Leading the Diverse Curriculum - Cohort 5

A Diverse Curriculum allows young people to see and be seen in the curriculum
About this Event

Join Bennie Kara and Hannah Wilson, Co-Founders of Diverse Educators and Co-Editors of Diverse Educators: A Manifesto for the Leading the Diverse Curriculum Programme launching in Autumn 2023.

What does it mean to ‘diversify’ the curriculum?

The phrase ‘diversity in the curriculum’ usually applies to the concept of a curriculum that is inclusive of the experiences and histories of those with masrginalised identities, and often seeks to erase systemic barriers in our society through fairer and more equitable distribution of curriculum content. It serves to allow young people to think more critically about how knowledge is formed and how it comes to be valued. Diversity in the curriculum does not replace or exclude anti-racist curriculum analysis and action.

A Diverse Curriculum allows young people:

to see and be seen in the curriculum
to interrogate how knowledge in the curriculum has come to be valued
to hear ‘multiple co-existing narratives’ in all subjects
to understand how systemic barriers manifest for those with protected characteristics and intersectional identities

Our 6-part programme will support you throughout an academic year, through a half-termly virtual session.

The programme content is detailed below:

Session 1: Curriculum Vision

To be able to rationalise and clarify the direction of diversity in the curriculum work to ensure that there is shared vision and unified purpose in schools.

Session 2: Curriculum Thinking

To ensure that the curriculum work is rooted in sound curriculum principles that align with a school’s vision, mission and values.

Intersessional Activity 1:

Review your curriculum policy and your subject’s curriculum intent statement through the lens of the 9 protected characteristics and through the lens of your school’s values.

Session 3: Curriculum Evaluation

To explore practical mechanisms for curriculum evaluation, considering change models and implementation strategies.

Session 4: Curriculum Adaptation

To explore methods of adapting the curriculum to ensure that it is meaningfully diverse within a social justice framework.

Intersessional Activity 2:

Review your curriculum across subjects in light of the previous two sessions and identify strengths and areas for development to feed into an implementation plan for adaptation of the curriculum.

Session 5: Curriculum Conversations

To create safe spaces in which to authentically activate student and parent voice to gauge how the curriculum is received.

Session 6: Curriculum Controversies

To explore ‘controversies’ in creating a diverse curriculum to be able to manage the emotional wake of the work.

Intersessional Activity 3:

Create a 1 page/ 500 word report summarising how you have applied your learning and evaluating the impact from these sessions to demonstrate how you are leading the diverse curriculum in your context.

The programme dates for this cohort are: