Coordinating curricula development

You've rested, you've read the guides, you've looked at existing good practice that you want to keep. Are you ready to get building inquiries? As a CP coordinator, it can feel like both good news and bad news that you don't have to do this alone as whilst you appreciate the joint effort and everyone being on the same page, you know you want to lead this efficiently making the best use of time for the most impact. 

Building on my last blog which looked at the big picture of adapting and/or launching the new core, I asked the superstar educator, author and experienced coordinator, Angie Nastowska, for her top tips on starting the new core with teams as she is navigating this herself right now. She advised the following steps as a way of establishing a way of working throughout the course. 

• CONNECT THE INQUIRY Co-design an introductory inquiry that spans components.
• CONNECT THE SKILLS Collaborate on a shared skill focus.
• CONNECT THE LEARNING JOURNAL/PORTFOLIO Create a simple shared space for portfolios and journals.
• CONNECT THE APPROACH TO REFLECTION Agree on one or two common reflection questions.

'1. Co-design an introductory inquiry that spans components. For example, launch the year with a shared exploration of ethical decision-making or identity. In PPS, this might take the form of students reflecting on personal values and setting personal development goals. In Community Engagement, students could consider how their values influence the communities they choose to serve. In Language and Cultural Studies, they could explore how identity is shaped by language and culture. This creates a natural bridge to the Reflective Project, where ethical decision-making becomes a key thinking skill.

2. Collaborate on a shared skill focus. As a team, choose one transversal skill—such as effective communication or reflexivity—to spotlight across the core during the first term. Plan to gather examples of how students demonstrate this skill in different contexts (e.g. presentations in PPS, journal entries in CE, interviews or discussions in LCS, or initial research in RP). This helps students see the connections and reinforces skill development in authentic ways.

3. Create a simple shared space for portfolios and journals. Whether you use Google Drive, Teams, ManageBac, or another platform, setting up a central location where teachers can see progress in PPS portfolios, LCS journals, CE reflections, and RP logs makes it easier to support connections and spot opportunities for integration. This doesn’t need to be complex—a single folder structure or shared template is a great start.

4. Agree on one or two common reflection questions. For example: “How is this experience helping me develop skills I can apply in other areas of my life?” or “How is my thinking about ethics and decision-making evolving?” Encourage students to revisit these questions in multiple components to deepen reflexivity'

By keeping these four strands simple, you can establish manageable ways of working for your teachers that can be built upon over time. It's not just about the students feeling confident as we know!