East Renfrewshire Council: A continuous curriculum from 3 to 18

Project objectives

The overall aim of the project is to ensure continuity and progression for pupils, leading to a positive impact on attainment.

The working group for the cluster aimed to develop a shared pedagogy that would deliver a smooth continuous curriculum from 3 to18 in four areas:

• Smooth transition between sectors, from nursery to primary and primary to secondary, incorporating a shared pedagogy for numeracy and particularly ensuring a focus on play is carried through into primary.
• The development of a common language and methodology for teaching numeracy in 5-14 mathematics.
• The development of a common language and methodology for teaching algebra from 5-14 mathematics through to National Qualifications.
• Embed Assessment is for Learning strategies in numeracy from nursery to secondary school, ensuring that those used successfully in nursery and primary school are taken forward in secondary school.

Desired outcomes for the project are:

• A shared pedagogy will be developed and detailed in a document for teaching numeracy for the 3-18 curriculum, from nursery, through primary, to secondary.
• A shared pedagogy will be developed and detailed in a document for teaching algebra from 5-14 through to National Qualifications.
• The use of Assessment is for Learning and active learning strategies will be evident in classroom practice in mathematics.
• A CPD programme will be put in place to support the implementation of the documentation in classroom practice and evaluations will indicate success.
• The shared pedagogy will be evident in classroom practice.

Key findings

The working groups produced extremely useful documentation, which will help support teachers of numeracy and lead to the development of a common language and methodology. The analysis of Assessment is for Learning strategies used effectively in mathematics in the nursery and primary will assist in a continuity of approach in the associated secondary school. The members of the group gave a high level of commitment and provided valuable input at each meeting. The resulting debate on the learning and teaching of mathematics led to improved understanding for all staff involved.

The methodology and common approach to language is specific to the cluster. The working party, having agreed on both, will share this with staff across all sectors in the cluster. This will mean that as pupils move from stage to stage, or make the transition from nursery to primary, or primary to secondary, the language and methods that staff and pupils use will be the same. The improved continuity will help pupil progression and ideally impact on attainment.

Future developments

The documentation produced by the group has been made available to all staff on the East Renfrewshire Education Intranet. It will be shared with all staff within the cluster on the in-service day, 15 August 2007.  The common language and methodology will be introduced to the classroom during the 2006-2007 session. A CPD programme will be developed for the Williamwood cluster to support the consistency of use of the common language and teaching methodology and the common methodology in the learning and teaching of algebra.

The impact will be measured through monitoring classroom practice, teacher and pupil evaluations, and monitoring of attainment through national assessments and standardised tests. 

If the advice in the documentation is integrated fully into classroom practice the impact should be significant.