Some notes on imaginative inquiry and the Rose Review of the National Curriculum
The proposed changes to the National Curriculum outlined by the primary curriculum review, led by Sir Jim Rose, are set to create significant challenges to primary schools.
The review recommends a re-conceptualisation of the curriculum, towards coherent areas of learning, bringing together knowledge, skills and understanding by making meaningful links across the curriculum as a whole. It makes clear the fact that teaching methods and pedagogy are in the sole control of schools themselves.
The review proposes six areas of learning: understanding the arts; understanding English, communication and languages; historical, geographical and social understanding; mathematical understanding; and scientific and technological understanding.
Literacy, numeracy, ICT capability, learning and thinking skills, personal and emotional skills and social skills are described as Essentials for learning and life and are ‘designed to be developed across the curriculum’.
There is to be a much greater emphasis on speaking and listening, which will now be included as part of the literacy framework.
The report suggests that the new curriculum will offer teachers more flexibility to select specific subject content that is meaningful and challenging to their pupils and will support the development of skills and understanding.
The report does not discuss how this should be organised or the teaching methods to be used. This is left to schools to develop within their own settings. The essential issue for schools is ensuring that learning is firmly placed in a meaningful, localised context.
Imaginative inquiry creates meaningful contexts for learning and, at the same time, rigorous, academic reasons for study. In imaginative inquiry the curriculum is organised around a core inquiry question that provides a centre to the children’s investigations and a purpose to their work and developing skills, knowledge and understanding. For example, an area of study, like the Romans, could be designed as an opportunity for the children to create a museum exhibition displaying artefacts from a recently discovered Iceni burial site. The core inquiry question (and theme of the exhibition) might be – “what effects did the Roman invasions have on the indigenous people of Britain?” In working on creating the exhibition – producing artefacts, leaflets, maps, powerpoint displays, etc. – and researching the subject – using books, online resources etc – the children will be acquiring, applying and developing curriculum knowledge and skills, and developing and communicating significant understanding.
At Surlingham we have been using and developing a curriculum based on imaginative inquiry that has recently been recognised by ofsted as outstanding and has won us School of Creativity status from Creative Partnerships.
