Martin Skelton's response:

He wants to see engaged children, subjects and themes combined, integrated assessment for learning, more emphasis on the development of personal skills, and a greater emphasis on enabling children to become confident and independent users of technology.

Rose’s recommendations are not dramatic changes; they are more an identification of good learning practice (taken from present UK models and from around the globe) and placing it into a 21st century context, giving schools and teachers the chance to take back much of the day-to-day responsibility for creating engaging, meaningful learning within their classroom – just what 420 UK primary schools are doing right now with the International Primary Curriculum.

These 420 primary schools are ready for Rose. His recommendations correspond directly to the learning approach that the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) has been helping schools to develop over the past eight years. Take a look:

• Rose recommends clear outcomes for knowledge, skills and understanding within discrete subjects; with explicit opportunities for learning them in a thematic, cross-curricular way. This exactly reflects the principle framework of the IPC for skill-based, thematic, cross-curricular learning where discrete subjects are separated yet integrated. The IPC emphasises the importance of a very clear awareness of the differences between knowledge, skills and understanding and the implications of this for children’s learning.
• Rose proposes ICT to be at the core of the primary curriculum. The IPC encourages the use of ICT for both research and recording in many subjects within every thematic unit. The IPC also provides a specialist subject programme for ICT to support the technical skills children require to use ICT effectively.
• Rose says a curriculum needs to engage and challenge all children. The relevant and creative IPC thematic units of work all address multiple intelligences for primary age children inspiring engagement and providing purposeful, exciting, child-friendly links for learning.
• Rose aims to develop spoken and written communication and numeracy across the curriculum. Through its cross-curricular approach, each IPC unit separates yet integrates the foundation subjects, enabling links to literacy, numeracy and the spoken word in many subjects within every thematic unit.
• Rose recommends children learn how to study. The IPC’s Learning to Learn units for children aged 7 to 12 help them to understand how to learn, and how to learn in the best way for them through different learning styles.

• Rose wants to see a greater emphasis on personal development. Each IPC unit of work focuses on a combination of international and personal learning as well as academic learning for children. Personal learning goals are embedded in each IPC unit of work helping children to become able and inspired learners with good communication, cooperation and enquiry skills, who naturally think from a global perspective.
• Rose reinforces the Government’s AfL strategy. The IPC’s integrated Assessment for Learning programme focuses on the learning progress of key skills in all foundation subjects plus international mindedness and provides child-focused and teacher rubrics enabling self and peer as well as individual class and whole class assessment.
• Rose reminds us that children should enjoy their learning. The mission of the IPC is great learning, great teaching and great fun. From the exciting Entry Points to the collaborative, active learning that takes place throughout each IPC unit of work, children learning with the IPC are always having fun.

The IPC welcomes Sir Jim Rose’s recommendations for a new primary curriculum structure, in particular, the opportunity for young children to study in greater depth. Since its introduction in 2000, rigour has always been at the heart of children’s learning in the IPC.

The IPC welcomes too the recommendation that discrete foundation subjects should be crucial components of thematic work. IPC believes that it is important for children to see that they are learning skills specific to history, geography, technology, etc. and that, when set within the context of a big picture theme, this gives children a sense of purpose to their learning of each subject.

However, we think that Rose fails to emphasise one aspect of primary learning enough. Although the report does make reference to increased global learning we believe it to be insufficient. Given the world our children are growing up in is an interdependent one, the IPC believes that enabling children to develop international-mindedness is going to become a key 21st century priority. We remain passionate in our approach to developing international-mindedness within the curriculum.

The IPC believes that the recommendations within the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final Report - which significantly reflect the same principles as the IPC - are paving the way for better and deeper learning for our primary school children today. We believe 420 UK primary schools and 650 schools around the world already believe that too and, through the IPC, are already ready for Rose, September 2011. Those schools getting set to implement IPC soon will also be ready. Are you ready for Rose?