TD&T126 Sam Reynolds talk about his D&T curriculum

I'm joined this week by a former student of mine, Sam Reynolds. As I taught him I felt more entitled than normal to ask difficult questions (spoiler alert - he handled them very well 😉)

You can find Sam on Twitter: MrReynoldsDT

School Webpage - https://www.st-pauls.org.uk/

Episode transcript

Mentioned in this episode

6 Material Areas  

• Woods, Metals and Plastics 
• Graphics, Cards and Boards
• Engineering
• CAD/CAM 
• Food Preparation and Nutrition
• Fashion and Textiles 

The St Paul's Learning Talents that we've interwoven throughout the Design and Technology curriculum  

• Thought Process - "Working it out! Applying what you know."
• Academic Articulation - "Communicating like a scholar."
• Linking Learning - "Making and using connections"
• Evaluation - "Asking .... To what extent? Would it be better if?"
• Necessary Knowledge - "Being curious to know."
• Tenacity - "Independence in and beyond the classroom."
• Strategic Approach - "Knowing the best approaches to get the best outcomes" 

The 5 categories that we've split into 'technical principles' knowledge 

• "The materials around us" 
• "DT and our world"
• "Confidence in Drawing"
• "How things work" 
• "Food Preparation and Nutrition" 

Students revisit these categories each year in KS3. We assess students understanding in each of these areas, as well their progress in "design and make" projects.

Ciaran Ellis posted a thought-provoking question on LinkedIn recently: Do design decisions involve value judgements?

What do you think? Join the conversation over on LinkedIn and let us know what you think. 

Transcript

Alison Hardy: 0:56

This week's podcast I'm with Sam Reynolds, who I have known for quite a long time. I can't quite remember how long now, Sam, because Sam is an alumni from the undergraduate D&T course that we used to have at Nottingham Trent. We bumped into each other OCR and last year sometime was it or did I think you just drop me an email, didn't you? Yes. And cheekily said, could you talk to me and I stupidly said, You're right, though. No. So here we are. Anyway, I might, you know, I'm probably gonna be rude to you at some point during the during the podcast and might embarrass you with what you were like as a student, but I might be on my best behaviour. So I'm gonna hand it over to you, Sam, can you tell us who you are? Where you are? What you do?

Sam Reynolds: 1:34

Yeah. Hi, everyone. My name is Sam. I am the Head of Department of Scientology at St. Paul's Catholic school in Milton Keynes.

Alison Hardy: 1:45

And how long have you been there?

Sam Reynolds: 1:47

So I'm just coming to the end of my second year. Previous to this, I was in a teaching in a Aylesbury for five years. And then previous to that I was in Kent, for the first part of my career.

Alison Hardy: 2:03

So it's eight years and since you left,

Sam Reynolds: 2:05

I think it's coming up to 10. Is it? Right? Okay. It's a little little bit longer. Yeah.

Alison Hardy: 2:12

So 2013. Yeah. Thank you. We'll all my first first full cohort through. So you started September, October 2010. Then you did three years. So yeah, you graduated? July? 20/23 2013. Yes. 10 years. Wow. Yeah. And when we met the other week of first off to talk last year, I think you said that you're now married and with kids and to make you've just left university, just not allowed to be to be like that

Sam Reynolds: 2:44

university seems like a completely different dimension to where I was where I am now.

Alison Hardy: 2:51

Yeah, well, you didn't dress as smartly as I've seen your dresses, and you weren't always as well behaved. And you didn't lock back? Yeah, that'd be good. But you've been doing some really into stuff. And I was fascinated to hear that your school is very much behind design and technology. And D&T is compulsory at your school, right the way through to the enter key stage four.

Sam Reynolds: 3:12

Yeah, that's absolutely the case. We have an incredibly supportive leadership group here at St. Paul's, D and T has been compulsory for a long time. And students start in year seven and they go all the way through taking D and T subject. Till year 11. And then onwards from that we have three a level subjects that they can take product design, engineering, or fashion and textiles. It's actually one of the reasons that I'm I was interested to be on the podcast really, because I certainly hadn't experienced this apart from when I was at school and my school, we all had to take it a DT option. But throughout the first stages of my career, it was always my teaching career was always an option to take d and t so one of the reasons about being on the podcast was to really sort of know whether there are any other schools out there and how if so, how many there are that do run it as a compulsory subject. I'd really like to know because obviously it's you know, part of our curriculum planning and some of the differences I've noticed in in teaching it as a compulsory subject rather than the options subject.

