The curriculum is always evolving. It reacts and develops in line with local, national and world events. The curriculum is a body of knowledge to be transmitted to young and enthusiastic minds that are eager to learn about the world and its many complexities.These complexities can be large or small; however, they will always contain a key message to be absorbed. 

On 12 May 2021, the pupils of The Hampshire School Chelsea made their way to school and would discover a natural occurrence that is everyday in life - the sight of a fallen tree. This tree would have been thriving from the very first day of the children’s educational journey. By passing it everyday, pupils would have noticed how it evolved, grew and sustained itself.  On a biological level,  the pupils would have made correlations between the perfection of Nature’s design and their own lives. 

In addition, by contemplating the tree as a living ecosystem, the pupils will have noted entire populations of insects, birds - wildlife on a daily basis etc. By observing these relationships,the pupils may have more clearly defined the relationships and associations in their own lives.

With no planning but a creative spontaneity, the pupils gathered around the tree and expressed themselves at will. With all of these messages to discuss and explore, Year 5 communicated their thoughts and feelings through poetry. The fallen object became a ‘massive backbone’, ‘defeated by the everlasting struggle’, ‘felled by Zeus’s mighty hand’, ‘sorrowful and solitary’, ‘ugly like Medusa’, ‘vermiform repulsion’ and ‘a mass of meandering coils’ 

It was a moment that allowed the pupils to be deeply reflective and believe in their ability to respond to natural phenomena in an innate and personal way - just like the personal connection made by reading a book.
This is everything that a curriculum should be - reactive, relevant and reflective.  You can read Nico's Poem below. 

Mr McSherry