#13 We need to talk about... curricular coherence

Hello, and thanks for joining me. In this post, I’ll explore a crucial element of effective curriculum design: coherence.

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To truly understand why curricular coherence matters, it helps to think of curriculum as Christine Counsell characterised it: ‘knowledge structured as narrative over time’ (Counsell, 2018). In this view, each part of the curriculum serves a specific function, both in the short-term (proximal) and long-term (ultimate), with new material being rendered accessible by what came before (Counsell, 2018).

This intentional progression is powerful in helping us work towards equity because it ensures inclusion. It is not just that learning is not fragmented, it is that prior knowledge becomes the main guarantee that all pupils will be able to access new material. The vocabulary and ideas, securely learned at an earlier stage, have readied the pupil for their recurrence in a new context, and freed up working memory for new material on top. Thus each stage and each lesson forms a connected, coherent whole, where each lesson prepares students for the next. By planning with coherence in mind, we help students not only master individual concepts but also see how their learning connects and progresses across the curriculum.

As Counsell puts it, ‘common knowledge is a fresh way of thinking about inclusion’. Instead of assuming that pupils are on some pre-determined track, locked in to a destiny predicted by early measurements of attainment, and limiting expectations to imagined flight paths, we acknowledge that pupils succeed if the components of knowledge and skill are secure. The burden of proof thus falls upon getting the curriculum right and ensuring that pupils master it.

The focus of improvement towards equity therefore needs to be ensuring that no pupil misses out on mastery of essential component knowledge. If pupils are reaching Year 10 without being able to independently construct a sentence in French, not confident in mathematical operations or unable to recognise abstract nouns in a text, it will be because the component knowledge was either deficient, or poorly sequenced, or not taught or not thoroughly learned. If the curriculum has been coherent and thoroughly learned, there is no reason why a pupil should not succeed across all minimum standards.

What makes a curriculum cohere?

If a subject curriculum is coherent its parts will be sequenced logically. Sequences of lessons should not operate independently of one another. Current learning should reinforce, enhance and possibly disrupt prior learning, while also preparing pupils for future learning. This requires careful planning and strong understanding of the distinctive constructs of a subject - its categories of knowledge. In the sciences, for example, first building component knowledge will later enable pupils to develop their knowledge of concepts. Whereas in history, multiple planned encounters with the same substantive concepts over time is necessary for pupils to deal with the recurring abstract concepts they will study.

Effective sequencing will result in a curriculum that is deliberately connected. For example, in mathematics, the idea of ratio and proportions first introduced in algebra will be revisited in topics like data handling and probability. Connections such as these must be visible to pupils; to take the previous example, recurring ideas such as ratio and proportions will allow pupils to apply their understanding of mathematical concepts in multiple contexts. Connections, therefore, must amount to something. A curriculum must make sense as a whole.

Decisions about sequencing should be informed by a curricular rationale. Factors influencing how a department might articulate their curricular rationale differ subject-by-subject. But a useful starting point for considering rationale is to think about what you want your pupils to be able to say, do or think by the end of their curricular journey. When a rationale guides planning and implementation of a curriculum, it ensures that learning is not only intentional and purposeful but also aligns with a coherent structure, allowing students to understand the bigger picture and see how each lesson contributes to their broader educational goals (Myatt, 2018).

The element of coherence extends to all parts of a curriculum as all aspects of the curriculum should work together to enable progression. Pedagogy, for example, should not be viewed separately from curriculum. This is why generic teaching and learning practice that is not informed by subject nuances and constructs will result in deep learning.

Assessment design should also be considered as part of the curriculum and plays a crucial role in reinforcing curricular coherence. Thoughtfully designed assessments will encourage pupils to articulate deeper connections in their learning. In English, for example, pupils might compare the development and characterisation of a theme across multiple literary works.

Assessments should also be designed to reveal. Pupils’ responses can uncover deficits in pupils’ knowledge and understanding and should be analysed with consideration of what teachers might expect of pupils by that point in the curriculum.

So, what might reveal an absence of coherence? The most useful answers to this question are those informed by the subject particularities, but some generalisations can be made about what a deficit in coherence might look like, or how it might materialise in the classroom:

• Results from an assessment might reveal a particularly pronounced deficit in pupils’ knowledge. If a significant number of pupils demonstrate, for example, a misunderstanding or misconception, a weakness in earlier sequencing might be revealed.

• Pupils’ inability to make connections or make sense of the whole might reveal a weakness in their understanding of curricular rationale.

• Pupils might mischaracterise concepts due to gaps in previous learning.

• Sequencing of subject curricula could be informed by whole-school priorities, for example, English teachers might be asked to teach a scheme on ‘literacy’ at the start of Year 7 to address a whole-school push.

So, how can we evaluate the coherence of a curriculum? Below are a few key questions that can serve as a helpful litmus test for departments:

• How do we ensure that the curricular rationale aligns with the long-term goals for students, especially as they transition from one year to the next?

• How do we enable pupils to see connections? How are they routinely established and made visible?

• How does the pacing of our curriculum contribute to coherence, and are there moments where we need to slow down or speed up to improve understanding?

• In what ways can we use assessments not just to measure progress, but to identify and address any gaps or inconsistencies in the curriculum?

• How do we adapt the curriculum when we recognise a deficit in coherence during a lesson or unit?

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you a restorative February half-term. I’ll be back soon with more reflections to share.

References:

• Counsell, C. (2018). Senior Curriculum Leadership 1: The indirect manifestation of knowledge: (B) final performance as deceiver and guide [online]. Available at: https://thedignityofthethingblog.wordpress.com/ [Accessed 6 February 2025].

• Myatt, M. (2018). Building curriculum coherence. Impact Journal - Issue 4: Designing a Curriculum. Chartered College of Teaching. Available at: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/building-curriculum-coherence [Accessed 6 February 2025].