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A full review of the Senior School Curriculum was carried out during 2003-2004. The outcomes of that review still form the heart and structure of the curriculum that we see today. The following series of three articles give something of the flavour of why we chose to undertake the review, how we went about it and what we established at that time.
A good curriculum is dynamic, being adjusted as the expectations of society, the demands of examination boards and the needs of pupils change. National requirements and educational thinking also drive curriculum changes. Since 2004, there have been significant changes in both UK and Brazilian government thinking about education. Since 2005, the Senior School Curriculum has been creatively and gradually adjusted to meet those demands, although the essential structure and principles have not. The key developments have been:
- The requirements of Brazilian law to include the teaching of Sociology and Philosophy from Classes 9 to 11
- The introduction of the IGCSE course ‘Global Perspectives’ which was both a creative way to meet some of the cross-discipline integration we sought (especially incorporating ICT as an key component) and meet Brazilian national requirements
- The further development of the Brazilian Extension Course (BEC) in response to meeting the needs of students aiming for entry into Brazilian universities.
One of the major challenges ahead is how to develop a programme from Classes 9 to 11 which embeds the core elements of the Brazilian Extension Course into the IB programme to create a seamless, monolithic curriculum which serves the needs of all students, whatever their university destination worldwide.
For me, personally, another important development has to be the bolder and more robust incorporation of environmental sustainability and social transformation issues. These must become central components of a curriculum which has any chance of humankind resolving immediate local, regional and global challenges and creating a sustainable and peaceful world.
Now let’s see what took place in 2003 and 2004! I hope you find it of interest.
Paul Wiseman 1st July 2010
The Education Committee has been working on a thorough review of our curriculum in Classes 5 to 11 since the beginning of 2003. Their final Report defines a clear vision and model for the future development of the Secondary School Curriculum which I believe both recognises the unique needs of our pupil body and will bring a unity of purpose across the Secondary School. The Report is also very practical and it sets out major recommendations for action over the next three years. Our aim is to develop the best possible education for our students from Classes 5 to 11; an education which is relevant, engaging, challenging and motivating and which meets the wide variety of needs of every individual.
A term often used in the Report is “a holistic education”. By this we mean that, while we recognise the major importance of the academic and cognitive development of a pupil, this is only one element of the education of the whole person. The focus of our established vision for the curriculum is the need to ensure that a British School education develops and fulfils the potential of every individual pupil - as a person, a learner, an individual, a member of a group and a citizen. It must be an education that is academically challenging for each individual student but also acknowledges the importance of - and supports and encourages the development of - a wide range of skills, abilities and talents for all students.
During the early nineties, the school committed to a curriculum based on the National Curriculum for England because we believed it provided an excellent structure on which to build an education. In the Primary School, curriculum development and in-service training has been increasingly geared towards meeting that aim. During that same period, the Secondary School achieved a tremendous amount in undertaking two major transformations: the transfer from the former GCE ‘O’ levels to the IGCSE; and the establishment of the IB programme. Also in the Secondary School, some areas, notably the Arts and ICT, and the pastoral programme, have been incorporated and expanded in recent years. The result has been that, while individual subjects have been developed extremely well in the Secondary School, subject departments have been working largely as autonomous units. We now feel it is time, across the Secondary School, to establish a consistent effort to work towards a shared vision and common goals. In particular, we want to develop an improved curriculum and a common strategy across all subjects for Classes 5 to 7.
In 1992/3, a thorough study was made into how the school might best meet the specific needs of Brazilian students planning to enter local universities and its recommendations have largely been implemented. The result is that we feel we do provide an excellent education which prepares our students for quality universities anywhere in the world. However, it is time to review once again this aspect of our education and to consider ways in which we might more effectively meet the multiple needs of our students regarding entry to universities worldwide.
Another reason for a Review is that there has not been, for a long time, a complete review of the Secondary School curriculum in such areas as balance of subjects, student load, cross-curricular links and continuity and progression. At the same time we do need to establish a school-wide agreed policy to guide teaching, learning and assessment so that the highest standards of current practice are achieved in all subjects.
Finally, we want to ensure that what we are offering our students is up-to-date and highly motivating and enables every individual to perform to their fullest personal potential in all areas, including, but not just the academic. This has been a major focus in the Education Committee’s considerations.
In 2003, a full review of the Secondary School Curriculum (Classes 5 to 11) was established as one of our Main Goals. The Education Committee - a team of school staff and parents - was given this important brief by the Board of Governors. Their first task was to gauge the aspirations, needs and perceptions of students, parents, teachers and ex-students regarding the current curriculum and possible alternatives.
