When the pandemic struck I was nearing the completion of my MBA in Educational Leadership and Management. My dissertation, entitled ‘An evaluative study of a knowledge-based curriculum’ was a study into the effectiveness of a knowledge-based curriculum. In 2019, educators had been told about the changes to the Ofsted Framework; the ‘outcomes judgments’ had been removed so that inspections were no longer data driven with schools having to prove their success, but rather, teaching and learning and the curriculum would be the new emphasis for inspections. Under this new judgement of ‘The quality of education’ (which encompasses ‘teaching and learning’), schools would be assessed following the intent; implementation and impact of the curriculum and what knowledge and skills students are taught. By early 2020, some schools had started to review their curriculum but the vast majority hadn’t. My research addressed the following questions:
• What has been the impact from the shift in emphasis from teaching skills to knowledge?
• How has teaching and learning changed as a result?
• How has this change in curriculum design had an impact on the progression
of knowledge between KS1 and KS2?
In the midst of answering these very questions, and in the wake of COVID-19, the narrative in many schools changed. The emphasis was now on the arts, the outdoors, mental health and wellbeing. Children were encouraged to be outdoors, be among nature as much as possible and enjoy the ‘simple’ things in life. It could be said that the curriculum was now adapting to the needs of children at this time. Therefore, should it not be the case that the National Curriculum, does just this? To mirror what is needed in society for our young people. I believe there has been a blurring of the lines between acquiring knowledge and skills. Children need to learn skills for life, this is absolutely essential, and I would go as far as suggesting that it won’t be too long before Ofsted start reviewing how well life skills are taught, particularly in Primary Schools. We know that the future comes with surprises and for educators, this brings challenges. How can teachers educate young people for jobs that have not yet been invented? Therefore, we need to provide our young people with a repertoire of skills (and knowledge) so that they leave school able to face challenges and tackle obstacles. My study found that through designing the learning journey of the pupils, from when they enter school, to when they leave in year 6, the pupils are acquiring a greater sense of a concept’s meaning by seeing how it is placed next to other concepts in other subjects.
Skills and knowledge cannot be completely separated; one does not have more value above the other and as such, educators should remember that the two are entwined, one first needs knowledge of a skill which can then be applied to their learning. My recommended action was for lessons to explicitly mention soft skills such as public speaking, presentation and verbal communication skills. This, I believe is what we will be moving towards in the future.
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