Play has long been the domain of early years and the playground. Join us to explore how the power of play can impact curriculum across the primary school and the impact this can have!
We will bring together a group of expert practitioners and researchers to discuss play in the curriculum, with an opportunity for discussion and questions for all audience members to learn about the why, how and what next in the implementation of a play based primary curriculum.
It will be particularly valuable to primary teachers, those involved in curriculum design more broadly, and all educators who want to learn about play in practice.
This is being shared with you as part of ‘Rethinking Curriculum’, a project aiming to support and equip teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to identify, plan and implement curriculum development work in a sustainable, context specific and impactful approach.
About the session
This webinar is part of a series around curriculum enrichment in primary schools as part of the extensive project for the Chartered College, Rethinking Curriculum. This aims to support and equip teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and skills to identify, plan and implement curriculum development work in a sustainable, creative and place based approach. This will mean that all pupils will have access to an expansive, inspiring curriculum that connects them with local communities and enables them to lead healthy, fulfilled lives.
Our webinar series around curriculum enrichment aims to bring experts around curriculum implementation with a variety of foci from youth social action, play, oracy, pupil agency, sustainability and many more. This series will be brought to you over the academic year 2023-24 and will aim to share from experts and allow attendees to discuss and ask questions. You will also have resources from the project pilot made available to you in relation to the webinar topics.
Event attendees will have access not just to the event itself but to supporting materials and resources in order to start discussions in their settings.
Recommended reading: To follow
The session will be hosted by Jenna Crittenden (Curriculum Design Lead and part of the Professional Learning and Accreditation team) from the Chartered College of Teaching, our guests TBC. This will include the opportunity for attendees to pose their own questions to our guest panel around their experiences in implementing social action in primary schools.
- Speakers:
- Ellen Parker – Ellen has been supporting rethinking Curriculum as part of our advisory group but she has a passion for the use of play and continuous provision and will be sharing how she is developing this beyond early years in her school and why this is so important.
- Jo Gray – Jo Gray has many years of teaching and leadership experience, working with schools all over the North West and beyond. She is currently the head of Educational Development at One Education and is privileged to work with so many schools and academies on leadership, EYFS, curriculum development, literacy, coaching and more. Her core belief for working in education is at the center of every decision she makes – putting children first. Jo is incredibly passionate about the magic, inspiration and motivation that play can bring to the world of education and is proud to share the power of play within the work she does with school and academy leaders. She is currently studying for her MA in Educational Leadership and her dissertation is focused on researching the decisions that leaders make in relation to play-based learning beyond EYFS. Jo loves exploring ways in which different schools and settings can make use of child development research to ensure play beyond EYFS work for them and she hopes to continue to spread the message, with like minded educators, as to why ‘Play is the brain’s favourite way of learning.’ beyond EYFS.
- Kath Bransby – Kath has been supporting Rethinking Curriculum as a curriculum expert in one of our pilot schools but tonight will be sharing her wealth of experience with you.Teacher and senior leader for 15 years, with a specialism in Early Childhood. Senior Lecturer in the Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University, mostly on the PGCE in Early Childhood Education and Carer with EYTS. And National Education Coordinator for Waldorf UK, the national associative body for Waldorf education. Kath will be sharing some background into the importance of play in learning and the curriculum and sharing some ideas from her experiences on how you can introduce these in your schools.
