creating a foundation for self-belief. The quality of schooling is vital in determining the life chances of children; we need to challenge their destinies and to narrate an enriching future for them. Consequently, our practitioners are always exploring new ways to prepare our
