What does the word curriculum mean to you? Do you think of the national curriculum, the subject programmes of study, a set of content to cover?

If the curriculum is to be inspiring and challenging and fit for the 21st century, we need to think of it as something more than that. It has to be dynamic, responsive to change, relevant and engaging.

QCA has developed a curriculum big picture to reinforce the concept of curriculum as the entire planned learning experience of a young person. This would include the lessons that they have during the school day, but also recognises how much young people learn from the routines, the events, the extended school day and activities that take place out of school. These are as much a part of the curriculum as the lessons.

The curriculum big picture can be downloaded from this page. It is organised around the three questions shaping our curriculum work with schools:

• What are we trying to achieve for our young people through the curriculum?
• How can we best put together a curriculum experience that will enable us to achieve our aims for young people?
• How will we evaluate whether our curriculum is working?