Curriculum SIG

This group aims to support school leaders with embedding a comprehensive, rich and engaging curriculum. Unlike our communities, our special interest groups are intended for self-study. They are aimed at those with a responsibility or an interest in this aspect of education. Please look out for one-off events that support this SIG.

• Policy: The National Curriculum (DfE, 2013)

• Report: Curriculum and Assessment Review: interim report (DfE, 2025)

• What to expect on a primary deep dive – some guidance for subject leaders (Ofsted, 2022)

• Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance for EYFS) (2021)

• No Simple Solutions to Complex Problems (Yan, Sana & Carvalho, 2024)

• Article: Perspectives on curriculum design: comparing the spiral and the network models (Ireland & Mouthaan, 2020)

• Video: Strong Foundations 1 - Why early education is so important (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 2 - A curriculum by design not chance (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 3 - The importance of language development (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 4 - Inspecting nursery provision in schools (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 5 - SEND (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 6 - Early reading (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 7 - Early writing matters (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 8 - Early mathematics (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 9 - Physical development (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Strong Foundations 10 - Foundational knowledge and older pupils (Ofsted, Jan 2026)

• Video: Knowledge in the Curriculum (Newham Learning, 2024)

• Video: Curriculum & Subject Leadership (Ofsted, 2023)

• Video: Deep Dives: 3 perspectives (Newham Learning, 2022)

• Video: Ofsted's curriculum research (Ofsted, 2018)

• Podcast: Ofsted and the curriculum (Ofsted, 2023)

• Podcast: Evidence into Action: Talking the talk: subject-specific talk across the curriculum (EEF, 2025)

Ofsted subject-specific reading and videos:

• Computing: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document

• English: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document

• Geography: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document, Ofsted Curriculum Insights Video

• History: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document, Ofsted Curriculum Insights Video

• Languages: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document

• Maths: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document

• Music: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document, Ofsted Curriculum Insights Video

• Physical Education: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document, Ofsted Curriculum Insights Video

• Personal Development: Ofsted Curriculum Insights

• Religious Education: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document 

• Science: Ofsted Curriculum Research Document

(coming soon)

Guidance Documents

• Putting Evidence to Work (Implementation Guidance) (EEF, 2024)

Videos

• A schools' guide to Implementation - Animation (EEF, 2024)

• Newham Learning: Implementation (Newham Learning, 2022)

Templates

• Action plan template (pdf)

• Action plan template (docx)

• Case study template (pdf)

• Case study template (pptx)

• 'Coaching Deep Dive with NL' - Sue Ferguson, Ellen Wilkinson Primary

• 'Action planning' - Steven Carbutt, Star Primary

• 'Discover Journals' - Jessica Hyde, William Davies Primary

• FFT Education Data Lab - Inspection has become tougher for primary schools (2022)