Terri Wyse’s engaging response to the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review in England.
Stay with me for a moment…
Imagine you have three children in front of you—children you barely know. You’ve given them a task to complete, and you expect them to show up at a specific time and place. You’ve provided what you believe to be clear instructions, and now, all you can do is wait.
At 3 PM, you’re at the agreed destination, ready to see them succeed in their journey. Here’s how it plays out:
● The first child arrives on time, independently, without needing any help. They’ve understood the instructions and followed through seamlessly. Success!
● The second child calls you along the way, asking for a bit of guidance. After a quick chat, they manage to make it, albeit a little late. They needed a bit of extra support, but they got there in the end.
● The third child never arrives. They’re lost. They didn’t fully understand your instructions. They’ve never taken a bus before, and can’t read a clock—in fact they have no concept of time, and no idea how to ask for help. They tried their best but ran into trouble. Frustrated, confused, and anxious, they give up. The task was too much for them.
Now, the big question: How do you rebuild the third child’s trust? How do you make them feel like they didn’t fail? What could you have done differently to set them up for success?
Learning, like any journey, requires a different level of support for each traveler. When it comes to education, we often expect every student to reach the same destination at the same time. But what if we haven’t accounted for their different starting points, the differences in their paths? What if some students need a bit or even a lot more guidance, support, or time to get there?
Let’s dig into this.
Understanding the Journey
Each child’s journey is unique. The first child had the independence and skills to get there on their own, but the second needed some extra help along the way. What about the third child? They needed more than just instructions—they needed to learn how to travel in the first place.
They weren’t given the right tools or the right level of support, and this made their journey impossible.
This scenario is the perfect metaphor for how we approach education. More often than not we give students a set of rules, expectations, and goals, and we assume they will all be able to meet them without considering what each child needs to succeed. But, just like the children in our scenario, not all students have the same level of preparation or support to get where we want them to be.
The problem with one-size-fits-all expectations
In our current education system, expectations are often rigid. We set a destination, a goal, and a deadline, but we don’t always take the time to understand and provide what each child needs to get there. Some students may require extra resources, different approaches, or even an entirely different path. Others may need more time or a step-by-step guide to help them build the skills they need. But the expectation is that all students should be able to get there at the same time and in the same way. And when they don’t, we often place the blame on them rather than looking at whether the expectations themselves are the problem.
Flexibility is key
What if, instead of just waiting for students to arrive at a destination, we walked alongside them? What if we took the time to understand their individual needs and provided the specific support that would help them succeed? Child number three may have needed you to go with them the first time, to show them the ropes, and help them build confidence for future journeys. Some children might need a different path entirely, whether it’s due to physical limitations, past experiences, or emotional challenges. Maybe the solution isn’t just about meeting them where the goal is set. Maybe it’s about adjusting the goal, the timeline, or the path itself. Giving each child what they need to reach their potential is the key to fostering an inclusive environment where every child has a chance to succeed.
Rethinking education
The current education system is built on a rigid set of expectations. We have a curriculum that tells students what they need to know, by when, and in what order. But this system doesn’t leave much room for flexibility. It doesn’t allow us to adapt to the individual needs of our students. And that’s where we fall short.
To truly support all students, we need a more flexible, personalised approach. We need to understand where each child is starting from—what skills they have, what challenges they face, and what resources they need to succeed. By adjusting our expectations and providing tailored support, we can help every child, regardless of their background or challenges, get to where they need to be.
The future we need
I dream of an education system that is aspirational for all students—a system that meets every child where they are and helps them grow from there. A system that provides the resources, support, and flexibility each child needs to succeed. And, perhaps most importantly, a system that is willing to adjust its goals and expectations to fit the individual needs of each student.
In this ideal world, child number three would have made it to their destination. It wouldn’t have mattered if they arrived at a different time because they would have learned how to get there. They would have been equipped to navigate their own journey, despite the challenges they faced along the way. And most importantly of all their journey will have led them to the brightest of futures, achieving their own unique set of personal goals.
Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what education is all about? Helping children navigate their own paths and succeed, no matter where they’re starting from? It’s not about meeting a set of expectations—it’s about helping every child achieve their best, whatever that looks like for them. So let’s rethink how we approach education. Let’s make it flexible, inclusive, and supportive for every child. And let’s ask ourselves—is the Curriculum and Assessment Review really going far enough?