6 learning January/February 2009
PRIMARY www.cumberland-news.co.uk/learning
for the latest education news in Cumbria
NEWS IN BRIEF
New location: Junior on a high
The arrival of 2009 heralds a new era
for Sedbergh Junior School.
The school has started the new
term in a new location, moving from
Bentham to Sedbergh. It also has a
new boarding house and secure play
areas. The junior school also has a
new head, Sara Hirst.
Living history: Fort wins award
Birdoswald Roman Fort has scooped a
prestigious award for its work
bringing history to life.
The Heritage Education Trust says
schoolchildren in Cumbria have an
`educational gem' on their doorstep
after Birdoswald picked up a Sanford
award. The awards are the industry's
top accolade for heritage education.
Business sense: Two take the lead
Two Cumbrian primary school workers
have gained qualifications in school
business management.
Alyson Henderson and Diane Eccles
are bringing the latest financial and
commercial expertise to their schools
after completing professional
qualifications run by the National
College of School Leadership (NCSL).
The two are based in Workington's
St Gregory's and St Patrick's Catholic
Primary Schools respectively.
Music association: �3K from festival
The Penrith Schools Music
Association prepares to celebrate its
25th anniversary this year.
Over Christmas, more than 300
children took part in a carol festival at
St Andrew's Church. The event raised
�3,000 which will be used to fund
music activities in Eden schools.
Pupils from Stainton, Hunter Hall,
Penruddock, St Catherine's, Lowther,
North Lakes, Patterdale, Kirkby Thore
and Temple Sowerby primary schools
took part in December's carol festival
along with older students from
Ullswater Community College and
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in
Penrith.
The University of Cumbria has been contributing to Sir Jim Rose's
review of the primary curriculum. Kelly Eve reports on its progress
M
AJOR changes to what primary
schools teach children in the
future will be decided this year.
Foreign languages are likely to be
introduced � one of a series of measures
expected to drive up standards.
The new curriculum is also likely to
have a bigger focus on developing life
skills rather than being subject led.
Sir Jim Rose, the former chief
inspector of primary education, was
appointed a year ago by Schools
Secretary Ed Balls to carry out the
curriculum review. Last month his
interim report was published. Sir Jim's
final advice will be presented to the
Government in March.
Following consultation, the changes �
once agreed � will be introduced in
September 2011.
The remit of Sir Jim's review focused
on five core elements � how to improve
reading, writing and maths; creating a
flexible, broad and balanced curriculum
that can be adapted to suit individual
pupils; how to introduce foreign
languages for primary aged pupils;
developing personal and transferable
skills and improving the transition for
children from early years into primary
and then onto secondary school.
Sir Jim has not worked alone.
Consultation has been carried out at
various stages with unions, education
organisations and via the internet.
The University of Cumbria has played
a key role in the development of
proposed ideas.
Academics from the university's
Ambleside campus have co-ordinated the
0-14 Advisory Group. It is made up of a
The shape of things
to come from 2011
Report: Sir Jim Rose was appointed
by Schools Secretary Ed Balls to carry
out a curriculum review
Around
20 new
play
areas
could be
created in
Cumbria
and
others upgraded thanks to �1.1 million
from the Government.
Cumbria County Council will be able
get money from April as part of the
Government's first Play Strategy, a
drive to tempt kids away from TVs
and games consoles.
It follows a visit to Carlisle in the
summer by former city play worker
Stuart Douglas, who is now assistant
director of Play England.
Play areas: New ones on the cards
Stoneraise School, on the outskirts of
Carlisle, is renewing its bid for a wind
turbine to help cut its energy bills.
A fresh planning application for a
turbine to be put in the grounds of the
Durdar primary has been submitted to
Cumbria County Council.
Previously there had been concerns
about noise, flicker from blades and
its location near a footpath. A
decision is expected by March.
Wind turbine: New bid submitted
cross-section of primary head teachers
from around the country together with
leading figures from the national
Training and Development Agency for
education and Ofsted.
The 0-14 Advisory Group has been the
only body of professionals in primary
education providing direct feedback to
Sir Jim on the review continuously since
it was announced in the Children's Plan.
Sam Twiselton, head of the school of
Early Years and Primary Initial
Professional Studies, and Peter Batty, the
university's Programme Manager, have
facilitated the group's debates.
The group has debated and tested how
proposed strategies and politically-
driven initiatives may work in the
classroom, saying whether they think
they would be effective or not.
Sam said: "The world is changing and
so there is a drive to ensure that we can
create a curriculum that is sufficiently
flexible and can adapt to what comes up
and can be developed in the future.
"The current one has been content-
driven and some of that is still required
but it is now more about developing
skills. We're talking about transferable
skills and helping children develop
essential skills for life. ICT, literacy,
numeracy come into that.
"The children we're talking about for
this curriculum are the ones who will be
coming in 2011 at the age of five and
when they finish their education they
will be taking jobs or going on courses
that possibly haven't been invented yet."
She added: "People might pick up on
the headline-grabbing features but they
possibly aren't as radical as many think
because most schools are probably
already doing what we've been talking
about. It has been about developing areas
of learning, around six such as language
and communication, which subjects and
content would fall into.
"The 0-14 group has been there to test
out with teachers and those in the
profession the ideas they have been
`The world is changing.
The curriculum needs to
be flexible enough to be
able to adapt and develop'
`Most schools are
probably already doing
what we're talking about'
Key player: Samantha Twiselton, head of the School of Early Years and Primary
Initial Professional Studies at the University of Cumbria. `We were pleased to
be asked by the QCA to take part', she said

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