Alison Hardy: 4:37

Yeah, so I mean, when I was teaching it was compulsory up until 2002 I think it was from when it first came into national curriculum 92 And I started teaching in 93 so for nine years of my teaching career it was compulsory and it's a very different makeup isn't it so what what the so Okay, let's just revisit that so you want to you want people to get in touch with you if they have compulsory D&T right up to the NDK stage force all children do the GCSE.

Sam Reynolds: 5:05

Yes, yeah, yeah. They either do the GCSE or we also have the OCR Cambridge nationals in engineering design and manufacture. They can take the GCSE and the engineering manufacture alongside each other. We also have AQa food preparation and nutrition. We also do an NCFE food and cookery programme, which is highly successful for a select group of students who who it's it'd be most appropriate for level one course. Yeah.

Alison Hardy: 5:47

That one and what about the OCR national is that level one or level two?

Sam Reynolds: 5:50

Both?

Alison Hardy: 5:51

Right, okay. Yeah. Okay. So you'd like to hear from other people that are in a similar situation. Shouldn't you to kind of do some comparison? And to share some share some ideas? Is that right? Yeah,

Sam Reynolds: 6:01

absolutely. I think the team and I, you know, we all notice some of the some of the differences, I suppose, especially when it gets to the options process and students taking up their lead courses are key stage four, is I suppose teaching as a option subject previously, you'd have a group of students there that all opted in to take as a subject. And instead, we have a mixed group of students, some who are highly enthusiastic, and some who will have will obviously have taken as compulsory subjects and who we have to inspire and engage to be as successful as possible on those courses. And I suppose is this is part of the challenge for us. That little bit little bit different, is just making sure that those experiences are as positive as possible for those students.

Alison Hardy: 7:02

Yeah. Okay. So we'll, I'll put them we'll put some links in the show notes where people can find you and make that connection with you. I think that'd be that'd be really good. Because I'd have a follow up and find out a bit more, because there are there are those challenges about? Yeah, how do you how do you convert those who are doing it? Because they have to do it, and they don't really want to do it? Yeah.

Sam Reynolds: 7:21

And obviously, you know, we're a comprehensive school in Milton Keynes, alongside other sort of challenges that we come across, is making all students no matter what their background is excited about and infused in in the subject. And a lot of our curriculum development over the last couple of years, has been gearing them up to that that point, when they take their specialist area and their key stage four course, and getting them to the point where it happens seamlessly. And there's not that, that feeling of I'm taking this because because I have to it's they understand the benefits, they understand the value. And all stakeholders, including parents have bought in to the reasons why dt will benefit them in their other subjects as well, because what we often have found is that the students that do well in dt, also do well in the other subjects at GCSE level.

Alison Hardy: 8:27

Right? Okay. Okay. paintings have some data about those who you can't get from your school about you don't do D and T. How do they do compared to the subjects? Yeah, isn't that profile? So you talked there about curriculum development. So so this means now when you're planning your curriculum across key stage three and key stage four, you have a very different way of looking at it about how you how you structure it. So you did mention before we started to record that you've done some different things in year seven, to kind of do some foundations. But I think I've also got my got it right that your key say three is year seven, and year eight only, yes,

Sam Reynolds: 9:06

here. So we have well, we have year seven, and in year eight, and students opt for their GCSE specialists at subject at the end of year eight. And they they commenced that in year nine. But that year nine is meant mostly for an upskilling year so we don't obviously begin any assessments we focus on the the real specialist skills that they need to know in order to succeed over the course of year 10 And year 11. In some of our subjects in the Cambridge nationals, there will do some assessment work as part of the assessment plan in year nine. But yeah, the year nine really is, you know, really hands on practical experience where, again, sort of rebuilding them getting to know their specialism even more rebuilding those those skills for them.

Alison Hardy: 10:07

So that suggested they don't do any design work in year nine, is that right?

