Managing the Curriculum

School heads/principals and primary school curriculum leaders/prefects of studies play a crucial role in steering holistic curriculum planning and implementation through fostering collaboration, experience sharing and knowledge building among the teaching staff. While the chairpersons and all members of the English Language and Literature in English panels have the responsibility of initiating change to facilitate learning and teaching in the English Language Education KLA, teacher-librarians also have a part in ensuring the smooth implementation of the curricula. The roles they assume may vary from school to school, depending on the school context.

School Heads/Principals

School heads/principals take the leading role in planning, directing, and supporting whole-school curriculum development. They work closely with the deputy heads and the English Language/Literature in English panel chairpersons to:

• develop a whole-school language policy that facilitates the learning of English Language and Literature in English and plan the curriculum, instructional and

assessment policies across KLAs;

• set up a curriculum development group to facilitate the planning of a school English Language Education curriculum and professional development, with due consideration given to students’ needs, the school’s development plan and teacher readiness;

• provide support for trying out new initiatives in the learning and teaching of the two subjects by creating curriculum space and time through flexible timetabling, and allowing opportunities for professional development and collaborative lesson preparation;

• ensure adequate resources needed for the implementation of the school English Language Education curriculum;

• appreciate and commend progress made, sustain appropriate curriculum initiatives, and value quality rather than quantity;

• promote a positive and harmonious school culture in which teachers can work collaboratively for a shared goal in the learning of English Language and Literature in English;

• support the English Language and Literature in English panel chairpersons in setting up a community of practice among the subject teachers within the school and

encourage networking with other schools to facilitate professional exchange of knowledge and experience in learning and teaching of the subjects, and solicit support from community partners when appropriate; and

• establish and maintain positive relationships with parents to help them understand the school’s beliefs, rationale and practices in the implementation of the English Language Education curriculum, and their roles in supporting students at home.

Primary School Curriculum Leaders (for primary schools only and previously known as “PSMCD”)/Prefects of Studies (for secondary schools only)

Primary school curriculum leaders/Prefects of Studies assist school heads/principals in implementing the whole-school curriculum and support teachers in improving learning and teaching. For further curriculum development, they take the lead to:

• devise and facilitate implementation of the whole-school curriculum;

• guide teachers in trying out innovative learning and teaching strategies and conducting action research; and

• co-ordinate different subject panels to support cross-curricular English learning activities or programmes.

English Language Panel Chairpersons

English Language panel chairpersons plan, lead, manage and evaluate the school English Language curriculum and its implementation. They are also the “bridge” between the school management and English panel members.

To develop the school English Language curriculum, the English panel chairpersons lead the panel to:

• keep abreast of the latest trends and innovations in education in the development of the English Language curriculum which is aligned with the school vision and central curriculum framework;

• provide appropriate student-centred language programmes with reference to students’ needs, interests and abilities, teachers’ strengths and the school context;

• create a language-rich environment in the school through promoting curricular language learning activities and providing students with

opportunities to participate in a variety of activities to use English in and outside class for purposeful communication;

• develop plans and set priorities for curriculum development in the English Language Education KLA in collaboration with other KLA/subject panels in order to empower students to transfer the knowledge and skills from one subject to another, and direct curriculum and instructional changes in school;

• assist school heads/principals in implementing the whole-school curriculum and managing the provision and deployment of resources in support of curriculum development;

• ensure vertical curriculum coherence by taking into consideration the learning experiences and achievements of students in the previous key stages of learning, as well as developing and reinforcing students’ English knowledge and skills progressively through opportunities for consolidation and application; and

• enhance assessment literacy through promoting the use of a variety of activities for different pedagogical and assessment purposes, the provision of quality feedback, and the collection and analysis of evidence of student learning to inform learning

and teaching.

To facilitate co-ordination and collaboration among panel members, and monitor the implementation of the curriculum, English Language panel chairpersons are advised to:

• work closely with level co-ordinators to ensure coherence in curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation across year levels, and promote a culture of collaboration among panel members through regular exchange of teaching ideas and reflections (e.g. peer coaching, lesson observation, action research, collaborative lesson planning);

• evaluate the effectiveness of the school English Language curriculum through collecting and analysing assessment data and stakeholders’ views, which provides feedback on curriculum planning and learning/teaching strategies for the betterment of student learning;

• facilitate professional development of panel members through setting up a community of practice within the school and encouraging them to attend courses or workshops and organising or participating in research projects and inter-school networking activities; and

• review and adjust deployment of English panel members and provide them with regular feedback through performance appraisal.

English Language Teachers

English Language teachers can help bring about an effective school English Language curriculum by contributing to the development of a whole-school language policy, assisting their panel chairpersons as individuals or in collaboration with their fellow teachers. They can also take the roles of curriculum leaders and initiate innovation and change.

