The Curriculum Improvement Cycle is a systematic review of the Scottish curriculum to ensure it remains up to date and relevant for children and young people. In this guest blog Donna Bullivant, Teacher at Cowie Primary School and Numeracy Lead within the Equity Team in Stirling Council, shares her experiences of being a Mathematics Core Group Participant for the Curriculum Improvement Cycle.
I have been a Primary Teacher in Stirling Council for 19 years. I am currently based at Cowie Primary school as a Chartered Teacher and I am in my second year of holding the position of Numeracy Lead within the Equity Team, Stirling Council. This is my third year of undertaking a lead role in the Bannockburn Learning Community by engaging in a Numeracy project with Education Scotland and other establishments in my learning community.
Being part of the Mathematics Core Group for the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) felt like a natural next step for me to be able to share my passion for maths and numeracy with others as well as contribute to the review of the curriculum.
Being part of the Core Group has provided me with an opportunity to embrace challenges and engage in thought provoking discussions around aspects of curriculum review as part of the early work of the CIC. The Core Group consists of practitioners from Early Years, Primary and Secondary backgrounds, Regional Improvement Collaboratives, Education Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Engaging with colleagues with a myriad of experiences has been invaluable, listening to opinions from all sectors and engaging in co-constructing ideas from the perspectives of all was also a challenge – but I like this way of working! I have also had an opportunity to collaborate with representatives from the National Response to Improving Mathematics (NRIM) partnership board which has helped me to understand and consider how all of the work, while complex, is actually being joined together in a thoughtful way.
One of the initial meetings of the core group was a five day intense work block and design sprint. Orientation activities during the week included exploring features of education systems in other countries. This was a fascinating exercise and provided opportunities for everyone involved to analyse and explore questions such as:
- What is currently working with maths education in Scotland?
- What could Scotland learn from other countries and apply to our own Mathematics Curriculum to enhance it for all?
These global perspectives also included approaches to professional learning which I feel will be pivotal to the success of the CIC.
As well as the five day Core Group workshop I have also taken part in two follow up days in September and several on-line check-in meetings. This has provided opportunities for the group to revisit the problem statements and challenge each other in a supportive environment.
The gap between the two sessions provided everyone with time to reflect on the ideas from the initial week as well as build new ideas as we enter the co-design stage for an evolved curriculum.
The process has been immensely insightful – learning what is involved and the complexities of curriculum reform. I now have full appreciation for all those involved in curriculum design!
Building relationships beyond the Core Group days to further develop a network of practitioners who can disseminate information to local authorities is essential. Regular online meetings have ensured that everyone is updated and consulted regarding developments – these meetings will continue as each part of the CIC is considered. Time has also been built into the process to consider implementation and possible implementation challenges on a future horizon.
I have been able to share elements of the progress so far with colleagues in Stirling, I have disseminated key messages to Numeracy Leads in each establishment – this has created a buzz of excitement for the eventual arrival of an updated Mathematics curriculum!
As a Core Group, we have also supported the planning and delivery of the maths Collaborative Group which took place in Glasgow on Monday 4th November 2024. These national events enable the Core Group to gather comments and feedback from a wider group of practitioners around aspects of the CIC that we have been working on. This feedback will also be used to support and inform the next steps for the Core Group.
It really has been a collaborative process, but this is just my perspective of it all. In the next post you will hear from Chris McGrane, Acting DHT (substantively PT of Maths) at Holyrood Secondary in Glasgow who is also part of the Core Group.
Ends
If you are keen to hear and learn more about the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) you might be interested to listen to the latest Education Scotland Learning Conversations Podcast with Education Scotland Chief Executive, Gillian Hamilton, on the CIC or read this recent article from TESS Scotland – CfE review: ‘Evolving Curriculum for Excellence, not ripping it up.’ You can also visit the CIC Web Portal/ Glow Blog and from here sign up for the termly CIC News Bulletin and read the first issue here.