In February 2003, questionnaires were distributed to selected groups of parents, all Senior School teachers and ex-students. These mainly sought to establish the extent to which stakeholders perceived the school to be achieving the first Aim and related Objectives of the Mission, Philosophy, Aims and Objectives of the school. The survey also sought to gain insights into possible needs and suggestions to be taken into account in the curriculum review. Later on, in October 2003, meetings with all Class 9 students were held to discuss their perceptions regarding the importance of the IGCSE and IB, the range of subjects offered and the teaching and learning experienced.
The results of the questionnaires and survey were summarised in a Report to the Board of April 2003. The results show that the overwhelming majority of each group surveyed was satisfied with the curriculum and placed a great importance on both the international and Brazilian qualifications offered by the school, allowing graduates to continue their education in Brazil or abroad.
However, a number of concerns were also expressed, principally:
- There is a need to define clearly what balance the school should have between the academic (and examined) part of the curriculum and the broader or holistic aspects of the curriculum.
- There is a need to develop greater relevance in the curriculum by introducing an explicit cross-curricular dimension and incorporating both local and contemporary issues wherever possible.
- The curriculum is too subject-centred and needs to be seen as a whole rather than as the sum of its parts.
- Cross-curricular development needs to be consistent across the curriculum and at all ages.
- The school must be more in touch with the outside world; the curriculum is not sufficiently relevant for meeting the students’ future needs.
- We are not sure that all students are sufficiently motivated, engaged or enjoying their studies.
- The school believes that the current curriculum does meet the needs of students planning to enter Brazilian universities. The school, however, must be more aware of, and attentive to, these needs without diluting the “Britishness” of the school, nor its international profile.
- There is a need to engage all teaching staff in ‘teaching for learning’ and ‘assessment for learning’ practices that are consistent, acknowledge individual learning needs and target the education of the whole person.
- There is too much diversity in teaching approaches and the application of policy (such as with the expectations for homework and how we respond when individuals do not meet deadlines).
- There is a need for greater consistency in assessment.
- There is a need to give both teachers and students clearer guidelines and expectations
A Board Workshop on the curriculum was held in May 2003. This was concluded by an Open Forum and the drawing up of a list of recommendations for the Education Committee to follow up. In view of the complexity of the issues raised from the survey and the need to fully consider curriculum alternatives, the Education Committee proposed to lead the full review of the Secondary School curriculum with the involvement of the Senior School teachers.
A meeting was held with the Senior School and members of the Education Committee in October to discuss aspects of the current curriculum. This was followed up by further meetings in November with teachers and with the Heads of Department.
In association with the Senior School in-service training day in April, 2004, working groups analysed a variety of related curriculum issues. During the day, all Senior School teachers were given the opportunity to express their views in writing on the salient positive and negative aspects of the Secondary School curriculum and to present ideas and suggestions for improvement. At the conclusion of the day, all staff were invited to submit in writing their vision for the future direction for the Secondary School curriculum. Further meetings were held involving the Education Committee and selected teachers to examine recent developments in the National Curriculum for England and to consider Brazilian curriculum issues.
Finally, the school considered the option of taking on a programme offered by the IB Organisation (IBO) for Classes 5 to 9 called the Middle Years Programme (MYP). In March this year, I attended a symposium of international schools, together with representatives of the Cambridge International Examinations (who runs the IGCSE) and the IBO, to discuss how schools are managing their secondary school curricula. We reviewed many aspects of the IGCSE and the IBMYP and the feasibility of running both together in an integrated way. This provided me with additional first-hand knowledge. I visited the school hosting the symposium, which has been following both the MYP and IGCSE for four years, and had the opportunity to converse with all of the key players and most of the practitioners present.
Armed with the results of our questionnaires, discussions, meetings and research, the Education Committee set about the exciting task of defining the way forward for our unique school.
Paul Wiseman
Director
In Part I of this three part series on the Secondary School Curriculum, I outlined ‘Why’ we have been reviewing our Secondary School Curriculum and ‘How’ we did it. In Part II, the focus is on ‘What’ our new curriculum vision will look like. Part III, which will be published in the next edition of The Falcon at the end of term, will explain how the new vision will affect the Secondary School curriculum.
Before we decided on what the curriculum should look like, the Education Committee made a thorough assessment of the various alternatives, including an analysis into the requirements of the Brazilian curriculum. We examined closely:
- the National Curriculum for England (Key Stage 3),
- the IGCSE and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the IB,
- the potential and implications of combining the IBMYP and the IGCSE,
- the Brazilian National Curriculum (‘Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais’)
The importance of attaining internationally recognised qualifications and successful entry to university, as expressed overwhelmingly by students, parents and ex-students, was a major factor in our final decisions. We also gave special consideration to the needs of Brazilian students and university entrance issues.
