Tag Archives: National Curriculum

What curriculum do young people need?

Posted on July 23, 2020 by terrywrigley

  For the last 30 years, the school curriculum in England has been imposed on teachers top-down. Teachers were not regarded as knowledgeable and were simply expected to “deliver” what politicians decided. The current version, launched by Michael Gove in … Continue reading →

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Are SATs closing the poverty gap?

Posted on June 13, 2019 by reclaimschools

Based on an elaborate formula invented by his officials, schools minister Nick Gibb is “proud we’re closing the gap between rich and poor pupils.”  A more straightforward measure shows that nothing has changed. Last summer 54% of children eligible for free … Continue reading →

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Demoralisation and failure: what are we doing to children?

Posted on May 2, 2019 by reclaimschools

In the open letter which a hundred education professors and lecturers wrote to Michael Gove in 2013, and which hit the front pages of national newspapers, the government was clearly warned about what the new curriculum would do. The lists … Continue reading →

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Knowledge, skills and ‘dead white males’

Posted on June 11, 2018 by reclaimschools

Comment by Terry Wrigley, Northumbria University In a recent debate Mary Bousted, joint General Secretary of the NEU, has made a bold challenge to the assumptions behind the current National Curriculum. She argued against its backwardness, narrow nationalism, and neglect … Continue reading →

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Will anything but a boycott stop the tests?

Posted on July 11, 2017 by reclaimschools

The Reclaiming Schools network has played a significant role in exposing the damage caused by high-stakes testing, including our pamphlet ‘The Mismeasurement of Learning‘, widely circulated in the NUT and elsewhere, various series of blogposts carrying detailed analysis from specialist … Continue reading →

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A lesson from Sergeant Pepper

Posted on June 28, 2017 by reclaimschools

A comment on creativity and the curriculum by Dr Pam Jarvis, Reader in Childhood, Youth and Education, Leeds Trinity University A few nights ago whilst nodding on the sofa, I was abruptly awoken by the BBC documentary Sgt Pepper’s Musical … Continue reading →

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The crisis in secondary schools: where is it leading?

Posted on April 15, 2017 by reclaimschools

All kinds of schools in England are facing damaging budget cuts. Large meetings are being held all over the country where parents and teachers together are showing their opposition to Government cuts. Every concerned teacher or parent should join the … Continue reading →

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Yorkshire conference – More Than A Score

Posted on April 13, 2017 by reclaimschools

Park Inn, North St, York YO1 6JF This conference will bring together parents and teachers across the region to discuss the crisis facing our schools and how this is affecting children and young people. It will provide an opportunity to … Continue reading →

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Harold Rosen: an inspiration for teachers today

Posted on March 16, 2017 by reclaimschools

announcing an inspiring new book Harold Rosen: Writings on life, language and learning 1958-2008 Harold Rosen was one of the great reformers of English teaching. His work has just been republished, providing a challenge to the deadening practices of the National Curriculum – its obsession … Continue reading →

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PISA results flat despite government bullying

Posted on December 7, 2016 by reclaimschools

by Dr Terry Wrigley, Northumbria University “Flat in a changing world” was how Andreas Schleicher, head of PISA, summed up the UK’s results – a conclusion which is difficult to refute. It is an inditement of political arrogance, the punitive … Continue reading →

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