We get it. Moving from a two-page apprenticeship standard and individual employer requirements, to a fully-functioning curriculum with schemes of works and individual training plans, isn’t easy.
So how do you do it well? In this blog, alongside our in-depth webinar series, we’ve set out a checklist of high-level questions for you to work through with colleagues. (Details of the webinars, including training plan and scheme of work templates, can be found below.)
It is clear the direction of travel Ofsted now places the curriculum as a core focus; both in terms of intent and implementation for all education providers.
For those delivering apprenticeship standards you will know there aren’t the rigid curriculum guidelines of the past. Whilst this lack of guidance can prove to be a challenge, it also provides a real opportunity (and often greater flexibility) to rethink your curriculum in meeting the needs of employers and learners.
Apprenticeship Standards Curriculum Checklist
Why not use the checklist below to examine your current practice, and visit our webinar library for a recording of the three-part webinar series on curriculum planning where we worked through the process in detail, with examples and templates?
Intent
| 1. Do you have a clear and coherent rationale for the curriculum design? Is this shared and understood in your organisation? |
| 2. Does your curriculum demonstrate an ambitious approach to learning for both your apprentices and their employers (with the Standard as a minimum)? |
| 3. Do you involve employers in co-design and reflection and renewal of curriculum? |
| 4. Are your curriculum leaders knowledgeable and skilled in curriculum design concepts? |
| 5. Is there clear ownership amongst leaders for the design and renewal of the curriculum? |
| 6. Is maths and English confidence a central plank on which the curriculum is built? |
| 7. Is the proposed curriculum accessible to all apprentices? |
Implementation
| 1. Do you have clear ownership amongst leaders for the implementation and renewal of the curriculum? |
| 2. Do you have the right knowledge and skills amongst your staffing base to design as well as implement? |
| 3. Do you use Schemes of Work (SoW) and Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) to facilitate implementation of the curriculum? |
| 4. Do you reflect on your SoW and renew them as a matter of course, to ensure they meet the outcomes of the curriculum? |
| 5. Do you know how you intend for apprentices to progress within the curriculum? Do you reflect this in the sequencing of the SoW? |
| 6. Have you planned formative assessment to support development? |
| 7. Do you know how to appropriately prepare for end-point assessment, whilst maintaining breadth and depth in the curriculum? |
A practical look at curriculum design, with templates
On the SDN webinar series, we not only take you through the process in more depth (with insightful practice and examples), but include a range of curriculum planning templates. These include training plans and schemes of work, with supporting guidance for you to use within your organisation.
You can watch the series by visiting the webinar library today.