The New Vision of The British School Curriculum
In designing a curriculum vision for the Secondary School, the Education Committee perceived that it could also be the vision and model for the curriculum across the whole of The British School. The following underlying principles were considered by the committee when developing the model:
- It must consider the broader definition of curriculum which encompasses the whole range of activities experienced by the pupils. This includes the academic and pastoral curriculum, school trips, sports and all other activities that enhance the learning and development of the whole individual. In academic language, this is known as a holistic approach to learning, one that considers the individual as a whole person and recognises the importance of the academic, personal, social, creative and physical development of each pupil.
- It must be coherent with the school’s Mission and Philosophy and target the education of the whole person.
- It must be relevant to the wide-ranging needs of the school community and take into account our unique nature - a school with a British and international outlook in a Brazilian setting with a diverse body of pupils, most of whom are Brazilian.
- It must be well structured, progressive and integrated.
- It must provide pupils with the appropriate qualifications to continue their education, at any stage, either in Brazil or abroad.
The model below serves to convey the design and underlying philosophy of the proposed ‘New British School Curriculum’.
The core of the curriculum model is the pupil, as a person, a learner, an individual, a member of a group and a citizen. Values - as espoused in the school’s Mission statement - and pastoral elements of the curriculum surround the core, supporting the pupil’s overall development.
Cross-curricular skills include, but are not restricted to: study skills, creativity, team work, research and investigation, critical thinking, ICT, language skills and social and cultural awareness. These skills connect and transcend the subject areas and are fundamental life-long learning tools.
Cross-curricular themes and links are aimed primarily at giving relevance to what is taught and highlight the contribution of each subject area to the understanding of the world around us.
Cross-curricular themes are topics that can be studied by different subjects at the same time. An example is a project on sustainable development developed by the Geography, Science and History Departments. Cross-curricular links are topics that come up in one subject that can be enriched by knowledge acquired in another subject. An example is the contribution of Chemistry when studying chemical warfare in WWI in a History lesson.
Cross-curricular themes and links are developed through integrated planning across departments in order to recognise and explore the holistic nature of knowledge and learning. The study of contemporary and local issues, both across and within subject areas, is a central requirement of the new curriculum.
The next circle represents the discrete subjects (grouped into Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, Humanities, Arts and Physical Education) and recognises their integrity and unique contribution to knowledge and learning.
The outer circle contains the ‘Seven Principles’ which guide all stakeholders towards the fulfilment of the ‘New Secondary School Curriculum’ vision. The seven principles of the curricular vision are:
- ATTITUDE: It is vital that teachers and students develop a positive attitude to their work and in their relationships with others.
- LIFE-LONG LEARNING: The central purpose of education is to enable and encourage life-long learning by developing a sense of curiosity and by acquiring the skills which make learning an effective and enjoyable experience. All stakeholders are learners within a learning community.
- RELEVANCE: Within the established curriculum framework, every opportunity must be taken by all teachers to develop both relevance, authenticity and utility for the majority of the students by incorporating local and contemporary knowledge and issues into their programme and teaching.
- INTEGRATION: It is the duty of every department to find ways in which to integrate their work with that of other departments.
- GUARDIANSHIP: Every member of staff should act as a guardian of these principles and ensure that they are put into practice. Managers are responsible for supporting colleagues and monitoring progress towards fulfilling these principles.
- HOLISTIC LEARNING: The development of the whole person is the basis for success, including academic achievement and a readiness to make a positive contribution to society. It is therefore the role of every teacher to take a holistic approach to education that is academically challenging for each individual student but also acknowledges the importance of - and supports and encourages the development of - a wide range of skills, abilities and talents for all students.
- TEACHING FOR LEARNING: Teaching is only effective when there is learning. This seems an obvious statement but it reinforces the vision of the pupil at the centre of the curriculum. Teaching methods must be varied and adapted to the needs of the pupils. Every teacher must follow the curriculum framework and principles of teaching for learning and supporting assessment strategies as defined by school policy.
Our vision, therefore, is a unique curriculum which combines the best practices from the National Curriculum for England, the MYP, the IGCSE and the IB, and which meets the varying and particular needs of our students.
Paul Wiseman
Director
Part III, the last in this series about the curriculum review, looks at the implications of the new curriculum model in the secondary school. In the last Falcon we defined a clear, overarching curriculum vision and philosophy for The British School which gives a sense of common purpose and direction to all.