Sam Reynolds: 10:12

If they do some design work, it's a bit it's, so it's quite balanced across the schemes of learning that we have. And it is upskilling. And it is in a practical way. But we also balance it with the design elements as well. So for example, in one of our newest schemes of learning, so now CAD CAM is one of our specialisms. We done a fidget spinner project this year where they've done all of the Creo work so we use Creo as our 3d modelling software. They've just completely designed all the components of their fidget spinner and then seeing it right through to 3d printing it and US Hambling and they've done the same with a speaker project later on in the year, where it's it all the 2d design work laser cutting fly kerfing and putting the speaker speaker together. So in some cases, it's maybe it's more prescribed in year nine, where it's, it's more of a step by step process. But but one thing we found this year with our year 11 students was the barriers between them designing, and making, and whatever the reasons for this work, we felt like planning and moving forward, we wanted to try and try and knock down some of those those barriers, or at least make them them better moving forward. And we're hoping the long term effects of this will be that students go into year 10 year 11 They generally for historically in terms of data perform well in the earliest stages of their NEAs and then drop off we're hoping that with this upscaling of, of designed to practical and that transition from design to practical and more more frequency of that throughout the curriculum curriculum. We're hoping to see that come to fruits later on in year 10. Year 11.

Alison Hardy: 12:15

What I'm fascinated by Sam is that I'm convinced you're keeping talking because you can see that dying to interupt and ask questions. You're thinking if I keep talking to she won't ask anything difficult, because I've already got a question, I want to ask you about upskilling why the word upskilling? And what do you mean by this barrier between designing and making? Is that really there? Is that falsely there? Yeah. upskilling? Why upskilling?

Sam Reynolds: 12:38

upskilling? So I think I mean, we haven't spoken about the seven and eight curriculum yet. No, but

Alison Hardy: 12:45

why does word upskilling I suppose

Sam Reynolds: 12:47

what we're trying to get at is we like students to focus on their subject specialisms their area that they've chosen, and make sure that individually, obviously dependent on their ability, they are able to succeed at year 10 And year 11. And I suppose connotations that that might be that they why why should they have a need to upskill? year nine? And maybe upskilling? Is it maybe there's a there's a better word for it?

Alison Hardy: 13:27

Because isn't what you're doing, you're broadening and deepening the subject knowledge of a particular mere material area. Is that what you're actually doing? Is it particular material area?

Sam Reynolds: 13:38

Yeah, I'd say, you know, maybe we could move to to use in a different language in different terminology.

Alison Hardy: 13:46

That was skilling implies that they were low skilled, right? Yes. Yeah. Whereas actually, they were skilled at a level that was appropriate to where they were in the curriculum. Yeah.

Sam Reynolds: 13:58

I do think that over the last couple of years, we have had moments where upskilling has probably been relevant in terms of identifying students gaps from their experience of the curriculum over the last few years with, you know, the the impact of, of being out of school, physically in the DT invite, of course, yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, I'm thinking about the conversations that I've had with my head teacher about ongoing performance and what we're doing about it, and I think upskilling has been a relevant word in some Yes, then. But as we move forward, I think that's that's a real good, a really good point about actually, are we are we putting ourselves down a little bit quicker, as some of these are, all of these students have started to go through this new model of, of the curriculum, and are at a better point than they may have been previously.

Alison Hardy: 14:58

Right. So I'm going to come back to you to your year seven and your curriculum model, because we've had some interesting conversation about that. But I just want to finish off this point about this barrier between designing and making.

Sam Reynolds: 15:12

I think I mean, it's purely, I say down to what we've noticed of students and only taught from being in the classroom and being in front of the students and witnessing what what's going on. And, and again, I'd be interested to know whether others have experienced similar things, but that we, we like, for instance, this year, we've year 11, we're firing on on all cylinders, and so so we're students, right right at the beginning, getting that context and feeling really positive, and they were able to generate ideas, be quite creative with their ideas. and some of the interpretations of the context were were interesting, but they were still able to come up with with good ideas. And then we came to the making, and it felt like we had to sort of deliver in, in the moment skills in order for them to produce their their outcomes. And I do feel that I thought of the reasons why this was was was the case. And I think there's a few different different factors, I do think one of the is them being away from education for or away from school in the physical, physical environment for a while, and not just the impact that had on them learning skills, but the impact that had on them as as learners, and their ability to be resilient to produce a manufacturing plan, and then to go and execute that manufacturing plan. And interestingly, and we'll probably go on to it in a moment, part of our year seven and eight curriculum, I've literally been working on it today is to make sure that they're coming in from from primary school, and we're going straight to them with what are your design and technology, talents, and really focusing on what does it mean to be a learner in design and technology? Because that has all all sorts of other impacts as well, because we're compulsory subjects, you know, I'm thinking about our value to the school, and other subjects. And one thing that we can certainly do is, is make sure that our students have that holistic set of skills that they can access the rest of the curriculum on

