WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY....


BEYOND SUBJECT SILOS T


Comment by Dr FIONA MILES, Head of Loughborough High School


here is a growing debate about curriculum relevance and the skills young people will need in an AI-shaped future. At its heart lies a question: is it still


fit for purpose to teach subjects as though they exist in neat and separate silos?


My own journey into headship has been anything but linear. I began with a degree in English Literature before stepping away to study medicine. Qualifying as a doctor and working within the NHS was life- changing, yet I found myself drawn back to education. We are not fixed entities at 16, 18 or 28; nor should we expect our intellectual identities to be.


An interesting observation is the way educators tend to frame subjects in schools. Maths and science are often positioned as objective, rigorous and economically valuable, while arts and humanities could be viewed as subjective or ‘softer’.


Treating a patient and writing an essay are not as different as they might first appear. In both cases, you are presented with a scenario and must apply knowledge with precision and care. A patient will often tell you what is wrong; tests confirm what you have inferred. English, too, is about listening closely, weighing evidence and constructing a disciplined argument. Science demands creativity, intellectual risk-taking and the humility to accept you may be wrong. Both require curiosity. Both require rigour.


The OECD’s Future of Education and Skills 2030 highlights the growing importance of broad transferable skills such as adaptive problem-solving


alongside critical thinking. It argues that education systems must move beyond narrow subject knowledge to help young people thrive in an unpredictable and fast-changing world.


In an age of AI, students must be able to interrogate what they read, to question assumptions and to understand limitations. The scientific principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ applies as readily to AI as it does to laboratory work. Human judgement, the ability to sense-check, interpret and evaluate, has never been more important.


We are intentional about challenging limiting narratives from the outset. In an all-girls’ environment, pupils are never hostage to the idea that certain subjects or careers belong to someone else.


A sense of possibility must be matched by intellectual stretch. From Year 7, our approach to futures guidance is highly personalised. As pupils grow older, we encourage independent enquiry. A sixth-former researching Parkinson’s disease was challenged not only to understand the biology but to consider how such work might translate into future treatments. Three Year 8 pupils, working towards their CREST Award, designed an autonomous robot capable of extracting water in desert environments, applying the principle of Archimedes’ screw to solve a real-world problem. The intellectual leap, from knowledge to application, is what matters most. We must ensure that no girl ever places a ceiling on her own ambition by believing she must choose between being analytical or creative, scientific or artistic. The real world is interconnected, complex and human – and our classrooms should be too. The most powerful learning happens when pupils can see the bigger picture, and see themselves more clearly within it. Nothing is out of reach; girls should feel free to be many things, sometimes all at once.


FROM EXCLUSION TO ASPIRATION: WHAT METACOGNITION CAN OFFER ALTERNATIVE PROVISION


Comment by STEVEN HULME, Headteacher at Lodestar Academy, part of Thinking Schools Academy Trust


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upporting pupils in Alternative Provision settings isn’t without its challenges. Too often, pupils arrive following prolonged disengagement, fractured schooling and low expectations about what they can achieve academically. The sector is frequently judged on care and containment rather than curriculum ambition, despite evidence that many pupils want and are capable of more. This context matters because outcomes in Alternative Provision remain uneven, particularly in subjects beyond English and maths. Gaps in prior learning, disrupted development and a lack of confidence in formal assessment can all limit progression. The question for schools is how to rebuild learning habits alongside academic knowledge. Our response has been to place metacognition at the heart of learning. Three years ago, there were no GCSE science entries at the academy. Within 12 months, that changed. With the backing of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, we invested in a purpose-built science lab, reimagined the curriculum, and brought in passionate, dedicated educators. The aim was not simply to broaden provision, but to raise expectations about what pupils could achieve.


Every pupil who left the school last summer achieved a recognised qualification, with half securing a GCSE Dual Award in science. More importantly, pupils who had previously struggled to engage with formal assessment began to see themselves as learners capable of success. Metacognition underpins this shift. Through the Habits of Mind framework, pupils are explicitly taught how to plan, monitor and reflect on their learning. This helps them bridge missed developmental steps and re-engage with education in a way that feels manageable rather than overwhelming.


April 2026


Our experience suggests that when pupils are supported to understand their own thinking and learning, they are more willing to attempt challenging subjects and persist when work becomes difficult. There is also a wider systems issue. Alternative Provision is still commonly accessed only after permanent exclusion, reinforcing stigma and limiting early intervention. A new Torbay Council pilot is helping shift this narrative by shifting towards earlier, needs-based referrals. Lodestar Academy is at the forefront of this work, supporting pupils before exclusion becomes inevitable.


This change in language and process matters. When Alternative Provision is framed as a response to failure, it narrows what schools feel able to offer. When seen as a specialist pathway, with capacity to deliver ambitious curricula and targeted support, outcomes change.


The lesson from our work is not that every Alternative Provision setting should look the same, but that academic ambition and metacognitive teaching are not incompatible with high-quality pastoral care. For coastal communities like Torbay, where disadvantage can become entrenched, this approach offers a way to disrupt familiar patterns.


The journey is far from complete. With Lodestar Academy, our team is exploring how to extend their impact further, providing earlier interventions that prevent disengagement before exclusion happens. Their work is influencing schools, local authorities, and trust leaders, helping to reshape what provision for vulnerable young people can look like. Alternative Provision will always serve pupils with complex needs. But complexity should not mean lowered expectations. When pupils are taught how to think, not just what to think, aspiration becomes realistic rather than rhetorical.


www.education-today.co.uk 23


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