Well another summer has passed. Children are finally wrestled back into new shoes and too-big uniforms (a traumatic story from our Tuesday!). I don’t know about you but, despite all the work a new year involves, I always find September exciting. It is especially exciting when the cooler notes of a September morning are mixed in with the distinct hints of change.
We don’t yet know where education is heading, but this coming year holds out the promise that the long-dormant seeds of renewal might begin to grow. I know many Curriculum PATHS members will think this is long overdue and we hope to give people as many opportunities to contribute to the dialogue about change as possible. We also know that change can also mean uncertainty, so we want to be there to support the profession as well.
Here are five things which we hope will inspire and support you this coming year. Above all, though, I wanted to wish you a positive and hopeful school year. I look forward to our continued work together as a community in the months ahead.
1. WE HAVE A VOICE
Curriculum PATHS is still here (yay!) and continues to give a voice to teachers of history, and those who are supportive of history education, across the country! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with us so far and all those who continue to support our work to put ethical principles at the heart of history teaching. Without your support we would not have had the chance to speak to the DfE about the upcoming Curriculum Review process, nor to feed back to the Curriculum Drafting Panel. If you are not yet a member, but would like to join, you can sign up for free any time.
2. WE HAVE MORE RESOURCES THAN EVER
The Curriculum PATHS Sharing Hub continues to grow and has been re-worked to match the priorities of the National Curriculum Review. There are so many great units on there now, each one connected with our Principles for History Teaching. We are also involving PATHS members more directly in commenting on and reviewing units for sharing. This has led to some really great professional discussions between members. We are always looking for more units to share with history teaching colleagues around the country. If you have a unit you’d like to submit, drop me a line or follow the instructions on our Sharing Hub.
3. WE ARE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER
The revisions to the National curriculum are continuing as far as we know. But every change is also an opportunity. If you are looking for support or guidance for managing curriculum change, why not have a look at our Blog and Guide for subject leaders. We also have a new Collective Wisdom for Curriculum Change Padlet. This is a space where anyone can share ideas and support for going through the process of curriculum change. Please do have a read and feel free to contribute your own ideas and experiences.
4. WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD EXPERTISE
We are still working on our PATHfinders series, which focuses on tackling and teaching complex histories. We have a new entry on teaching GRT histories thanks to Rich Kerridge and the much missed Helen Snelson.
5. WE ARE BRINGING HIDDEN HISTORIES TO THE FORE
This is not strictly a Curriculum PATHS thing but I am really excited to say that the Teaching Indigenous Histories and Perspectives in Schools (TIHPS) project is now finally up and running thanks to some herculean efforts by Caroline Pennock and Kerry Apps this summer. We have developed a wide range of resources for teachers across Key Stages, helping bring Indigenous histories and perspectives into the history curriculum.