Alison Hardy: 17:48

You're opening another one there about holistic set of skills, what do you mean by that,

Sam Reynolds: 17:52

I just think this has always been my my opinion on the subject is that the greatest value of the subject is that we, we, we cover all areas in terms of learning talents, so suppose we have the learning talents. And there are a set of talents, seven of them. And we know we've been asked in the past, which ones do you think resonate, particularly with your subject has has the departments and, and I've always sort of sat there thinking, well, actually, from a design and technology point of view, I'd argue that I could go around my staff lessons, and at any, any time, and pretty much, you know, tick all of all of those those boxes. And I think you get such a rounded skill set from being in in the design and technology environment that you may not always expect the experience from from the subjects and certainly from the head teachers point of view, as well, it's always something that she's keen to, to put forward is the overall impact that it has on students lives.

Alison Hardy: 19:01

So we need to get those seven talents written in the show notes so people can see them rather than us going into their seven at the moment. Yeah, I'm, I'm going to challenge you a little bit about your designing and making and this barrier. Because what you seem to be saying is that children come up with these creative ideas. And then when it gets them working out how to make it, they don't have the knowledge and the skills to be able to do some of those ideas. Is that right?

Sam Reynolds: 19:31

I think in some cases, it's knowledge and skills. And in other cases, it's more down to how how they are as as a DT learner. And this is where I've kind of started to link it back to what can we do in our D&T curriculum to ensure that they're not just skilled, knowledgeable Design Technology students by the time they they take their courses, it's how they are also able to access and thrive in that environment.

Alison Hardy: 20:04

Right. Okay, so I'm not I'm not going to unpick that any further then second here that you're itching to talk about your Keystone stream your your seven year, right and what you do to address this gone?

Sam Reynolds: 20:14

Well, I mean, it's been, it's been on a really long, long journey, and we're certainly still not there. And I'm I'm sure that there'll be, there'll be quite a few views and opinions on the way that we set out our year seventh and eighth curriculum. When I came into the school, there we have six material areas effectively, that we're still splitting our students in and I say still, because I know there's been there's lots of talk about, you know, whether we should be labelling classes in material areas and that kind of thing. In short, or in year seven, they would come in and they'd have a six week taster period. So their first half term would be a taster lesson in each of those six material areas.

