Author Archives: Denys Robinson

Denys Robinson

Opinion: Changes for the Better – LibDem wins on the new National Curriculum

By Denys Robinson | Tue 16th July 2013 - 2:30 pm

schoolsign“I still have serious reservations about it, but it’s a whole lot better than when Gove originally launched the consultation” – a headteacher friend summing up his feelings about the newly announced National Curriculum for schools. We know, behind the scenes, just how the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition have influenced some of the most significant changes. It’s time to let your teacher and parent friends know the difference the LibDems have made.

One big win is that this new curriculum is so much shorter than Labour’s (468 to 224 pages). The history curriculum has been rewritten to include local and world history, and to recognise diversity. Speaking and Listening are back in the English curriculum. Creativity is stressed in Art, Music and Drama, and Design has been rewritten to include a broader range of industrial applications.

Primary schools can now choose the foreign language they wish to teach – or even look at several languages. Climate change has been returned to the Geography curriculum. Biodiversity and seasonality of food and produce are added to the curriculum for the first time.

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Denys Robinson

London Lib Dem conference

By Denys Robinson | Wed 12th March 2008 - 11:45 am

Next Tuesday London Liberal Democrats hold our conference– and this year, as well as keynote speeches from Nick Clegg and Brian Paddick, we will be making time for some new sessions too.

Firstly, there’ll be a Campaign Briefing, led by Chris Rennard, who will update members and activists about the campaign we are now running across the capital, in the run-up to the Mayor and GLA elections on 1 May.

And secondly we will also have time for a discussion of three of the really big issues facing the future of London:

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