How a “curriculum of hope” drives authentic inquiry and global citizenship
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash.
At St. Ebbe's Primary School in Oxford, UK, head teacher Tina Farr and her team have designed something remarkable: a "curriculum of hope" that prepares children not just to understand the world's challenges, but to believe they can help respond to them.
I have been lucky to get to know Tina through Thoughtbox Education’s Triple WellBeing program and fellows’ network. We were partnered up as a small group during our year-long fellowship, and shared many inspiring conversations in breakout rooms. As I learned more about what Tina and her team are designing and doing at St. Ebbe’s, I knew we had to record a conversation so the story could reach and inspire more educators.
Rather than organizing learning around discrete subject silos, St. Ebbe's has created an inquiry-driven approach where every project explores fundamental questions about humanity, sustainability, justice, and our shared future. From the earliest years exploring "Beauty and Wonder" to Year 6 students grappling with "How can humankind be more successful?", children encounter six interwoven themes throughout their years at St. Ebbe’s: Sustainability, Courageous Advocacy, Leadership, Community, Belief, and Creativity.
What makes this approach transformative is its foundation in empathy and possibility. Students don't just learn about problems; they explore the diverse, transformative individuals who are involved in solving these challenges. Through this lens, children begin to see themselves as capable changeseekers and changemakers, too. As Tina explains, the goal is to raise "wise, compassionate citizens with the power to make a difference."
The ways that the children view themselves and experience community and nature are also impacted by:
taking play seriously and offering children many opportunities to learn through play
participating in Red Carpet Passions assemblies, where students get to share their passions; the philosophy at St. Ebbe’s is that every child is a genius who naturally wants to explore and learn
learning in nature and being outside as much as possible
Three times a year, students showcase their learning at exhibitions where they present work that demonstrates deep understanding and inspires others to take action. It's education designed "to be of service to the world."
St. Ebbe’s is rooted in the English National Curriculum, but by designing a series of powerful inquiry questions for each grade level, the curriculum is flexible and engaging. Sometimes a national curriculum can seem rigid and create a barrier to designing a relevant, meaningful, and impactful curriculum for PreK-12 learners; the St. Ebbe’s team has demonstrated that the way you approach a set curriculum can shape students’ experiences in profound ways. You can see some sample Reception (PreK) and year 6 (grade 5) questions below.
In this conversation, Tina shares how St. Ebbe's brought this vision to life and what it means for children to learn through a lens of hope rather than despair.
