DNA

Knowledge reigns supreme over nearly every one. Skills are needed to place that knowledge in a context and form which gives them power and purpose. Without power and purpose, you're that bag from American Beauty; a cheesy metaphor which doesn't really stand up to close analysis.

Several years ago, I started to picture progress in English as a spiral, a helter skelter . Each year, we revisit the same skills and similar ideas in greater depth and complexity. We marry these ideas differently. We combine ideas learnt previously in new ways with new foci. We adapt and move onwards, becoming more skilled and detailed as we do.

Over time, I've come to see progress in English as a double helix, that powerful piece of coding which contains all of the information for life, ready to be downloaded and adapted. I'm not the only weirdo who sees things like this. There are blogs here, here and here which explore these ideas in greater depth and detail than I can be bothered to do. Now, I don't fully agree with all of the writer's points, but there is something to think about in each blog. I also find it amusing that he blusters on about the historical and contextual knowledge required, with hardly a mention of the actual linguistic, literary and grammatical knowledge required to be truly excellent at English. He, ironically, becomes the opposite of what he opposes, rather than reaching a reification, a synthesis of the skills and knowledge dichotomy.

I believe in a powerful, varied, purposeful, politicised curriculum which engages and challenges. The skills for analysing and creating must run alongside through all of the content.

For this reason, the work you've recently produced on age related expectations has been exactly what the doctor ordered. You overstand the idea of having this clear mix run through all that you do. This will ensure that our pupils get what they deserve - and that is what matters. All that matters - droppin' skills and knowledge to achieve our goal.