Creative Learning Journey (CLJ)
During the 2008/09 academic year one of our main priorities was to develop a new more exciting, challenging and enjoyable curriculum. As a staff we settled on the Creative Learning Journey (http://www.creativelearningjourney.co.uk/) and we spent most of that academic year being trained in its use, as well as resourcing, planning, trialling and evaluating it.
In September 2009, the whole school launched the Friars version of the CLJ and parents had an opportunity to view what the children had done at the Parent consultation evening in November 2009.
The structure of the CLJ is simple.
We decide on a theme which usually lasts half a term.
We then group most National Curriculum subjects together under the different headings of the early years foundation stage curriculum (which are communication language and literacy; problem solving, reasoning and numeracy; knowledge and understanding of the world; personal social and emotional development; physical development; and creative development). For example the subjects contained within Knowledge and Understanding of the world are DT, Geopraphy, History, ICT, RE and Science. Children learn best when we can link their experiences and give them a meaningful context.
Next we outline which skills we need to teach in each area and these are taken directly from the National Curriculum
Then we plan activities that will help children meet those skills and which relate to the theme of the unit.
Each unit is begun with what we call a “WOW” factor. This is an exciting experience for the children related to the unit theme that they will not have had before and is designed to engage them.
Although we are still teaching the core subjects of English, Maths and Science separately and distinctly, wherever possible, we give children the opportunity to develop core skills when undertaking CLJ activities (such as cross curricular writing and problem solving opportunities).
How do we decide what the theme of each unit is?
There are six half terms in the school year and therefore six units that are taught.
One of the units is whole school where every class has the same theme (in 2010 this will be “The World Cup”) and is decided collectively by the staff.
Two of the units are prepared by our teachers based on their interests and particular skills
One is pre prepared by the publishers of the CLJ
Most excitingly one is chosen by the children in each class and the teacher then prepares it
One is either pre prepared, teacher prepared or a children’s choice, will usually be taught towards the end of the school year and is used to “mop up” any skills that the class has yet to master.
