A random search on google today brought up a draft of the Rivendale Free School curriculum plans – ‘for discussion purposes only’ – uploaded to the TES website on 10th Jan 2011.

Rivendale Curriculum Organisation of Learning

Though free schools claim ‘freedom from the National Curriculum’, this doesn’t seem much different than what happens in Local Authority schools:

• Rivendale school will use the DfE  guidance  on  time  allocations  to  subjects  in  key  stages  1  and  2 as  a  minimum  indicator  for  planning

• Topics will make reference to the national curriculum programmes of study to ensure progressive development of knowledge, skills and understanding in all subjects

• Areas of study taught by the school are guided, but not fixed by, the Early Learning Goals, the National Curriculum, the Primary Framework and the Primary National Strategy

• Children with SEND will be identified early and proactively supported in making good progress.  Specialist support will be available within the school, and from specialists such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists as required.

• Rivendale planned to follow the LEA’s syllabus for RE, encompassing Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.

• Sex and Relationship education is taught throughout the school as part of PSHE curriculum

• Children will learn in a range of ways, ranging from individual inquiry, small group problem based exercises and whole group experiences such as residential educational visits.  Use will be made of learning outside the classroom, maximising local, community and wider resources to broaden and enrich the learning experiences.

So far nothing really very special about this curriculum or strategy.  It is essentially all the topics and all of the reference points used by LA schools.   Then we get to the interesting bits:

The core school day will run from 8.30am to 4pm, Monday – Friday in term time. This will be supplemented by:
• Breakfast club (0700 – 0900)
• Enrichment (1600 – 1700)
• Saturday School
• A holiday programme

Our curriculum and extended time allocation will allow us to achieve our goal of 90%+ level 4 in English; 90% achieving level 4+ in mathematics; and 77% achieving level 4+ in both English and mathematics by  the end of Key Stage 2.

So in order to achieve these goals, they need more time.  If teachers (who don’t have to be qualified teachers) and this ‘freedom’ from the ‘prison’ of the national curriculum is really the way to academic success, why does it take 8:30 to 5 and Saturdays to accomplish these standards?  And is it fair to expect this from parents? (Parents were not told about this bit at the orientation days, from what we understand).

PACS would be interested to hear from people who know of other scheduling extensions used by Free Schools and how parents have been responding to them.