Manchester curriculum

Manchester curriculum is launched

RSA Education is launching an Area Based Curriculum project, which aims to raise levels of aspiration and achievement by engaging young people in the life of their community. The pilot area for this scheme is Manchester, where three schools are currently participating in a new learning approach that is rooted in the social and historical context of the area and that aims to see pupils taking an active interest in local issues.

“It’s about making young people part of a larger community of learning so that they can have a real impact on the world,” explained Ian McGimpsey, senior manager for education at the RSA. The schools involved are North Manchester High School for Boys, Parklands and Whalley Range high schools. As part of this new ‘Manchester curriculum’, North Manchester High has partnered with the BBC to offer its pupils the chance to produce a film called What makes Manchester great?. Over a three-week period, 90 pupils will explore this theme on film, with the best extracts of their work being broadcast at a special screening in Manchester’s Exchange Square.

Dave Magrath, deputy head of North Manchester High, believes that the Manchester curriculum is the ideal vehicle for pupils to develop skills that will help them in the world outside school. “The immediacy of the locality is of interest and stimulates pupils to further their involvement in the project and therefore the city itself,” he said. Thanks to partnerships with local bodies, such as Manchester University, Manchester Transport and Manchester Fayre, pupils are being given the opportunity to get involved in the many aspects of civic life.

It is hoped that the pilot scheme will provide a model for the project to be rolled out to other UK cities. For further information, visit the RSA Education page