Latest Developments Concerning The National Curriculum Refresh
The latest developments concerning the national curriculum refresh, specifically the new Math and English curriculum documents that were released nationally on Sunday, 19 October has me concerned for a number of reasons.
The recent release of the updated curriculum framework has caused widespread discussion and frustration among school principals nationwide. While we all share the goal of lifting achievement, the process and timing of this rollout have been the subject of significant concern across the education sector.
We feel deep professional frustration and fatigue. Over the last few years, our staff has invested extensive time, training, and energy into aligning our teaching with previous curriculum refreshes. The sudden and unannounced nature of this recent change, especially outside of regular school hours, undermines the hard work already completed.
We are focused on protecting our teachers from unnecessary stress. We will be strategic and measured in our response, ensuring our staff have the appropriate time and resources to understand these new expectations without disrupting their current teaching practice.
My primary concern is the well-being of our staff and the stability of the classroom environment.The rapid changes have led to a collective feeling that previous professional development (PLD) and planning time has been wasted, which is demoralising for our teachers.
We remain committed to our Silverdale goals and local priorities. We are determined to shield our staff from the external chaos, ensuring our students continue to receive strong, consistent teaching based on the values and curriculum framework we know works best for them.
We feel that the lack of prior consultation or sector input into these finalised documents is disrespectful to our profession. This affects morale across all teachers.
We will be analysing the new documents to find the best way to incorporate requirements while retaining the flexibility needed to meet the diverse learning needs of our students. We will not rush implementation at the expense of quality teaching.
Despite the challenges, the resolve among our staff is clear: we must stand together to advocate for stability, respect, and adequate resources.
We assure you that your child’s learning remains stable and centered. We are committed to taking a steady, measured approach to integrate these national changes into our local curriculum, ensuring that the needs of the children in front of us are always the priority.
We thank you for your understanding and continued support of our dedicated teachers.
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