Good morning,

Curriculum is full of decisions that can look relatively simple in isolation. What should pupils learn? In what order? What needs to be revisited? How much freedom should teachers have to adapt what has been planned?

The difficulty comes when all of those decisions have to work together.

This week marks the beginning of our new three-part mini-series, How Curriculum Becomes Practice, and I’m joined by Reid Smith from Ochre Education. We start at the level of curriculum design itself, exploring what it actually takes to build something coherent when every decision has consequences elsewhere.

It is a fascinating place to begin the series and, as ever with Reid, there is plenty to think about.

Hope you enjoy!

Ochre Education: Curriculum resources

Oak National Academy: Curriculum Principles

City, E.A., Elmore, R.F., Fiarman, S.E. & Teitel, L. (2009), Instructional Rounds in Education

This autumn, we’re taking our mathematics professional development programme on the road with a full programme of sessions for teachers in Primary and Secondary.

Too often, when pupils begin to struggle with mathematics, the response is to make the mathematics easier, move more slowly or provide something different. In the short term that can feel supportive. Over time, it can leave pupils further and further behind.

We think there is another way.

Across four sessions, we’ll explore how stronger subject and pedagogical content knowledge can help teachers make better instructional decisions within normal classroom teaching, so that pupils can develop genuine mathematical understanding without lowering ambition.

We’ll be visiting Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow over the coming months, with the first programmes beginning in November

You can find dates, venues, prices and booking information here https://alta-education.com/cpd-tour-26-27/

We’d love to see you there.

Our new three-part mini-series exploring curriculum is now underway! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring everything from the decisions that shape its design to the work required to make it live in classrooms.

TDaPE Club members can listen to all three episodes from next Saturday, with each episode then released between now and the start of September.

Thinking Deeply about Primary Education is coming to Edinburgh.

Join us for a day of thoughtful, practical professional learning, bringing together teachers, leaders and some brilliant voices from across education to explore the ideas that matter most in classrooms and schools.

If you enjoy the podcast, this is the chance to be part of those conversations in person.

Tickets are available now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thinking-deeply-about-primary-education-conference-edinburgh-tickets-1994538692922

A huge thank you to everyone who shared last week’s episode. TDaPE continues to grow through those small recommendations from one teacher or leader to another, and every share helps these conversations reach people who might otherwise never come across them. If this week’s episode makes you think of someone, I’d be very grateful if you passed it on.

That’s all from me for now. As always, I’d love to know what you made of the conversation, so feel free to leave a comment wherever you listen or simply reply to this email.

Until next time, thanks for listening.