Alison Hardy: 21:11

And what are those six material areas? I can hear people that we asked? Yeah, so

Sam Reynolds: 21:15

we've got words metals and plastics, graphics, papers, cards and boards, quite lengthy titles, in some cases. Two years ago, it was electronics or electronic design has changed since fashion and textiles, engineering, and food preparation. So those were the six areas. So they go through their their six week taster period. And then at the end of that six weeks, they would all opt for three of those areas that they'd like to specialise in across year seven, and year eight. And we're very, the the national curriculum is interwoven through all of these areas. So they were specialising in, in a subject, but we're still covering the national curriculum, and we're still aiming towards them being successful at GCSE level and that kind of thing. It the some of the problems that we found were the students were making the decisions very early, as you can imagine, you know, I came in, and I think I was quite shocked, really, and I imagine a lot of people would, would be the decision that they were making, they possibly weren't quite ready to make that decision at that point in time. And we've been working with our local authority, who have been coming to the school to look at our curriculum, to kind of see how we can improve this. But also you'd find students were choosing and then it gets to the end of year eight, and they'd realise that they actually weren't so sure they've made the right decisions in last place. And it just wasn't the most ideal model apart from being a logistical nightmare at the end of the six weeks as as well. And having a massive spreadsheet, which we, which we still have, but I'm getting better at spreadsheets, so it's less less of a problem. So this year, as of September, we will be rolling out our our new model. And we decided that in a timescale that we have, there were obviously limited limitations to what we can do. So, you know, we're thinking about workload, we think about making sure that we're ready for September. And what was possible in the time that we had, we also have a situation where a year rates who normally have 340 minute sessions a week will go in down to this is to allow a broad curriculum in other areas that may not have been getting sort of, I suppose the the correct allocated amount if you like, but just to make sure, you know, it's very well explained on a on a school level of why that's happening and support that we've had since as you know, convinced me that suppose still values, the subject incredibly, highly, obviously, the connotations of that many dttl Would would get quite defensive as I did. Yeah, initial Yeah. The initial time. Yeah. So as of September, we've decided to not do a wholesale change, but lengthen that that initial period of time, so we're going to be doing a term and a half. And the other thing that we wanted to do was to make sure that that first experience of design and technology was the most joyful, exciting, futuristic experience that it could be. So the whole vision behind that first time and half is that the students come in. And they get to know design technology a bit better. And we get to know them as Design Technology students a bit better as well. And by the end of that term and a half, they're infused, they're excited, and they're well informed, and they're more ready, not just the student, but also the parent as well. So we do an information evenings in September, where parents will be able to come in, we're going to, you know, talk to them face to face about the journey that their student will take. Yeah, so they're normally already to make that decision that year eight and beyond. And then just looking we've looked closer at our schemes of learning and making sure that the design make an A valuate runs through and isn't interwoven for all of our schemes of learning so that by the time they get to year, nine, they will opt for a specialist area, but have a set of learning talents. As a student, as a person, they'll have a set of skills and knowledge that that is consistent across all students. But they'll also have a set of skills and knowledge that's specific to the journey that they've taken that will allow them to get into those year nine courses. And that that that deepening and breadth year, that's no longer feeling

Alison Hardy: 26:42

it's changed in the last 20 minutes,

Sam Reynolds: 26:44

where they'll be able to really lift, you know, carry on their journey. That point.

Alison Hardy: 26:52

All right, I see. Okay, so that's starting from September,

Sam Reynolds: 26:55

starting from September. And it's, I think, you know, it's been a real challenge to turn all of that around. And certainly, we've had to work as we're fortunate to have a large team, we've got 1010 staff members in our team, I'm so fortunate to have a big shout out to them really, to have a strong set of passionate teachers that are all still still in DT for the right reasons and really driving it forward. And it really doesn't take much effort for me to turn around to them and say, This is what we've got to got to do. And, and, you know, we all decide on the way to do it. And then everybody chips in with their piece of the puzzle.

Alison Hardy: 27:39

Right? Okay, so, so I'm just gonna ask them some nuts and bolts then. So is it gone down to two up to 14 minutes in yourself? Not just in year eight. So

Sam Reynolds: 27:48

it's, it was always 214 minutes in? Yes. Ever. And and it is. It's now going down from three to two in create. Yes.

Alison Hardy: 27:57

And then yeah, 910 11? It's three. Yeah. Right. Okay, so you've got kind of quite a good allocation. Yeah. Across really? Yeah.

Sam Reynolds: 28:06

Yeah, Part The challenge has been looking at your aid schemes of learning and condensing them as well. No, going down to two sessions. But also, obviously, we've lengthened that period of time at the start. So then they'll have I suppose, three equal rotations if you want to call call them

Alison Hardy: 28:31

rotating, what else? What else? Are they? Are you trying to avoid that? is out of out of favour all of that sort of language? But isn't the children rotate? Or do the teachers go with the children?

Sam Reynolds: 28:46

The children rotate? Yes. So again, you know, it's obviously, a topic for debate is, is what works best. I feel at the moment personally, that we have very strong passionate teachers that are super skilled in their own areas. And the decision at the moment is based on on that. But we do put into places some infrastructure to ensure that some of the things that may not covered some be covered so much such as, you know, pupil progress, and making sure that we're able to track pupils through their rotations is also something that we've been developing. So we've got lots of not lots actually just just detailed trackers that we update, and we've got learner records, where towards the end of a rotation will all contribute to those learner records so that when we pick up the next next group, we actually get to see a really good picture of where those students are and the journey that they've they've been on.

