PRESS RELEASE

Issued 16 April 2014 – for immediate release

Online planning tool helps primary schools prepare for the new National Curriculum

Fully updated to meet the requirements of the 2014 National Curriculum, the Creative Learning Journey is helping primary teachers nationwide to plan learning, track achievement and prove progress.

Used in primary schools across England, Wales and Scotland since 2007, the award-winning Creative Learning Journey (CLJ) has been amended to reflect the new National Curriculum by the CLJ development team, led by a former Head Teacher. With a wide client base in the UK primary education sector, the CLJ is urging schools to get up to speed for the changes in September. Explains Des Harris, Director for the CLJ, "Although there is a transition period for Years 2 and 6, we feel that many schools are at risk of falling behind in their planning and preparation for the new curriculum. By saving considerable planning time, the new CLJ can help them to catch up."

Raising standards
Schools that use the CLJ as an imaginative curriculum-planning and assessment resource testify to the fact that an engaging, topic-based curriculum inspires and motivates children in a way that has a tangible impact on standards. For this reason, many schools consider the CLJ a great way to invest their Pupil Premium. Ofsted has also noted the benefits of the CLJ on standards of achievement; in its report onKemsing Primary School in September 2013,for example, itstated,"An effective feature of the curriculum is that a wide range of subjects are linked effectively and taught well. This has been most effective in raising standards in reading and writing...".

Simplified planning
With statements in the foundation subjects of the new National Curriculum converted into straightforward Learning Outcomes for pupils from the EYFS to Year 6, individual lesson planning is much easier. Planning for mixed ages and/or abilities is also simpler, with teachers able to select Learning Outcomes from any or all years, from P scales to Year 6. In this way, the CLJ offers teachers the flexibility to create topic-based schemes of work that feature the Learning Outcomes pupils need, with the ability to import these activities into daily, weekly and termly plans. The system also provides the power to track progress and coverage of individuals, classes and groups using a ‘traffic light' system, with the facility to track National Curriculum coverage automatically. Teachers can also reverse the ‘ticking' process by selecting the curriculum statements to be covered and having the Learning Outcomes automatically matched and ticked. Staff also have the ability to choose which Areas of Learning to include in a topic, from just one to all seven. The planned learning is presented graphically in a ‘topic wheel' and subscription to the CLJ also gives schools access to the CLJ library, which contains thousands of themed learning plans created by fellow teaching professionals.

Free online demo
Schools interested in discovering the user-friendliness and flexibility of the CLJ can take advantage of a live online demonstration to explain how it can save time while enthusing both teachers and children. For more information, call 01634 716222 or visit www.thecreativelearningjourney.co.uk.

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A high-resolution version of the image below is available on request to:heidi@bridgeland-copyright.co.uk

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The Creative Learning Journey is a proven online resource to help teachers plan learning, track achievement and prove progress

About the Creative Learning Journey

Primary schools across the UK rely on the Creative Learning Journey (CLJ) to save their teachers time and energy, allowing them to focus on the ‘real' business of teaching and learning. The CLJ – developed by teachers forteachers – is an imaginative, online planning and assessment tool that automatically tracks the National Curriculum. Teachers can create their own cross-curricular ‘topic wheels' or use and adapt thousands of wheels created by other teachers. With the CLJ, pupils are engaged in exciting and stimulating lessons and teachers benefit from a simple planning, tracking and assessment process. The Creative Learning Journey Ltd is based in Rochester, Kent.
 

Company contact:
Mr Des Harris, Director

The Creative Learning Journey Ltd

Tel:  01634 716222

Media contact:
Heidi Scott, Partner
Bridgeland Copyright
Tel: 01622 832598
E-mail:heidi@bridgeland-copyright.co.uk