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Breadth of education

Where once schooling was limited to the 3Rs, now its about breadth of education. Which means more subjects and topics in the academic curriculum, more sports in the sports curriculum, and more art, music, drama and dance in the creative arts curriculum.

But why stop there? There's also extra-curricular clubs and activities, outdoor education, educational day and residential trips, school visitors, charitable and community engagement, careers planning...

Outdoor learning in prep and primary schools

Schoolsmith · Published: Jun 15, 2023

Image of a silver birch forest for the What is Outdoor learning? post

In 2023 it would be rare to find a prep or primary school that didn’t offer outdoor learning in some shape or form. It’s everywhere. Now, compare that to how I started out the 2017 version of this article; ‘More and more prep and primary schools are offering outdoor learning to their Nursery and Reception […]

School trips, residentials and visiting speakers

Schoolsmith · Published: Jun 6, 2023 · Updated: Jun 15, 2023

Image of a school bus for the School trips and the Guest Speaker Programme post

Another indicator of a good school is its educational trips, residentials and visiting speaker programme. It’s one of the 50 different indicators that feed into the Schoolsmith Score. There’s a wide range of offers, from the seemingly random Christmas Panto trip, a Year 6 adventure centre overnighter and ‘people who help us’ visitors through to […]

Prep School curriculum; skills and knowledge

Schoolsmith · Published: Mar 1, 2022

Prep School curriculum skills knowledge

The prep school curriculum, and primary school curriculum for that matter, is evolving. For the better. Curriculum time is shifting from rote learning to applied practical work to develop so-called 21st Century skills. And schools are keen for you to know it. If you’re wondering what happened to the 13 or 14 subjects of the […]

What is a broad creative arts curriculum?

Schoolsmith · Published: Nov 14, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a red chair on a stage for the What is a broad creative arts curriculum? post

The creative arts curriculum is the first to be squeezed in a timetable or budget constraint. Consequently, school provision for art, music, drama and dance varies considerably. The creative arts curriculum is a poor cousin to the academic and sports curricula. Curriculum time for art, dance, drama and music is usually low. The four subjects […]

What is a broad sports curriculum in schools?

Schoolsmith · Published: Nov 2, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a wide striped sports field for the What is a broad sports curriculum? post

To most schools a broad sports curriculum means 6 seasonal sports, swimming, PE and a couple of clubs. A remarkably narrow choice. A broad curriculum requires a broad sports curriculum and a broad arts curriculum as well as a broad academic curriculum. This article focuses on the broad sports curriculum. It is perhaps the easiest […]

Do school accreditations mean anything?

Schoolsmith · Published: Oct 31, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a set of light stone steps for the Do school accreditations mean anything post

School accreditations aren’t a reliable guarantee of standards but they do tell you what the school thinks is important. Go to any school’s website and more often than not you’ll see some school accreditations. You may see quite a few. Accreditations are those badges at the bottom of the home page, a gleaming roster of […]

Character Education and the curriculum

Schoolsmith · Published: Oct 26, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of two theatrical masks for the Character education article

Character Education used to be the “invisible curriculum”, the personal traits that developed as a result of the school’s culture. Not any more. Character Education is coming to a curriculum near you. Character Education is the education that makes pupils moral, civic-minded, healthy, compassionate, ambitious, resilient… The list of adjectives is long. Often couched in […]

What is a broad academic curriculum?

Schoolsmith · Published: Oct 24, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a chess set for the What is a broad academic curriculum? post

It’s hard to broaden an academic curriculum of 14 mandated subjects. Some schools are. At face value, it’s quite difficult to differentiate between schools on academic curriculum alone. Why? Because most schools offer pretty much the same academic subjects. The same ones you and I were taught many years ago. And there’s a reason for […]

What’s the point of a broad education?

Schoolsmith · Published: Oct 20, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a corner of a brick wall for the What's the point of a broad education post

Education prepares pupils for the world of work. A broad education prepares pupils for life. That a broad education is a good thing isn’t a new idea. The Romans knew that “Mens sana in corpore sano” (a healthy mind in a healthy body). The Ancient Greeks devised a curriculum of grammar, logic and rhetoric underpinning […]

How broad is a broad curriculum?

Schoolsmith · Published: Oct 18, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a school building and playground for the How broad is a broad curriculum? post

Just what is a broad curriculum? Or rather, when is a curriculum broad? When we hear a headteacher refer to the school’s broad curriculum we switch off and relax. I did. A box is ticked. Everything’s OK. The curriculum is broad. Phew! But it’s a lazy claim. Every school has a broad curriculum. Not narrow, […]

Pupil participation in school teams and activities

Schoolsmith · Published: Apr 20, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of footballs in a net for the Participation in school teams and events post

Participation in school activities can be limited to a select few. So you’ve checked out all the school’s facilities, run your finger down the list of extra-curricular activities and got a nice warm feeling about the place from the staff you’ve met. You picture your child throwing open the double doors of opportunity for you […]

Social and community education in schools

Schoolsmith · Published: Feb 2, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of an arched window for the Schools and the community post

Community education promotes awareness and understanding of society’s many cultural and interest groups. Beyond the filtered and insulated cocoon of family, school and friends is the wider community. It’s a strange word; community. Regularly used in the press but usually in a pejorative sense of isolated interest groups. Society is fragmented and many would argue […]

Common school curricula and curriculum styles

Schoolsmith · Published: Feb 2, 2017 · Updated: Feb 5, 2019

Image of a flaming match for the Notes for parents on some common school curricula post

The aim of this article is to highlight some of the school curricula and curriculum styles operating in the UK. It also supports the articles on “How broad is a broad curriculum?” and “What’s the point of a broad education?” I list eleven school curricula currently available. Some, strictly speaking, are more style than curriculum. […]

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