Our school-based curriculum vision has been constructed with an interdisciplinary and cross-curricular perspective. It takes into account both the individual significance and the complementarity of the various subjects. It is adapted to our pupils’ specific needs and is to be delivered within a holistic approach to education. It is unique to our school. This vision is portrayed in the model on this page.
The curriculum is to be built on the principal strengths of the National Curriculum for England, the IGCSE and the IB.
The subject orientation not only recognises the important contribution and uniqueness of the discrete areas of knowledge but also serves to support the IGCSE and preparation for the IB and university. In this way, we seek to articulate the subject-based strengths evident in the National Curriculum and IGCSE with the interdisciplinary and cross- curricular dimensions espoused by the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Brazilian curriculum.
In many important respects, the official position on the curriculum in Brazil matches closely the Committee’s recommendations. The principles and objectives of the Brazilian curriculum, as set out in the 1998 ‘Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais’, prioritise life-long learning, the understanding of concepts, the application of knowledge, cross-curricular learning, language skills and critical thinking. Subject content is viewed as a means rather than an end in itself and teaching methods that stimulate questioning and experimentation are recommended.
The model will be backed up by a coherent assessment policy which includes a balanced combination of the formative, criterion-referenced approach using a wide variety of assessment tools and a summative examination- oriented one. Pupils will be encouraged to participate in their own assessment.
At the same time, the curriculum vision must allow space for innovation, so that stakeholders’ needs can be addressed and students’ motivation boosted.
We concluded that the curriculum sequence for the Secondary School (Classes 5-11) should be as follows:
Will be based on the National Curriculum for England (Key Stage 3)
Rationale: A commitment to the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 presents a logical progression from the practice being developed within the Primary School. It also provides an appropriate structure within which to develop teaching and learning - and especially assessment - in the Secondary School, addressing many of our currently perceived weaknesses. The National Curriculum should provide the foundation for all subjects, except Portuguese, from Classes 5 to 7. The subject content, however, must be developed to meet the needs of our particular students - including a greater emphasis on contemporary and Brazilian issues.
Will be based on the IGCSE
Rationale: The current IGCSE programme will be retained as a basis for the curriculum for Classes 8 and 9. IGCSE subject syllabuses present a good basic grounding for both the IB and for Brazilian university entrance examinations. This general view was expressed by teachers, students and ex-students. However, the current centrality and dominance of the IGCSE and the related IGCSE examinations will be challenged. Innovation and flexibility will be encouraged, allowing for the development of a broader range of learning experiences for the students, and employing assessment practices which enhance learning, enabling students to become more involved in monitoring and planning their own progress. A limited reduction in current IGCSE teaching time will also be made.
Will be based on the International Baccalaureate
Rationale: From the surveys, the current IB programme was almost universally perceived by students, ex-students, teachers and parents to be a good, coherent curriculum which goes beyond the preparation for examinations. Any changes which might be made to the current IB programme would be essentially peripheral and on the lines of more options and a greater effort to incorporate Brazilian issues into the teaching.
While these three programmes - the National Curriculum for England, the IGCSE and the IB - will provide the sequence of our curriculum, we have proposed a unique curriculum vision and design which will be used to define the scope of the curriculum across the whole school.
You will have already appreciated that, while the curriculum sequence is built upon British and international lines, we shall be making further efforts to ensure that the needs of our Brazilian pupils are met. From the surveys we made, there is a general feeling that by following the current programme offered by our school, students are able to enter the universities and courses of their choice. It has been proven over the years that students at The British School who take the IGCSE and IB seriously, and perform well, also succeed in Brazilian university entrance.
Within our new curriculum, the Brazilian legal requirements concerning the curriculum and the Brazilian university entry issue will continue to be carefully monitored. In the interests of authenticity, utility and relevance, all subjects are to be required to explore how they can incorporate Brazilian issues into their planning and teaching. The university entry support courses run after school will be continued, fortified and strongly recommended to parents and students.
Now that our new curriculum has been approved and agreed, we have the exciting challenge to ensure its effective implementation. Those directly responsible for Classes 5 - 11 are working out a 3-year implementation plan, although many aspects of the new curriculum are already being addressed.
The process of review and development of our Secondary School Curriculum has been a long and challenging one. I, personally, am delighted with the result. It is a unique curriculum, designed with the inputs of a wide range and number of stake-holders across the school. Its purpose: to provide the best possible educational experience for our pupils and to prepare them as best we can for their lives beyond school.
Paul Wiseman
Director
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