Posted: 28 June, 2023

Putney Pioneers create new curriculum

Careers, Design, News, Senior School, STEAM

The final session of the Putney Pioneers ran this Friday. Groups of Years 7, 8 and 9, mainly academic scholars, were tasked with creating a new curriculum. They had to decide on a course, why it was important to be taught, what would be taught and how it would be assessed.

The presentations were varied in content but equally impressive in terms of deep thinking about what it is important to learn and how we should assess:

  • A course on Artificial Intelligence focusing on what is it, how it can be used and the ethics of AI tested through
  • Life Skills, Emotional Intelligence – a mixture of teaching basic life skills (cooking, financial management) as well as soft skills (e.g. how to handle difficult conversations, how to prioritise/in tray exercise)
  • Sign Language – importance not just for effective communication with deaf community but also importance metacognitively and for safety measures – assessed through translating into sign language and from sign language
  • Philosophy – an exceptional and thorough scheme of work on teaching Philosophy assessed through debate, comment only marking, discussion as well as conventional essays
  • Financial Literacy – this would be applied and theoretical – giving all students an app where they manage money and budgets throughout the year – as well as doing formal testing
  • What is learning and how do we know what we know? – very philosophical and trying to understand what we will need to know in 30-40 years and what will remain important

The Department for Education should take note.

Well done to Anya R, Alla ZY, Annabel J, Harper C, Jennifer W, Amelie H, Brooke H, Isabella W, Beatrice M, Sophia U, Giselle F, Hannah K, Florence G, Emma T, Inez S, Darcy P, Austin Z, Nathalie E, Ananya G, Olivia R, Mae L, Thea J, Josephine DM, Una A, Isabella T-S and Sophie AL for all their hard work this year.

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