In implementing the school English Language curriculum, English Language teachers are advised to:

• strengthen students’ development of the language skills through engaging them in diverse learning activities that stress a balanced coverage of the strand targets as well as language knowledge and skills;

• adopt appropriate pedagogical approaches to motivate students in English learning (e.g. introducing them to a wide variety of texts on different themes, facilitating discussions through the use of flexible grouping strategies, introducing different assessment modes and strategies, providing constructive feedback which helps them reflect on their own learning and set personalised learning goals);

• take the initiative in trying out innovative teaching strategies with fellow teachers or external supporting agents;

• foster the development of a broader range of literacy skills by making use of a variety of authentic language learning materials such as web-based resources, multimodal materials, short stories, documentaries and news/magazine articles;

• actively engage in professional development and lifelong learning through reflecting on daily practices, discussing issues, sharing knowledge and experience with fellow teachers, attending courses, seminars and conferences, and participating

in communities of practice and inter-school networking activities;

• make use of community resources and expose students to meaningful use of English in various contexts;

• devise student-friendly success criteria and performance descriptors derived from the school curriculum aims and objectives, with a view to identifying strengths and weaknesses of students and providing them with constructive feedback for

improvement; and

• help parents understand their children’s performance in both formative and summative assessments.

Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs)

NETs enrich the English language learning environment in schools and strengthen teachers’ capacity through professional development and collaboration with fellow English teachers.

In the role of a resource person, NETs are advised to:

• collaborate with other panel members in developing and delivering the school English Language curriculum;

• cultivate students’ interest in, and understanding of, the English language, its cultural assets and the socio-historical traditions of English-speaking countries;

• enhance the learning and teaching of English with authentic materials such as language arts resources with a view to developing in students the habit of reading in English and providing them with opportunities to communicate with each other in English with confidence;

• create an English-rich environment in the school through planning and organising activities that provide opportunities for students to use English for authentic

purposes (e.g. English Day, debating competitions); and

• promote professional development by sharing good teaching practices, co-teaching with other panel members, organising workshops (e.g. questioning techniques,

communication skills) and advising on how English is used naturally in different contexts.

Literature in English Panel Chairpersons (for secondary schools only)

Literature in English panel chairpersons monitor the implementation of the curriculum and facilitate co-ordination and collaboration among panel members. They lead the panel to:

• keep abreast of the latest trends and innovations in education in the development of the Literature in English curriculum and align it with the school vision and central curriculum framework;

• develop plans for implementing the Literature in English curriculum in collaboration with the English Language panel chairperson whenever necessary to ensure a good foundation is laid at the junior secondary level for the study of this elective subject

at the senior secondary level through incorporating language arts in the junior secondary English Language curriculum;

• assist school principals in making arrangements and deployment of resources (e.g.

timetabling, selection of literary texts and reference materials, use of special rooms

for lessons, organising literary activities such as screening and drama performances) in support of curriculum development and implementation;

• create room and opportunities for professional development;

• evaluate the effectiveness of the school Literature in English curriculum through collecting and analysing assessment data and stakeholders’ views, which provides feedback on curriculum planning and learning/teaching strategies for the betterment of student learning; and

• encourage language and literary activities (e.g. drama competitions, choral speaking) in the school to provide students with pleasurable and meaningful learning experiences.

Literature in English Teachers (for secondary schools only)

Literature in English teachers can facilitate the effective implementation of the school Literature in English curriculum by assisting their panel chairpersons and working in collaboration with their fellow teachers. They can also take the roles of curriculum leaders and initiate innovation and change.

In implementing the school Literature in English curriculum, Literature in English teachers are advised to:

• choose appropriate learning and teaching materials that suit students’ interests and needs, and strengthen their skills in literary appreciation and analysis;

• adopt a student-centred approach and guide students to explore the ideas, feelings and thoughts expressed in literary texts and how these are conveyed;

• design appropriate learning activities (e.g. role plays) and assessment tasks (e.g.

essay writing) to develop students’ ability to understand and interpret literary texts, as well as to respond critically and imaginatively to them;

• adapt the materials and teaching strategies to cater for the different abilities and needs of students;

• create an open classroom atmosphere in which creative self-expression and personal responses are highly valued, and provide timely feedback on students’

strengths and weaknesses and suggestions for improvement;

• encourage students to broaden their reading and viewing experiences and increase their exposure to literary texts and related art forms (e.g. musicals, drama performances); and

• attend professional development programmes (e.g. networking activities, seminars) to enrich subject and pedagogical knowledge.

Teacher-librarians

Teacher-librarians should capitalise on their professional knowledge and experience to promote a reading culture in the school and develop students’ literacy skills, which are indispensable for the development of their learning to learn capabilities.

Teacher-librarians are advised to:

• help students use the library in ways that are conducive to learning to learn such as:

- providing easy access to information in different modes, including e-learning resources,

- developing a variety of resource-based programmes to enhance the independent learning skills of students,

- developing strategies to nurture an interest in reading and to inculcate a regular reading habit in students,

- providing training on locating, retrieving and using information;

• work collaboratively with all teachers in procuring library resources according to school curriculum focuses;

• encourage the use of a wide range of information sources in support of the promotion of reading to learn and RaC;

• work with teachers in implementing KLA-based and cross-KLA activities (e.g. reading programmes, cross-curricular projects, STEM activities) to provide students with positive learning experiences relevant to their needs, interests and abilities;

• facilitate the development of information literacy within the school;

• keep abreast of the latest developments in the promotion of a reading culture and curriculum development in different KLAs; and

• ensure the availability of library resources and teaching aids and that they are maintained.