Get your ducks in a row for GCSE

So you'd like students to excel at applying and analysing knowledge for GCSE? You know it has to start in year 7 and you want to transition from a 'coverage' curriculum to a 5-year plan like Blueprint But how do you go about it?

The secret is to get your curriculum ducks in a row. That is, to align your objectives, teaching and assessment over 5 years with the goal of applying and analysing. 

1. Align your learning objectives. Build a progression of concepts, skills and cognitive abilities. The easiest way is to use our concept progression maps. The units are organised around key concepts.  Learn about concept progression maps.
2. Align your teaching sequences. Use a learning model designed for understanding and applying knowledge. If you adopt our unit planners, the objectives will automatically focus students on the cognitive abilities required for  GCSE: Acquire (AO1), Apply (AO2), Analyse (AO3). Download year 7 unit planners.
3. Align your assessment methods. Monitor student progress in concept, skills and cognitive abilities. This means using formative and summative assessments that target conceptual understanding of big ideas, and application of knowledge. We have created diagnostic assessments and summative assessment packs. See details about Assessment Packs.

For each step, we are developing tools to make the process easier and drag and drop like as possible. Learn about Kickstart Tools

The best way to learn the steps is to come to one of our 'Kickstart your 5-year plan workshops'. You'll work on adapting your own curriculum, so you can put the principles into action, immediately.