CfSA News
Primary Subjects
Early copies of Issue 3 (January 09) of Primary Subjects: Engaging in Globalisation, have been received by CfSA and will be circulated to schools in January 2009. The following themes are planned for subsequent issues:
- Issue 4 (Summer 2009) - “Learning Outside the Classroom”
- Issue 5 (Autumn 2009) “The educational and cultural legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games”
- Issue 6 (Spring 2010) “Using Stories”.
Initial CfSA response to The Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum
The Council for Subject Associations broadly welcomes The Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum and its focus on how best to deliver a range of curriculum content through cross-curricular themes and, in particular, subject teaching.
The Council for Subject Associations applauds the clear statements that curriculum design must promote ‘challenging subject teaching’ and that ‘high quality subject teaching must not disappear from primary schools’. These statements will be generally welcomed by the majority of subject associations that have a significant role to play in ensuring that primary teachers have access to resources that will help them address subject knowledge, skills and understanding.
Subject associations are beginning to recognise and address the need for teachers to have access to resources that will support teaching through cross-curricular themes and are working more closely together as a community to investigate the range of opportunities that could be offered through multi-subject approaches.
Consideration of how best to bridge the distance between the six areas of learning and development in the EYFS and the fourteen subjects, at the start of secondary education, needs careful thought. Subject associations, working with QCA, will need to develop a structure through which this can be achieved, to ensure clarity about the contribution of a given subject to the learner as they approach secondary school age.
Sir Jim Rose and his team have listened carefully to those who believe in the importance of subjects and support subject teaching in the primary school, and in this review has recognised the contribution subjects can make to the curriculum.
The Review makes explicit the opportunities that will arise from the successful adoption of a subject teaching focus and how this can be applied to cross-curricular themes, reinforcing the intention that in a new primary curriculum the aim is to embed ‘and intensifying the key ideas brigaded in subjects to better effect through cross-curricular studies and where appropriate to teach them directly’.
David Jones
Chief Executive
Council for Subject Associations
New Editor for Primary Subjects
We are pleased to announce that Heather Govier has been chosen as the new editor of Primary Subjects. Heather comes to us with a wealth of experience from the publishing world and primary teaching. We hope that she will continue to work together with the subject association contributors in making Primary Subjects a huge success.
TDA TTRB Road Show
The Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB) is promoting its work through four regional events in the next few weeks. The CfSA was invited to contribute to the events and to promote the work of the subject associations through a workshop focusing on the Subject Resource Network materials developed over the past five years. The four events will be held in Darlington, Wolverhampton, Manchester and London over the next month. Your teacher education members might wish to consider attending one of the events. Bookings can be made through the TTRB web site.
DCSF Community Cohesion Unit
The DCSF Community Cohesion Unit recently approached the CfSA for contacts in a number of subject associations that might contribute to their work. A meeting of representatives was held on 7th October at which a role for CfSA was identified. A further meeting is planned to discuss how best the CfSA can represent the interests of subject associations through the Community Cohesion Unit initiative.
CfSA meeting with LOCOG
Representatives of the CfSA met with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in London earlier in October, in what turned out to be a very positive meeting. The outcome is that subject to contract the CfSA has reached an agreement for Issue 5 of Primary Subjects to be on the theme of the 2012 Olympic Education Programme, in return for sponsorship from LOCOG. We hope this will present a great opportunity of the writers of Primary Subjects and produce a very interesting edition of the publication.
MTL coaching and professional learning
As part of the remit to develop the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) and to lead on its delivery, the TDA held a seminar on 26th September. The focus of the event was on the role of the in-school coach, who it is proposed will be a key person in the MTL scheme. The CfSA was also asked to nominate writers to contribute to the development of the MTL Framework. The CfSA proposed that Prof. David Lambert and Dr. John Morgan should represent the interests of subject associations and both have been invited to contribute. A further meeting of the MTL Stakeholder Group will be held on 9th December at which an update on the consultation process and the development of the MTL Framework are likely to be on the agenda.
Charitable Status
We are am delighted to announce that the CfSA has gained charitable status on 18th September 2008 (Registered Charity No.1125954)