The ‘super-curriculum’: James Priory writes for Attain

James Priory, the school’s Headmaster, tackles the topic of the super-curriculum in a national magazine article published this week.

Writing for Attain, a leading title for parents and staff across the independent sector, Mr Priory argues the case for embracing breadth and depth of study in school life, explaining why both can play an important part in students’ academic and personal development. 

Super-curriculum learning enables pupils to explore subjects in greater depth and detail, he explains, developing their thinking, learning and creativity far beyond the requirements of the regular curriculum. “More schools recognise that pursuit only of the best examination grades is unlikely to mean young people develop the intellectual curiosity and love of learning so important to their future fulfilment,” he writes.

Mr Priory adds that the Mission Discovery programme that took place at Tonbridge’s Barton Science Centre in March was a good example of the super-curriculum. NASA astronauts were based at the school during the week, normal timetables were changed and pupils worked in teams to design an experiment for the International Space Station. “This, for me, was the super-curriculum in action: learning being put into action in an inspirational way.”