Ep 5 - Designing a curriculum that is rich and ambitious, with Mary Myatt

In this episode I sat down with the wonderful Mary Myatt to talk about designing a curriculum that is rich and ambitious. Mary is a leading thinker in curriculum design, intent, and implementation. With extensive experience working with schools, leadership teams, and policy makers, Mary has dedicated her career to ensuring that education is both rigorous and enriching, for all students. She has authored several influential books on curriculum, including The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence; Back on Track: Fewer Things, Greater Depth; and Huh: Curriculum Conversations Between Subject and Senior Leaders. 

We discussed the following:

1. In an era where curriculum intent is scrutinised, how can schools balance accountability measures with ensuring meaningful, deep learning experiences for students and not just teaching for examination success?
2. What are the risks of narrowing the curriculum too early, and how can educators protect breadth while maintaining rigor?
3. What role do subject specialists play in shaping ambitious curricula, and what should this look like at the various key stages?
4. Why is it crucial to ensure curriculum coherence rather than a ‘gallimaufry’ of disconnected topics, and how does this impact student learning over time?
5. How can schools maintain ambitious curriculum principles through key transition points, such as moving from primary to secondary or secondary to post-16?
6. What can all phases learn from one another when it comes to curriculum design and implementation? Are there shared principles that apply universally?