“Keep it Simple, Stupid” – KISS
In creating, implementing and maintaining anything, especially complex delivery systems, a great directive I was given as a younger manager was to ‘keep things as simple as possible.’ I remember my headteacher telling me, when trying to implement an assessment system where staff were struggling just to cope with the entry system, the technology […]
Curriculum Modelling: Cycle Design
The pandemic period has brought a number of things into focus for school leaders. One I have been asked most about over the past few months is what is going on in curriculum modelling cycle design. Within the secondary curriculum modelling understanding there is the characteristic of a number of organised sessions over a defined number of days into which we plan for the learning experiences to be scheduled with specialist staff.
ICFP Metrics: The magic number
When considered alone, there are some issues with the use of teacher contact ratio as a measurement of school structure that must be understood if it is being used to compare school structural efficiency.
Why does Curriculum Enhancement matter?
What is Curriculum Enhancement? After years of working with schools on efficiency, affordability and recovery I found myself asking a common question when reviewing and analysing a school’s curriculum planning: “Is this curriculum plan the right size for the children that are currently in the building?” For many years schools have used a set of […]
Timetable Recovery – a post pandemic response
In recent conversations with many schools it seems that people are taking seriously the changes in circumstances that have opened their eyes to alternative methodologies in putting their schools together.
School Financial Management Made Simple
Join School Finance Specialist and founder of Effervesce Susan Fielden to demystify the sometimes fear-inspiring arena of school finances. This free webinar is discursive and designed to answer the most significant issues attendees have. The session began with a poll to gauge which topics were most important to attendees. Susan then focussed on what they […]
Timetable recovery – COVID response
With all the challenges created by the COVID-19 school return guidance, many are considering ad hoc arrangements for timetabling pupil bubbles. You will have already written and roomed full timetables for the 2020-21 academic year and now be making adaptions.
Why outsource your timetabling?
In a recent contract review a leading headteacher of an large outstanding school said “never again will I allow my senior staff to be stuck in a room pouring over a timetable for weeks, I will always seek to use a skilled timetabler who builds a relationship with the school and we can rely on […]
What will be normal?
So much change within the passing of weeks; the use of ‘unprecedented times’ has been over-used perhaps but we are certainly in unusual times and only time will tell its long term impact. Do you remember the video that did the rounds in the early part of the new millennium ‘Shift Happens?’ If ever we […]
Curriculum Modelling: Population Design
Population design is a technical paper exploring the subject of how we put populations together within school and curriculum modelling. It is intended to define terms, explore principles and outline practice. Curriculum modelling for excellent practice.
The three Es of curriculum modelling
Over the past 10 years of reviewing curriculum design, I have tried to make a clear distinction between curriculum design in terms of the elements that make a broad and balanced curriculum, teaching and learning strategies and structural analysis. All are important but each should not be confused with the other. SMARTcurriculum® focuses on is […]
Travelling Light?
When creating curriculum models for September 2020, Chris Jones discusses the system wide impact of over-staffing strategies and the impact for us all.