David Jones Workshop

Encouraging Partnerships and Collaboration:exploring alternatives from a subject perspective

David Jones CfSA

A voice for subjects

The aims of the CfSA are:

1.to strengthen the role, operational effectiveness and influence of subject associations2.promote subject association membership to teachers in all sectors of education for the benefit of learners3.to speak with a single voice in representing the interests of its members to the broadest range of education stakeholders.

A voice for subjects

The importance of subjects

• Subject disciplines are vital in twenty-first century schools, ensuring not only excitement and motivation to learners, but challenge, focus and purpose

• The only statutory part of QCA’s ‘big picture’ diagram is the line of subjects that lie near its base

• At no time since the National Curriculum was first introduced in England in 1988 has subject specialist expertise been more important in schools.

Lambert, D. (2008) Why are School Subjects Important? Forum 50 (2) 207-212


A balanced curriculum

Making sense of the world

Valuing relationships


If secondary teachers are asked to teach integrated themes or topics, and in doing so provide a range of specialist perspectives, how can support and leadership be provided to ensure that not only the teaching is confident, informed and responsive, but is also challenging and progressive? Teaching outside an area of subject expertise risks banality: banal, because it may lack the theoretical and conceptual frameworks that can support critical engagement leading to deeper understanding.



Subjects are communities of debate and argumentation, of exploration and criticism, of conjecture and refutation; they are pursuits in which knowledge, in due recognition of its provisionality, is open to continuous reconstruction.

It is essential in my view that teachers are encouraged to delve deeper and linger longer with their subjects. For many, the opportunity to do so may be the deciding factor in keeping them in the job.


What is CfSA doing?

Engaging with DCSF policies and plans by:

• Contributing to Sir Jim Rose’s independent Primary Review through consultation

• Working with the TDA and the DCSF to support teachers in delivering the new secondary curriculum

• Contributing to the development of the developing MTL framework

• Promoting the use of the TTRB, specifically those areas developed by subject associations to support initial teacher trainers Subject Resource Network through the TTRB Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB)

Encouraging Partnerships and Collaboration:Exploring alternatives from a subject perspective

David Jones CfSA

Task

Choose one of the four groupings (or through the subject specialism's in your group) to consider how subjects might work together in addressing one theme and curriculum focus.

Use the three web-sites shown to assist you – remember the TTRB web-site can direct you to other resources that can help.

While you are working assess the value and usefulness of all three sites in respect of cross-curricular approaches.

David Jones Workshop

Education

Transcript of David Jones Workshop