BESA CORNER
This month in our ongoing feature highlighting the work of members of the education suppliers’ trade body BESA, we hear from Smartcurriculum and The Literacy Company.
Building curriculum that can adapt Comment by CHRIS JONES, Founder & CEO of SMARTcurriculum
Many schools still treat curriculum design and
population structure as separate conversations. But the way learners are grouped shapes educational experience and operational viability, influencing staffing, flexibility, equity and long-term sustainability. That is why adaptive curriculum
design matters. It is not simply about grouping pupils differently, but creating structures that respond to learner needs without losing coherence. Too often, school structures evolve by habit. A model is inherited, layered with exceptions and defended because it is familiar. Over time, this creates complexity that feels unavoidable but is often self-imposed. The language of sets, bands, streams, classes and groups may appear technical, but beneath it lies a strategic question: are we designing a structure that serves the curriculum, or merely preserving what already exists?
Adaptive structures offer a more deliberate approach. They allow schools to organise learners in ways that preserve equity while increasing flexibility. The challenge is not to find the ‘perfect’ structure, but to align structure with curriculum intent, equity priorities and logistical reality. That means asking better questions. Is this grouping model supporting learning, or preserving tradition? Does it allow leaders to respond to changing needs? Clarity of language is essential. One of the most common frustrations in timetabling and curriculum planning is that the same words can mean different things across schools or software platforms, while different terms may describe the same structure. Agreeing definitions for forms, sets, streams, bands, classes and groups is a leadership responsibility.
The practical implications are significant. Population design affects timetable flexibility, staff deployment, curriculum continuity and intervention. The more rigid the structure, the less room there is to respond to staff absence, pupil movement or changing demand. Schools with tightly fixed grouping patterns may struggle to introduce new courses, maintain choice or adapt provision. Flexibility, by contrast, allows the timetable to breathe. But flexibility is not free. Every additional set or subgroup requires more staffing, coordination and careful deployment. Leaders must balance the benefits of smaller groups against workforce and financial pressures. Adaptive curriculum design matters because it works within constraints rather than pretending they do not exist. Schools cannot ignore staffing, rooms, time or budget, but nor should those constraints end design conversations before they begin. The question is not “What would we do without constraints?” but “Given these constraints, what structure best serves pupils and staff?”
This often means favouring simplicity. Some schools create intricate models shaped by individual subject pressures. While well-intentioned, such systems can become difficult to sustain, increasing staffing pressure, reducing flexibility and making split classes more likely.
Population design should therefore be addressed early in timetable planning, not left until the end. If the structure is wrong, everything that follows becomes harder. If it is coherent, the curriculum has a greater chance of being delivered as intended.
At its best, adaptive curriculum design turns structure into a lever for educational quality. It supports equity by allowing provision to flex to need, supports efficiency by reducing unnecessary complexity and supports leadership by making the relationship between curriculum, staffing and budget visible rather than accidental. Schools do not need more complexity. They need better design.
The best possible opportunities for all pupils to succeed in reading Comment by ALLISON RILEY, English Consultant at The Literacy Company
Many teachers and school leaders ask how best to teach reading in a way that both supports and challenges every pupil. This article explores one school’s approach which has led to remarkable outcomes for its learners.
A recent visit to St Basil’s Catholic Primary School in Widnes was incredibly inspiring. There are 230 pupils (aged 3-11) on roll, including two complex needs resource bases. Of those 230 pupils, 59% are eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant, 18% speak English as an additional
language and 32% are identified as having SEND. From the moment you enter St Basil’s, you feel welcome; it is warm and inviting, walls are adorned with rich cross-curricular work, and pupils are exceptionally kind and polite. And what strikes you next is the books. Headteacher Angela Sheppard talks passionately about English and her love of books. She strives for every child to be a competent reader not only to support their access to the curriculum, but also to improve their well-being and life chances. Everywhere you look there are books – beautifully displayed on shelves; in small, neat piles on pupil desks; and class sets for reading lessons. Pupils are encouraged to read, read, read. Last year, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading with 21% reaching greater depth. The school’s ISDR states they are above the national average for disadvantaged pupils on a three-year average. Mrs Sheppard shared a letter from Bridget Philipson congratulating the school on its 2024/25 performance in Y6. The letter recognises the scale of their achievement and explains that St Basil’s is placed among the very best
14
www.education-today.co.uk schools nationally.
These results haven’t come easily; teachers have worked tirelessly to create a reading curriculum which supports all pupils. Time has been taken to fully embed the Pathways to Read programme. In addition, the school has explored a range of additional reading sessions, interventions and models. They have found a timetable that works for them: daily whole class Pathways to Read sessions, afternoon targeted grouped sessions, fluency practice and catch-up phonics. A daily whole-class model sets high expectations for everyone. Pupils are supported to read fluently through a range of strategies – choral, echo, repeated and speed reading – enabling them to access age-appropriate texts and be exposed to a wide range of authors.
On a learning walk, the leadership team at St Basil’s explained that ‘things take time’. It is important for school leaders to embed systems, making relevant tweaks when needed. Mrs Sheppard emphasised the importance of teamwork – for staff to be on the same page with similar beliefs and motivation.
In reading lessons, all pupils were fully engaged; it made a huge difference that pupils either shared or had their own book, fostering a love of reading. Y4 pupils poured over a non-fiction book on volcanoes using text features to find facts. Discussion was also high on the agenda and partners responded eagerly to share thoughts on the questions they were asked. Reading aloud and discussion are prioritised over recording written responses.
So what makes reading so successful at St Basil’s? Time and priority given to regular whole-class reading lessons, high-quality texts and a consistent, progressive approach to the teaching of reading. Witnessing schools teach reading with such skill and commitment is a privilege – and a reminder of the powerful impact this has on pupils’ futures.
June 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
