How to review your curriculum policy

Key points to look for

If you're in an independent school, your curriculum requirements look different. See the section at the end of this article for more information on what your school needs to do. You'll also find questions 2 and 3 in the '3 key questions to challenge the policy' section relevant to your setting. 

For maintained schools and academies, it's not a statutory requirement to have a curriculum policy, so they'll vary greatly (even for some schools within the same multi-academy trust). 

In the section below, we suggest how a curriculum policy may be organised and the type of content which might be included. It's not meant as a guide for writing a policy, as that's down to your SLT, but it can help you when it's time to review your school's policy. 

Aims and objectives

For example:

• Provide a broad and balanced education for all pupils that’s coherently planned and sequenced
• Provide pupils with sufficient knowledge and skills to prepare them for future learning and employment
• Help pupils develop knowledge, understand concepts and acquire skills, and enable them to choose and apply these in relevant situations
• Support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• Support pupils’ physical development and responsibility for their own health, and enable them to be active
• Promote a positive attitude towards learning
• Ensure equal access to learning for all pupils, with high expectations for every pupil and appropriate levels of challenge and support
• Have a high academic/vocational/technical ambition for all pupils
• Equip pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life

The policy could also state how it is underpinned by your school's values. For example:

• Our school values effective teamwork, so our curriculum provides plenty of opportunities for collaborative working
• Our school values the importance of diversity and respect, so our curriculum promotes cooperation and represents diverse voices

Legislation and guidance

Roles and responsibilities

Who will do what under the policy. For example:

• Governing board – monitor the effectiveness of the policy and hold the headteacher to account
• Headteacher – make sure the policy is implemented and adhered to and that it meets stated objectives
• Other staff – main duties of individual staff members with specific responsibility for the curriculum

Organisation and planning

An explanation of how the curriculum is organised and delivered in your school, which might include details about:

• Your curriculum approach
• How your curriculum suits local needs
• How subjects are designed, delivered and sequenced
• How it covers:
• Relationships and health education (primary schools)
• Relationships and sex education, and health education (secondary schools)
• Sustainability
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• British values
• Careers guidance (secondary schools only)
• Short, medium and long-term planning expectations

Inclusion

An explanation of how the curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all pupils, including:

• More able pupils
• Pupils with low prior attainment
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Pupils with special educational needs (SEN)
• Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL)

Monitoring arrangements

A description of how the governing board will monitor compliance with any statutory requirements, the National Curriculum and any other documents that the curriculum is based on. 

3 key questions to challenge the policy

You need to ask questions that challenge your leaders when the policy comes to you for approval, so you can be sure the policy-reviewing process was robust and that the policy is doing what it needs to.

If you're a governor in an independent school, skip the first question and jump straight to 2 and 3. 

1. How does having this policy help us implement the curriculum successfully? (for governors in maintained schools and academies to ask)

Your school may want to have a curriculum policy for any number of reasons, such as:

• Cohesion – a curriculum policy can be the glue that sticks the curriculum together
• Focus – so your school as a whole understands what it's teaching and why
• Communication – so other stakeholders, like parents and governors, understand what your school is teaching and why
• Accountability – a curriculum policy ensures that your school is held to account for how it delivers the curriculum

Note: 'for Ofsted' is not a good reason to have a curriculum policy. Remember, you're not required to have a curriculum policy, so Ofsted doesn't expect you to have one. Read more about how Ofsted inspects the curriculum, and stay up to date with all things Ofsted.

2. How does it reflect our vision and values? (for all school types)

Perhaps more so than any other policy, your curriculum policy should reflect your:

• Vision – what your school aspires to
• Values – the overarching principles that steer your school in everything it does. They define your core beliefs, guide your decision-making and demonstrate what your school is at its best

School leaders should be able to explain how the curriculum is designed so that pupils reflect that vision when they leave your school.

3. How will we know this policy is working and that it's being properly implemented? (for all school types)

School leaders should be able to explain:

• Key objectives of the policy and how success will be measured
• How implementation will be monitored and reported

Further questions

See more questions you should ask when reviewing all policies.

Model policy from The Key

This model document is not meant as a guide for writing your school's curriculum policy, as that's your school leaders' job – but you can use it to give you a sense of what a good policy looks like. 

Model policy - curriculum

Our model policy is from our sister service, The Key Leaders, and:

• Takes account of relevant requirements, guidance and good practice
• Is aimed at maintained schools and academies, but can be adapted to suit other settings (if your senior leaders wish to use it in a different setting, we recommend they check it against any requirements or considerations specific to your context and adapt it accordingly)
• Is approved by Forbes Solicitors

Examples from schools

Here's how other schools have presented their curriculum policies. Bear in mind that it's not your role to insert yourself into the policy-making process. Instead, use these examples to:

1. Consider the particular needs of your pupils and whether they're being addressed in your policy
2. Challenge your school's current approach by comparing it with that of other schools

Primary maintained schools

• Burley Oaks Primary School, Bradford
• Cornerstone Primary School, Hampshire

Primary academies

• Meadow Primary School, Surrey
• Selwyn Primary School, Waltham Forest

Special school

• Fordwater School, Chichester, West Sussex (scroll to the bottom of the page)
• Merefield School, Sefton

Secondary maintained schools

• Friern Barnet School, Barnet
• The Angmering School, West Sussex

Secondary academies

• Wrotham School, Kent
• Hall Green School, Birmingham

Independent schools: your curriculum policy requirements are different

Your school is required to have a written curriculum policy that meets the requirements set out in Part 1 of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. 

You can find detailed guidance on each line of the regulations, and what they mean for your school's curriculum policy, in part 1 of this DfE guidance on the independent school standards.

If you're a governor in an independent school, you could also ask:

• How does our curriculum policy reflect The Independent School Standards?

Examples from independent schools

• Taunton School, Somerset (separate policies for different phases)
• The Webber Independent School, Milton Keynes

Independent special school examples

• Bright Futures School, Oldham
• Spring Hill High School, Birmingham