Document Review
The 12 aims are: Next steps
The individual The review recommends that eight expert panels are set up to define the
1 Wellbeing place of each domain and to propose its content. These panels would
2 Engagement make proposals about their domains to a whole curriculum panel and
3 Empowerment full consultation would take place on the draft domain statements and
4 Autonomy programmes of study.
Self, others and the wider world Each local authority would convene a community curriculum coun-
5 Encouraging respect and reciprocity cil to put together recommendations for the local component of each
6 Promoting interdependence and sustainability domain. Thirty per cent of the yearly teaching total should be dedicated
7 Empowering local, national and global citizenship to the community curriculum. SACRE is used as an example of how this
8 Celebrating culture and community might be done. It is considered vital that children are also included in this
Learning, knowing and doing discussion.
9 Exploring, knowing, understanding and making sense
10 Fostering skill A point to note
11 Exciting the imagination There are many concerns raised throughout the report about the Rose
12 Enacting dialogue review. Reading the Alexander review you certainly feel that for a variety
of reasons the Rose review has not had sufficient opportunity to get to
The domains the heart of the issue and present the radical review that is needed.
In addition to the aims, the review proposes that the primary curriculum
includes eight domains of knowledge, skill, disposition and enquiry: Publication details
n Arts and creativity
n
Alexander RJ and Flutter J (2009). Towards a New Primary
Citizenship and ethics
n
Curriculum: a report from the Cambridge Primary Review.
Faith and belief
n
Part 1: Past and Present. ISBN 978-906478-31-5.
Language, oracy and literacy
n
Part 2: The Future. ISBN 978-906478-32-2.
Mathematics
n
Cambridge: University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.
Physical and emotional health
n Place and time This, and the other 29 reports, can be viewed at
n Science and technology www.primaryreview.org.uk
There is no separate mention for ICT and personal development
because the report’s authors consider that these should be pursued
through most, if not all, of the domains. These domains have a thematic
integrity with core knowledge and skills, and they link with the educa- OpiniOn
tional aims. They are each relevant to the primary stage and build upon
What is the school report card?
the EYFS as well as forming a bridge to the secondary curriculum ‘with-
out being subservient to either’.
First, there was the governors’ annual report to parents.
Every headteacher that I spoke to in my 11 years of head-
ship had the same comments to make. ‘Waste of time’, ‘no
one turns up’. We spent weeks preparing a document that
no one read and sat there waiting at a meeting where no
one turned up.
Then came the school profile – so vastly important in its
influence that very few schools were even aware when it
changed. It was an online series of questions that were sup-
posed to enable parents to compare schools and help them
decide which school would be best for their child. Then
they applied and discovered that there weren’t any places
anyway. Many schools have not even completed the new
school profile format. And they’re probably best not to, now
that we eagerly await the outcome of the school report card
consultation.
Dimensions© is a creative, theme-based
Meet the school report card. Again it is intended as an aid to
curriculum design package.
parents selecting a school. The intention is that it will make
schools more accountable. As if school’s aren’t account-
able already. The idea is that all the outcomes that schools
deliver – exam results, added value, pupils’ progress, curricu-
lum breadth, skills and attributes, support for the less able,
behaviour management – can be subsumed into one handy
little grade.
As a parent as well as a teacher, I would find the use of
such a report card bemusing. Do we have any evidence that
the use of these cards in America is helping parents to find
the right school for their child? What is the impact on those
Everything you need is included to allow you to plan,
schools that must brandish an E grade? Do they suddenly
organise and deliver a more creative curriculum.
miraculously turn themselves around when the pupil roll hits
zero?
To help shape future learning in an innovative way,
If or when the report card is released let’s hope that parents
use their own common sense and make judgements based
Dimensions provides a clear framework which provides
on what they can see for themselves rather than another ill-
structure and support for schools.
conceived attempt to label our schools.
Suzanne O’Connell
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