Creative Curriculum
Our vision:
At William Edwards, we are proud of our award winning ‘bespoke’ Creative Curriculum (CC). The curriculum drives students to be ‘the best version of themselves that they can be’. We encourage pupils to cultivate a ‘growth mindset’, and to develop ‘key competencies (skills)’, that will prepare them for GSCE study, further education, employment, and adult life.
The curriculum took shape in 2012 to support the transition between primary (KS2) and secondary education (KS3). We wanted our students to be able to work independently and as part of a team; to be able to develop their creativity and cultural awareness; to reflect upon their achievements and areas that they could improve; to give them the platform to become well-rounded emotionally intelligent individuals. We developed a curriculum, for our year seven students, with these outcomes in mind. Over the past decade the way we do this has evolved but at its heart this is still the vision that threads through and binds together the diverse, changing nature of our curriculum.
In year seven the students learn for two hours each week where they are introduced to our ‘12 Competencies’: aiming high (planning), staying positive (resilience), independence, teamwork, leadership, creativity (& innovation), problem solving, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and numeracy.
At the start of the year, the students explore how they have developed through a range of fun activities including ‘Youbox’, a show and tell task that provides them the platform to develop confidence while speaking in groups and writing reflectively about themselves. The first half-term culminates with our extra-curricular trip to the ‘Wild Forest Adventure’ which pushes them to challenge themselves both physically and mentally.
Across the year, we explore the competencies across a range of curriculum material which is often experimental or changed to reflect the current cultural environment: locally, nationally and globally. For example; in the past decade the students explored how they see themselves as citizens of Essex and the stereotypes that come through shows like ‘The Only Way is Essex’. During the coronavirus pandemic the emphasis on mental health and cultural identity was shaped by lessons that focused on learning to draw ‘Mandalas’ to help reduce stress. We explored ‘Black Lives Matters’ through lessons like, ‘Dealing with Diversity’, engaging critically with the negative responses to the Diversity, Britain’s Got Talent Performance.
While much of the material may change, many lessons become part of the firm bedrock that makes CC such a wonderful experience for our pupils. Flagship lessons, like ‘Anti-bullying Superhero’ alongside ‘Real Life Superhero’, introduce key themes while allowing the students to be inspired by cultural icons like Stan Lee & Marvel and Malala Yousafzai (the girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for wanting an education). The superhero theme is developed mid-year in the lesson, ‘Us & Them’, where through the lens of Marvel’s ‘X-Men’, we debate issues of cultural difference, empathy and the way we treat others.
Throughout the year students, continue to develop their skills. They will think about adulthood and their journey towards the working world. Exploring issues like, ‘The Problem with Plastic’ and ‘Gender Equality’, together with an understanding of the ‘Technological Culture’ that drives and shapes our world as we advance into the future.
Students are introduced to the UNIFROG platform that allows them to record their progress electronically. In recent years, we have streamlined our CC criteria to work in unison with this platform. Following their experience in year 7, pupils will continue to explore the ways in which UNIFROG can create a long-term record of the competencies/skills and how they can create a record of their cultural activity. UNIFROG can help them make links between school subjects, further study, and the working world.
Key objectives
To provide students the opportunity to develop into well-rounded individuals who have a broad understanding of the world and the confidence to face it as an adult.
As a department, we believe that our Creative Curriculum will help students to achieve this through a range of varied study that differs from the core school curriculum.
Documents
Name and email address of key post-holder
Mr N Moore - Department Leader - mooren@wes.swecet.org