Project based KS4
Two years ago we radically changed how we teach KS3. We went to a 2 year programme of study and implemented a project based approach, taught exclusively by the form tutor (OK, they get specialist maths, language, PE, DT and some science) – but the majority of their curriculum is taught by their tutor.
Now, our Year 7 and 8 don’t get specialist English, Art, Music, RE, Geography, History lessons. Instead, it’s all rolled into a series of projects.
It’s been hard to plan for, hard to manage the assessment and keeping track of who is where has been a real headache. However, the learners and staff all love it; standards have risen and it has contributed to a step change in pupil engagement / positive behaviour.
Great – so why not extend it to KS4
Project Based KS4
I appreciate before I launch into any discussion over this at KS4, you can cry “specialist knowledge”, “exams” and “preparation”.
As a Science teacher I find myself teaching maths and english on a regular basis. I suspect that my colleagues from Core subjects equally spend some time discussing each others subjects – no big deal. So why not formalise it?
I can imagine a KS4 project titled, say “The sustainable Earth” in which the students study:
1) Fossil fuels, crude oil, green house effect, pollution (Science)
2) Factual / persuasive writing, oracy / presentation skills
3) Data gathering, estimation, graph drawing and algebra
This could be taught by a single teacher – after all, we all need Science, Maths and English at GCSE C+ to teach in the first place.
Subject Specialisms
As a Scientist, I’m not precious about my subject. Good teachers can teach most (any??) things.
Nowhere else in daily life do we think – “Oh, I’m only using Maths skills now”. Reading a recipe and baking a cake, involves comprehension (English), numeracy skills (Maths) and following a standard procedure (Science) and I reckon that if Nigella can produce a blended curriculum, so can we.
Has anyone got experience of a project based KS4?
Will it work?
2 Comments to “Project based KS4”
Add Comments (+)-
Glen says:
Thanks for the feedback Karen
I am challenged with this every time I come to teach mechanics in Physics. The subject is essentially mathematical, with significant reliance on manipulating formula. Every year I find that the high ability Year 10′s (we teach KS4 in Year 9/10) can not rearrange simple F=ma formula. So, I end up teaching algebra. At the same time, the students can not differnetiate between questions that ask for Explain / Describe or Suggest.
I am not suggesting that teaching in these areas is wrong / under par – rather that the artifical splitting of learning into neat pots, means that students can’t contextualise their prior learning and apply it to different situations.
To some degree, the Int Baq. qualification address this – but I wonder how many institutions still split the teaching of the Baq into seperate subjects?
As teachers, this would be challenging I agree – however, surely we need to be preparing our young people for their future lives – not to pigeonhole learning in a very Victorian manner.
After all, we are teachers of young people first and teachers of a subject / specialism second.
The QCF model with “credits” for assignments / learning would be a good approach – then we could create a truly cross curricular qualification – but I suppose one of the big questions would be “would employers / higher education accept it”
I really like this idea, but suspect many would find it quite a big step! Perhaps we need a less ‘ linear’ set of L2 qualifications. If you could build up a set of qcf modules that weren’t just from one curriculum area that wouldsatisfy