Northampton Academy
A large school with 1300 pupils, Northampton Academy is situated in an area of Northampton deemed to have both social and educational disadvantages. The proportion of students receiving free school meals was, in a 2007 Ofsted report, above the national average, whilst the number of students with a statement of special education needs was the national average.
Claire Greaves, the Opening Minds Programme Leader at the Academy likened the use of a competence based to curriculum to “giving children a set of keys, a way to unlock the rest of the curriculum” there was also a realisation at the school that whilst also improving the pupils ability to access the rest of the curriculum, that improving skills would also give the students better opportunities in the job market.
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When first deciding to go ahead Opening Minds Claire Greaves produced a handbook which comprehensively covered the roll-out of the new curriculum in the school. The handbook addresses many of the issues and questions which are likely to be encountered by staff, students and parents alike, in the execution of a new curriculum programme and covers how the new curriculum would work at Northampton Academy. Download Northampton Academy's 'Opening Minds Handbook' - Word Doc - 444 kb Since the Handbook was written, Northampton Academy has decided to dedicate a larger portion of their timetable to Opening Minds. Therefore some of the details do not implicitly comply with the feature below. However it is still a valuable resource and example of the sort of documentation that could be produced to aide in the transition to a new style of curriculum. |
Northampton Academy makes use of various assessment tools examples of which can be downloaded below.
Self and peer assessment is done by pupils at the end of each project via a matrix, where each pupil is to choose a statement that they consider to reflect the achievement they have made. The pupils are free to discuss this with their peers. There is then space on the same matrix for the teacher to provide feedback on the project and assessment the child has given. This style of assessment makes use of subject specific National Curriculum levels.
Download Northampton Academy's 'Project Assessment Criteria' - Word Doc - 76 kb
A similar tool is used to specifically review any work done by pupils in groups. A form is given to each team for them to fill out together, allowing the group to identify how their team went about their work, how successful their work was, and the different strengths of each team member.
Download Northampton Academy's 'Team Assessment Criteria' - Word Doc - 76 kb
At the end of each school year each pupil is assessed against each of the competencies and ‘Assessing Pupil Performance’ strands. This assessment is used to formulate reports and provide feedback to the child about how they have developed through the year as a whole.
Download Northampton Academy's 'Opening Minds, Competence Review' - Word Doc - 100 kb
Curriculum Units
The schemes of work for the different units used at Northampton Academy are available below. The subjects that have been integrated into the OM curriculum are history, geography and citizenship.
- Chocolate Module - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 76.5 kb
- Where in the world - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 83.0 kb
- Roman Around - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 98.5 kb
- Faith - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 92.0 kb
- Time - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 82.0 kb
- Going Places - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 43.0 kb
- Poppies - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 46.5 kb
- Animal Magic - Scheme of Work - Word Doc - 80.0 kb
At present the curriculum is only taught in 3 hours a week to students in years 7 and 8, and the subjects integrated are history, geography and citizenship. Whilst the academy has found it very difficult to quantify any change in student’s academic results directly based on Opening Minds, many teachers have noticed a marked improvement in overall behaviour, motivation and engagement whilst in the classroom. Questionnaires given to the students indicate that the majority are enjoying this style of learning. However a lasting overall effect of Opening Minds on the year group has not been so noticeable; once outside the Opening Minds environment pupils are struggling to recognise the skills they have been studying as transferable to other subjects.
From September the Academy has decided to overhaul its current timetable and dedicate each afternoon (for years 7 & 8) to Opening Minds. This will mean a total of 10 hours per week. It is believed that by increased exposure to the Opening Minds curriculum that the students will begin to acknowledge the competencies they are learning as transferable. Two new subjects, Maths and English are also going to be integrated into the new Opening Minds timetable structure.
Staffing
The Opening Minds curriculum is to be facilitated by each forms respective form tutor, and will take place each forms respective form-room. Pupils will therefore spend 20 minutes at the start of each day, and two hours and end of each day with the same member of staff in the same room. Emphasis will be placed on review and preparation sessions, allowing the form to tutor to help identify what competencies they have used throughout the day, and how they could use them in their next days learning, again increasing the opportunity for Opening Minds to impact the rest of the pupils learning experience.
School within a school
The rooms used will all be situated in the same two adjacent blocks, along with the student’s lockers. This initiative will minimise the need for movement by the students, and also allow this area of the school to become an Opening Minds ‘area’ each afternoon, allowing groups to make full use of the different spaces such as displays, hallways and I.C.T facilities. By reducing the amount pupils have to move around school and setting a familiar place to learn the transition from primary to secondary school is eased and stability is offered to the student.
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