Alison Hardy: 29:50

And so when one of the issues about rotations is around progression, and whether your units of learning are adapted each time they've done because the children have done different things before, do you do you do that?

Sam Reynolds: 30:04

Yeah. So first of all, we decided to sort of, we still teach theory through our practical lessons and analysis. This was a really, really good episode a couple of episodes ago, but we also do designated lessons for the theoretical knowledge that they require. And the way that we do this, though, is plan so a couple of years ago, we kind of just dropped we dropped them into the schemes of of learning. But over the last couple of years, we've we've sequenced them so that we've as a team, we looked at the different topics, and we really thought hard about which ones from our own experience. Were most appropriate to be delivered at year seven, year eight. No,

Alison Hardy: 30:57

sir, can you get? Can you? I'm gonna interrupt because you've sussed this. If I just keep talking to you can't ask me the difficult questions. I've talked about theory in detail, you saw me pull a face because I was like, What do you mean by theory in D and T? And what are these things that you're dropping? I'm gonna give us some examples because I'm starting to. I just can't picture it.

Sam Reynolds: 31:17

Okay. Yeah. Okay, so we look, obviously, we're looking at the GCSE specifications, and we're ensuring that we are delivering the, the the theoretical content, the knowledge and understanding.

Alison Hardy: 31:37

People can't see but I am pulling so many faces that Sam as he's trying to work out, what's the word that I'm going to use that she's going to approve of? Yeah, keep going. It's

Sam Reynolds: 31:45

really the technical we couldn't take the course with technical principles and lessons.

Alison Hardy: 31:55

Yeah, give an example of a technical principle lesson.

Sam Reynolds: 31:58

Well, we split them into we split them into five categories. We construct go for all five categories and

Alison Hardy: 32:03

golden bunny like you like I mean, I thought I like categories and groups and subgroups, but you're taking it to a whole new level. Just give me one give me one of these lessons. So

Sam Reynolds: 32:11

we have how things work strand. So for example, that

Alison Hardy: 32:17

can we got we got strands got categories, right. Okay. Technical categories. We

Sam Reynolds: 32:21

are how Tasker how things work category? Right? Okay. We decided to think about grouping all of these technical principles, lessons, and one of the groups that we have is how things work. And throughout year seven, year eight, and year nine, they experience a how things work lesson.

Alison Hardy: 32:55

And tell me tell me what one of these how things I mean, year eight, what's the how things work lesson?

Sam Reynolds: 33:06

Yeah. So at the moment, it might be a levers and linkages lesson, I suppose. It will take quite a choosing my words carefully, you take quite a traditional format at the moment in the sense of it might be, for example, a focus lesson on leaves and linkages, where we get lots of paper and card and we look at all of the different levers and linkages, and we put split pins in them. And we figure out different types of mechanisms. So

Alison Hardy: 33:44

anything to do with what they've done in the previous lesson.

Sam Reynolds: 33:47

Yes. So we we try to apply it to the projects that they're their delivery, we're delivering,

Alison Hardy: 33:53

try to Yes. I think there's no guarantee that it is

Sam Reynolds: 33:58

no, I think you've sort of picked up on an area where, you know, we've done lots of sequencing. And I don't want to undersell what we're doing either, but we do lots of secret.

Alison Hardy: 34:12

No, yeah, I'm not I'm not belittling. I know, You've done a lot of thinking about this sound, but it is difficult with

Sam Reynolds: 34:20

the categorising the let you know levels of difficulty making sure that they're progressive in terms of levels of challenge as well in those lessons. But I do think and actually, this has been something from right to the beginning is that those technical principles level lessons, actually, at the moment are quite PowerPoint heavy. And it's in making sure that they almost become part of the projects or certainly that the students are able to maybe stop, pause, learn, but then apply links and draw links between what they're learning in that that classroom, and then what they might learn in the previous, the next or what they have learned in the previous

Alison Hardy: 35:02

lesson. So they're doing this. Alright, I think I think I can work out and again, it'd be interesting to know what the six categories are. I think you said there was six categories. Did you? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So so far, I've got seven talents, six materials. And now we've got six categories. That's all right. That's all right. I presume you've got some beautifully colour coded diagrams of how

