A Collaborative Approach to Curriculum Evaluation

School leaders from across Cheviot Learning Trust have come together to lead a project focused on Curriculum Evaluation. The approach listens directly to pupils and shares expertise across our schools. We are working to ensure our curriculum offers the very best for every learner across all of our schools.

The initiative, supported by the Trust, moves beyond standard methods of monitoring or quality assurance. This method encourages students to share their point of view with staff across the Trust.

Instead of simply looking at books in isolation, a more cooperative approach is in practice. Our leaders are using Curriculum Evaluation as a diagnostic tool to understand the "lived experience" of our pupils. Resulting in hearing directly from groups of students about sharing what they know, how they are taught, and how they connect new information to prior knowledge.

To ensure the highest standards of evaluation, staff have benefited from a comprehensive support programme, including:

• Whole-school training sessions - to align our vision for excellent education.

• Specialist coaching - from external experts and internal best practice leaders.

• Cross-school collaboration - where leaders have visited partner schools to both observe and lead evaluation sessions, allowing for the sharing and dissemination of excellent practice.

This innovative project is not only upskilling our leadership teams but has also created a powerful cooperative feedback loop, enhancing our communication between schools. The insights gained from our students are being used directly to refine and improve our curriculum, ensuring that the knowledge we plan for is the knowledge that stays with our pupils.

One Trust leader commented:

"This project is about more than just checking boxes; it’s about professional growth and collective improvement. By visiting each other's schools and speaking deeply with pupils, we are building a much clearer picture of how our curriculum translates into real-world learning."

The Curriculum Evaluation project highlights the strength of the Cheviot Learning Trust working together, sharing expertise, and constantly evolving to provide an exceptional education for all our young people.