Curious Minds

Three Separate Subjects into an Integrated Curriculum

HOW CAN WE TURN THREE SEPARATE SUBJECTS (RE, HISTORY AND PSHE) INTO AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM IN THE CONTEXT OF PELTS?

[Enquiry School programme - July-October 2010:  3 teachers and 160 Year 7 pupils took part]

Teachers at St John Bosco Arts College in Liverpool worked with Robert Meadows to transform teaching and learning at year seven.

As part of the Building Schools for the Future programme,  the school would  trial a completely new and different style of teaching  and learning to take into their planned new building.

Although BSF funding was cut (and with it the new building), developing an integrated curriculum remained at the heart of the school's change agenda.  The Creative Partnerships programme supported teachers to investigate how three separate subject areas could be integrated into one learning community, combining subject knowledge with skills development.  It was hoped that if successful, this model could be replicated across other subjects and year groups.

Within the pilot "Salesian Community", teachers would learn how to nurture a love of learning and independence amongst students; taking on a supportive role, as facilitator rather than imparter of knowledge.  

Three subject teachers visited a BSF school for ideas and then worked closely with Robert Meadows to draft a new curriculum integrating subject areas of RE, History and PSHE.  This was then presented to departmental staff and Deputy Head Teacher. 

In September 2010, teachers trialled the new Salesian learning Community with year seven students, introducing brand new teaching plans and approaches to learning, including a new openness towards external partners and speakers, with invitations for them to come and support the school's teaching aims.  Eg Tracey Carmen - songwriter and community musician worked with students on lyric and melody to create a song that reflected what they had learnt so far.

In October all parents of Year seven students were invited to a netbook distribution evening, where parents and community members were made aware of new curriculum developments and encouraged to ask questions.

The girls performed their song as a celebration of the first term’s work and were asked to report on how and if it worked for them with their comments informing developments. 

Pupils said:-

 “We learn more because it is three subjects instead of one”

“It was FUN!  Interesting facts, works and topics.  Amazing activities.  It is all work but it is fun, for example games and drawings.”

“I think teachers have learnt more about us and what we know too.”

"Working with Tracey and making a song up was great, you do exactly realize how much work we have done over the year."

One pupil said to a teacher:  “We didn’t realise how much we learnt because is was learning in a fun way.”

Teachers said:-

“The project did arouse interest in both pupisl and parents”

“It’s been liberating to write our own curriculum.”

“The more we went into it the more we thought:  Why haven’t we done this before?!”

“New relationships between departments worked really well.”

“This way of teaching allows for creativity.”

“Lessons are more innovative now.”

“I wouldn’t want to go back to how we used to teach.”

"I learnt a lot from the practitioners. I could see myself doing this next year. I am still relaxing into the new role and the new way of learning."

Practitioners: 

“As always, working to the brief of the school to CP ethos lends itself to practising reflective skills.  Something as a practitioner working with creative practice, it’s essential to keep at the forefront of conscious practice.”

Further information [taken from Project End Form]:

• The development of the Salesian community was instrumental in the school's change management process in a BSF context.  It was always envisaged that the curriculum change would take place prior to any building.  Hence a curriculum would be in place first.
• The skills set of school-based staff allowed for simplistic ideas about possible curriculum change. This was enhanced significantly by the experience brought particularly by Robert Meadows.
• Tracey Carmen added a music dimension which aided in the completion of the first term's project.
• The support of the Deputy Head allowed for logistical issues not to get in the way of progress.
• Relationships between pupils, teachers and practitioners has been very positive and improved through the project.
• All practitioners communicated really well with staff and pupils.
• Strong relationships and appropriate allocations of time allowed the work in hand to progress well. A  timeline was kept to with appropriate updates provided to key stakeholders, such as Senior Leadership Team of School, Governors (Curriculum Committee) and Liverpool Archdiocese.
• The project was truly collaborative equally owned and driven:
  Song writing part of the project was owned equally by the students and the teachers and facilitated by the practitioners. It was a teacher's idea initially and pupils had strong ownership of the outcome (they wrote the words and the lyrics).
• A notable feature of the success of the project has been the teamwork of all stakeholders and the shared vision of how to move the school forward.
• A first attempt at an integrated curriculum has brought with it many challenges. However, its success has informed the Leadership Team of the school and governing body of the benefits of such curriculum innovation. Hence already the school is planning for its second curriculum development area - Creative Community.
• Next time it would be good to have involvement of pupils in the planning process.  Also a more appropriate time line - with planning much earlier in the academic year to give teachers more time for planning.
• Despite the collapse nationally of the BSF project, the school is still committed to curriculum change.  Hence the project has assisted significantly in the change management process. Discussions are now taking place with regards to phase 2/Year 2 of the project. Staff clearly indicate that there is no going back.
• Although a lot of hard work has been undertaken, the outcome – an integrated curriculum in Year 7 and Year 8 – is certainly better than what was previously in place. Student/staff feedback eg blocked am/pm lessons will be considered in terms of moving the project further forward.
• Plans are already in place for phase 2. A deputy head has been allocated responsibility to work with the Arts Departments in the establishment of the Creative Community for Sept 2011.
• Curriculum change has been at the heart of school improvement. Further curriculum change has been incorporated in the school development plan. All things being equal there is still the potential and drive for 5 communities being created within Key Stage 3.