How do we make space for the curious child?

In a society where we are eroding subjects such as music, art and dance from the curriculum, where knowledge and achievement are valued above play and creativity, how do we encourage curiosity in children and allow it to thrive inside and outside the classroom?

Ross Borthwick, Isabel Rich and David Marshall approach the question of curiosity in Episode 5 of Season 3 with...well, curiosity. It's something all schools want to promote - or say they want to promote - but what exactly is it, and how do we keep the spark alive in the children we teach, particularly in an age of instant access knowledge?

Episode Links & Other Things

• Article from The Atlantic: How the Ivy League Broke America, a thought-provoking look at the way exclusivity in education has increased the divide in the States. Essential reading for anyone involved in education, with lots of relevance to the UK system: https://bit.ly/4iibPOw
• Michael Rosen's Book of Play is wonderful, not just because of all the creative ideas but because of Rosen's own commentary on the ideas behind play, referencing Jean Piaget among others: https://wellcomecollection.org/books/michael-rosen-s-book-of-play
• Francis Alÿs' study of different children's games around the world explores play across different countries. Following the exhibition at The Barbican Centre earlier this year, you can find videos on this site showing different games in different countries, a window into the ingenuity of children everywhere: https://francisalys.com/category/childrens-games/
• How to Develop Curiosity in Kids: 9 engaging ideas from the International School in Ho Chi Minh City: https://bit.ly/3BAxcdd
• For anyone alive in the 90s, Dorling Kindersley (DK) were the go-to for information and fact-based learning, especially their cross-section books: https://www.dk.com/uk/book/9780241379783-stephen-biestys-incredible-cross-sections/
• We also love the range of non-fiction books you can get today. Flying Eye is one of the best around, with plenty to inspire curiosity: https://flyingeyebooks.com/
• Dunkeld Cathedral in Perthshire can be visited all year round: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dunkeld-cathedral/

The Rest is Education is a podcast created by teachers for teachers, parents and anyone interested in education. Please follow, share and recommend whenever you can. You can email us at therestiseducation@gmail.com or find us on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening!

Part two of our mini-series on school curriculum sees co-hosts Isabel Rich and Ross Borthwick interview Neil Burch, Senior Master and former Deputy Head Academic at Bradfield College, a leading independent senior school.

Neil has been teaching for over twenty years having worked in both state and independent sector, here in the UK and overseas. His role has enabled him to be involved with, amongst other things, curriculum design. He has also been a governor at The Willink which is a comprehensive school in Berkshire and at an international school in France.

Isabel is a former Head of English, current educational consultant and visits a multitude of schools in her role as an educational consultant.

Ross has worked in independent prep and senior schools across the UK, was an Assistant Head at a leading independent prep school in London, Scholars' Master at a former independent boarding 'Prep School of the Year' in the South-East of England and is now a Housemaster at a leading independent boarding senior school in Scotland where he is part of the team responsible for curriculum development.

In this episode, David Marshall welcomes guests James Page and Dr Cindy Gause-Vega to discuss the question:

What makes an excellent primary curriculum?

James Page is Chief Executive of Haringey Education Partnership (HEP) which has 120 member schools and supports 35,000 school-age children.

Dr Cindy Gause-Vega is an educational consultant based in Prague focused on professional learning and collaborative inquiry-based learning. She is former elementary school principal in the Czech Republic with experience working across three countries and two continents.

This episode is part 1 of 2 looking at the value of curriculum, with a focus this week on the primary sector.

The word curriculum stems from the Latin verb currere, meaning 'to run'. The noun translates as 'racecourse' an apt metaphor for all the things curriculum has come to mean for schools today.

Early in this episode, the idea of a road map is mentioned as another metaphor for a curriculum, something which can both define and limit what a it is and can be. What is not in question, is the value of curriculum design to excellent education and the importance of a well-thought-through curriculum to children everywhere.

Mentioned or linked to the episode:

• Haringey Education Partnership website can be found here: https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/
• HEP has recently been working with Christine Counsell and Steve Mastin to develop the Opening Worlds curriculum. https://openingworlds.uk/what-is-opening-worlds/
• Jerome Bruner was an influential psychologist who has set the groundwork for thinking about inquiry-based education: https://www.structural-learning.com/post/jerome-bruners-theories
• Michael Young developed the term 'powerful knowledge' and expanded the concept as a foundation for curriculum design: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/applying-the-powerful-knowledge-principle-to-curriculum-development-in-disadvantaged-contexts/
• The ResearchEd Guide to the Curriculum, edited by Clare Sealy and published by John Catt educational is a great collection of articles on curriculum development and can be found here: https://www.johncattbookshop.com/products/the-researched-guide-to-the-curriculum-an-evidence-informed-guide-for-teachers
• HEP runs its own podcast 'HEP Talks' which can be found here (and on all podcast providers: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/hep-talks/id1608692574

The Rest is Education is a podcast founded by Ross Borthwick, David Marshall and Aaron Huber, now with Isabel Rich as a co-host. Email any questions or comments to therestiseducation@gmail.com.

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