Curriculum Development Series (Part 1): How Do You Build a Successful Curriculum?

Warning: I don’t have a quick answer to this question.

I am incredibly lucky to have become the custodian of a school with a long and remarkably rich history. Ackworth is clear in its identity as a Quaker school; this means we have a distinct ethos and value system that is lived out every day by all staff and students. It is one of those special places where you can genuinely feel the culture in every interaction—a quality that regular visitors frequently comment on.

While that culture, ethos, and value system are deeply entrenched, what I have spent the last year understanding is that our curriculum vision is a beautifully blank canvas. What a delight for me as the Deputy Head (Curriculum)! I have carte blanche to build a fresh vision for what an exceptional curriculum truly means within our unique context.

I have given myself three years to unpick this monumental question and build something I believe will be remarkable. In this series, I will record and document the research I do, the things I uncover, and the decision-making along the way.

Here is how I am mapping out the journey:

Year 1: Intent — The what & why

• The Mission: Research, research, research. To understand what others are doing nationally and internationally so we can make informed, deliberate judgments about our own direction. I want us to be radical and think outside the box.

  
  

• The Method: Endless reading, talking to anyone who will talk to me, attending conferences, and visiting other schools.

  
  

• The Goal: By the end of year one, I want a solid grounding in global educational landscapes. More importantly, I want a clear understanding of what we want our curriculum to look like, what values will underpin it, and a robust rationale for those decisions. I want to fully unpack how a curriculum goes beyond lesson content to encompass everything a student experiences. What does that really mean in practice?

  
  

Year 2: Implementation Phase One — High-level & internal

• The Mission: If we achieve our Year 1 goals and establish a skeleton framework, it’s time to put flesh on the bones. I want to start imagining how we bring this curriculum to life. Lived, not laminated.

  
  

• The Method: Involving more teachers. We will set up a cross-curricular working party to dissect how we implement this, identify potential barriers, and anticipate necessary changes. Crucially, this phase is about securing high levels of buy-in, particularly if we are asking staff to change deeply ingrained practices. (I am also actively considering: Where and how do parent and student voices fit into this phase?)

  
  

• The Goal: Achieving absolute clarity on our ideas, structures, and processes, alongside a realistic timeline for change. We need a clear sense of how radical the shift needs to be, and how much time staff will need to adapt and adopt the vision.

  
  

Year 3: Implementation Phase Two — Pilot group or whole-school rollout?

Everything about this final stage depends entirely on how radical we decide to be.

• Is it a reflective review and polish of what we already deliver?

• Is it a whole new approach to the structure of the school day?

• Is it ditching GCSEs?

• Is it reducing the number of GCSEs? What fills their space?

• Is it turning Key Stage 3 into a purely project-based experience?

• Is it more choice earlier on?

  
  

How we respond and the ultimate speed of the rollout cannot, and should not, be predicted at this stage.

• Have you recently redesigned or changed the curriculum in your school?

• What truly constitutes "the curriculum" in your setting?

• Do you think a three-year timeline is realistic? Is it too slow, or too fast?

• Finally, do you have any recommended reading for me as I embark on Year 1?