More politics. A broad and balanced curriculum.

Thank you to all those parents who came along to the consultation 6th form evening last Wednesday. I understand that the debate has continued this week and I have spoken to a number of parents since the evening. I will take the time to discuss the issue with students over the coming days and will let you know about further planned events. Thursday was eventful. As well as the astonishing concert in the Cathedral (congratulations again to all involved) we welcomed Tristram Hunt, Shadow Education Minister to the Cresswell centre. It was interesting to hear about a possible direction for education after the election in May. It is the first time that I have hear a figure quoted in relation to budgets, a 7% cut over the span of the next parliament was suggested as realistic. That will be a challenge for all schools! He was also asked about the findings of the Warwick Commission report, the future of cultural values. Over the last decade there has been a 50% drop in GCSE entries for DT and 23% for Drama. The other arts are equally in decline. This may be to do, in part with the English Baccalaureate and the introduction of progress 8. Schools are being encouraged to ensure that all students take History, Geography and a Language. Mr Hunt mentioned History as being an important subject, I agree but no more so than RE or Music (not on the list!) “There are major concerns that the educational system is not focusing on the future needs of the cultural and creative industries and the broader needs for inn ovation and growth,” the commission said. For me a broad and balanced curriculum must include the subjects that help us to understand the world and its people. We should also be providing a curriculum relevant to the needs of the students we teach. No two schools are the same.