Building curriculum coherence

When the curriculum lacks coherence, it is both harder to teach and harder for students to locate and place their new knowledge. The notion of curriculum coherence can be considered at three levels: the national level, the school level and the classroom level. Although all three have a profound impact on pupils’ learning, it is at the classroom level that its impact is most directly felt. In terms of the national level, curriculum coherence was identified by Professor Tim Oates in his report ‘Could do better’ (Oates, 2011) as one of the characteristics of high-performing countries. He argues: ‘The weight of evidence from transnational comparison is that a certain degree of curriculum control is necessary (that this need not be associated with “top down” control or control exercised exclusively by the State) and that this control should be directed towards attaining “curriculum coherence”.’ He then goes on to say (Oates, 2011, p. 126): The term ‘coherence’ d