Sam Reynolds: 35:23

the maps Yep, yeah, yeah,

Alison Hardy: 35:25

I would have done the same when I was responsible for Key Stage Three when I was teaching so yeah, I had wonderfully coloured things and how we did it and and what oh, you're sharing Sam here for us when I'm, you know, you're not going to pick colours and I'm gonna ask questions. And I'm trying to be difficult is it's, it's that the all of the different models that we're doing curriculum, you know, there's there's pros and cons to all of them, you know, and you're, you're trying to work out the best way for the context that you're in with the strength of the teacher subject knowledge, the fact that You've got the subject compulsory right up to the age 16. And that that has that has a bearing on it. And now as you're saying, you know, you've had some of your time cut by a third in, in one in one year group. So, so working that through, I suppose what I would be sort of wondering is, is, you know, okay, I'm gonna pick on the levers and linkages lessons and the mechanisms because that's what you spoken about, is it's kind of like the knowledge is decontextualized and one of the things about designing technology knowledge is that we contextualise it we we put it in a situation. Otherwise, it's kind of quite, I'm not sure whether arbitrary to write word, but you know what I mean? It's kind of free kind of just hanging around there, isn't it? Really? Yeah,

Sam Reynolds: 36:38

absolutely. One of the things that the whole, one of the whole school focuses is the teaching to the top strategy. And I think maybe it's time a timescale thing of, you know, we've, when the new specifications come out, which knows quite a long time ago, now, I think there was a big drive to build resources. And without those initial resources, it would have been much, you know, highly difficult to be able to deliver. What's what we felt we needed to do in in, in the first instance, but I think what we're, the journey that we're on at the moment is taking those resources, stripping back on what we now know that they, you know, maybe is, maybe it's going to be covered elsewhere, maybe part of practicals, and that kind of thing, but but also transforming them into, like you say lessons that are contextual. And always, we, our leader talks about big ball thinking, which is another interesting phrase. But this is, you know, this is, you've got your small ball, which is specification exam and your big ball, which is making sure that you you're you're thinking about the wider what's the wider context? Are they going to be able to draw links between what they've learned, and the wider contexts? That learning, and we're definitely, we're definitely on that journey. And certainly not there yet. But But working working towards it. And I think part of the challenge for all of us as a team, and maybe I'm guilty of driving driving this, some heart, too, maybe too hard sometimes is moving fast, really quickly, all the time. And I think certainly for next year, we've already spoken about polishing, you know, polishing what we what we do have at the moment, and just stopping and checking that everything is is is in line. Because in Aditi, department, the ante and the department is not just about the learning. On the whole department level, it's you know, it's about the way that the classrooms look, it's about the extracurricular it's about the what's in the storerooms and making sure everything's really neat and tidy, and health and safety and all these different,

Alison Hardy: 39:08

it's a, it's a complex subject to manage, organise, as well as thinking about which is the core business, as well as thinking about the curriculum, which is the core, but then you've got to have all these other bits in place. If you haven't got the health and safety in place, if you haven't got the the equipment, you know, up to date, if you haven't got the resources in there, a lot of what you're doing has to change. And as budgets get cut, and time gets cut, and all of those things have a knock on effect, don't they? And yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, you've given people plenty to think about hope.

Sam Reynolds: 39:40

That's a good, good thing.

Alison Hardy: 39:41

No, no, it's it's a very different model that you that you're that you're using. You know, I'm kind of curious about your projects and such, but I'm, I'm gonna leave it there. And I'm going to get you to come back and come and talk in a little bit more detail maybe about some of the things that are happening, and maybe come and talk to us. After year sevens have had this term and a half. Yeah, that'd be really good. Yeah. And maybe you and a colleague can come on and we can use a podcast to help you review it. Yeah. And see what's worked. Well,

Sam Reynolds: 40:10

that sounds like really good. Yeah.

Alison Hardy: 40:11

And how you feel about it. And I think people would really like that to kind of see that development. You just trying out something new that you weren't that you're working it out all the time. Yeah, I can hit a lot of thought going into it. No, thank you very much. So that's been that's been really interesting. Thank you with all of your your success and your setbacks, and they'll be it's gonna be a lot of stuff in the show notes from this.

Sam Reynolds: 40:29

Yeah, absolutely.Thank you