Dear Parent/carer,
As you may know, Avanti Schools Trust has approached the University of Cambridge Primary School to
conduct a review of the South West Steiner schools’ curriculum. I am delighted to be the lead on the
review team and in the spirit of openness and transparency, I thought to share the broad scope of our
work and to introduce the review team before we meet you in person in the coming months.
The review will be an opportunity for us to hear from people within each school community (children,
parents/carers, teachers). We are keen to understand why your schools are special for you, what you
think is important to maintain and what needs to change. The review is not about imposing our view
of education onto each community, but rather to open up possibilities and to find synergy.
Designing a principled curriculum for the 21st century
Context:
Avanti Schools Trust has recently brought three schools in the South West region of the United
Kingdom into its family of schools. Avanti Schools Trust is energised to work with communities to
explore and identify the key principles upon which curriculum design, school structures, teaching and
learning expectations and assessment will be built.
Aim and purpose of the review
The aim of this curriculum review is to investigate how the curriculum can align aspects of Waldorf
principles in synergy with the ‘Avanti Way’. AST’s Board of Trustees are clear that as state funded
schools there is a balance that needs to be struck in order to ensure that the new curriculum that will
be implemented in the three schools from September 2020 is ambitious and designed to give all
learners the knowledge, skills and human qualities, underpinned by values, that they need to succeed
in life.
The scope of the review will encompass:
• Identify key principles upon which the new curriculum can be designed.
• Identify possible principles which will inform implementation of the curriculum
• Identify meaningful opportunities to evaluate learning and develop assessment
• Identify how SEND provision could create cultures in which everyone is welcome and included
Review team:
• Dr James Biddulph, Headteacher of the University of Cambridge Primary School (Lead Reviewer)
• Ms Michelle Loughrey, Education consultant (recently Headteacher of Weeke Primary School)
• Mrs Aimee Durning, Senior Learning Coach (Teaching Assistant), University of Cambridge Primary
School, Best ClassRoom Support Award Winner 2019.
• Mr Luke Rolls, Assistant Headteacher, member of ACME, Curriculum expertise
• Dr. Richard Pountney, Expert in Steiner Education: see bi
o https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-
people/staff-profiles/richard-pountney
• Adrian Dow, Headteacher of Steiner School, Greenwich see
www.greenwichsteinerschool.org.uk/
Review Team
Dr James Biddulph FCCT FRSA: I love school and love learning.
It is a privilege for me to run the first University Training
School. The heart of our school is a curriculum that nurtures
compassionate citizenship; we have a culture in which
empathy, respect, trust, courage and gratitude are key. We
also use research to inform our practice: for example, we
believe that play is an important feature of children’s learning
and there are many meaningful and open-ended playful
enquiry sessions for all our children. It was significant for us
that Ofsted recognized this aspect of our work – we were
graded an Outstanding judgement in 2017. Prior to this, I was
the inaugural Headteacher of Avanti Court Primary School. I
am very pleased to lead the Avanti curriculum review of your
Ms Michelle Loughrey: I have had a happy career
schools and look forward to learning from you. I am also
as a successful school leader, having 10 years’
pleased that Dr Pountney (an academic with expertise in
senior leadership experience in schools in inner-
Waldorf Steiner education) and Mr Adrian Dow, (Headteacher
city London. I was the Headteacher of Weeke
of the successful Greenwich Steiner school) will be advising us
Primary School (2013-2019) where I loved seeing
during the review process. It is important that we hear from
children grow through kind and caring school
the communities these schools serve and we will be sensitive
cultures that I helped to create. My approach is
in the ways we conduct ourselves (this is NOT an inspection!).
always to have the children at the heart of my
We recognize that, for you all, this is a period of change that
decisions. As an Education Consultant, I inspect
could bring worry and uncertainty. My intention is to bring
social work education courses in England, with the
together the principles that are significantly important for your
new regulatory body, Social Work England. I am
schools with those in the Avanti ethos so that your schools can
pleased to learn about the unique qualities of your
thrive and your children flourish.
schools and bring my own expertise of educational
leadership; cultural and organisation change
management and leader /leadership development.
I look forward to meeting you and hearing about
your schools…and especially meeting your
children.
(top)
Luke Rolls
Aimee Durning James Biddulph
Mrs Aimee Durning: I have been an
enthusiastic Teaching Assistant for over
15 years, having volunteered in schools
for many years. Now I am a Senior
Teaching Assistant and was awarded
Class Room Assistant of the Year 2019. I
Mr Luke Rolls MCCT: After completing my first degree in Psychology, I lived
am particularly passionate about
and taught overseas for several years in a village school in Ghana, an
reading and supporting children with
international school in China and various public primary and junior high
Special Educational Needs and
schools in Japan. On returning to the UK, I qualified as a teacher and spent
Disabilities. I also love seeing children
several years teaching in inner city London primary schools, completing a
flourish in outdoor learning – one of my
Masters in Teaching and a Postgraduate Degree in Primary Mathematics
happiest moments recently was to see a
child who had previously not engaged
Teaching at University College London. I trained as part of the first cohort of
with peers, making friends and having
NCETM Mastery Specialist Teachers as a Professional Development Lead, I
their first ever play date. My focus
am a Specialist Leader of Education and a member of the Early Years and
during the review will be in listening to
Primary contact group for the Advisory Committee for Mathematics at the
children and hearing from any support
Royal Society. I am currently involved with developing a Japanese Lesson
staff.
Study approach and co-editing a Routledge book on teacher professional
development. In my spare time I enjoy family time, music and walks in the
countryside.