Cultural capital and the curriculum: From Reggio to Maestro

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Hi everyone. We are Lucy and Jonathan from HeadteacherChat. Tonight we are delighted to be joined by the fabulous Mel Moore from Cornerstones Education. Welcome Mel !Melanie (B.Ed Hons, NPQH) is the founder and Curriculum Director of Cornerstones Education. A former primary teacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum adviser and creative strategy adviser, Mel has almost thirty years of experience in primary education.

Having written 10 diff commercial curriculum schemes, currently used by hundreds of thousands of children worldwide, Mel has a passion for early years education, and primary curriculum design, with a particular interest in the concept of powerful knowledge and cultural capital.

Mel - we would love to have a little insight into what we have to look forward to!Without giving too much away, what will you be talking about at the conference?Cultural capital and the curriculum: From Reggio to Maestro.

Cultural capital is a new buzzword for the primary curriculum, but what is cultural capital, how does it support our children to become successful citizens, and how do we actually offer it?

This workshop presents a decade-long personal journey of discovery into the world of cultural capital, which begins in the beautiful piazzas and remarkable pre-schools of northern Italy.

Mel will share her experience and observations of the unique educational philosophy of Reggio Children and examine its approach to cultural capital and the acquisition of powerful knowledge through real-life and local experience.

Mel will then provide a synopsis of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital and explain its place in the new education inspection framework.

Arriving at the workshop's final destination, Mel will provide practical strategies for ways to become the Maestro of your own culturally rich curriculum.

Mel - what are you most looking forward to?Meeting colleagues, listening to other speakers, sharing my story and spending time in the lovely environment.We really wanted to create a conference that was different from others.

One that inspires leaders to continue to do the fantastic work that they do. One where they feel empowered to make a change, to have a positive outcome on themselves, and the learning of their pupils.

So - We’ve given yourself and others a platform to tell their story. To share ideas, to share insights of experience so that it can help others.

How do you feel that this conference stands out from others?It feels 'warmer', more collegiate than other events. The location and programme looks great and everything feels appropriate for the audience-which is not always the case with large events.

What will school leaders take away from your speech?

An understanding of powerful knowledge and cultural capital.

Practical ideas and strategies for ensuring you have cultural capital and powerful knowledge in your curriculum.

What is cultural capital? It's a complex social theory by Pierre Bourdieu who proposed that there were lots of factors that influenced how well chn learn.

How does it help our children become successful citizens? We need to help ALL children to achieve their best, and focus on all areas of development, it's not necessarily just about building knowledge all the time - there are other factors.

How can we offer a curriculum rich in cultural capital? Firstly, we need to focus on knowledge but also plan teaching so that chn are able to explore, investigate and find out for themselves. We need to get to know the chn well so that we can plan for gaps.

How do you want people to feel at the end of your speech?lifted inspired hopeful

Lastly - What are your top tips for school leaders Look after yourself-make time to rest. Only when you feel well can you do your best job for others.

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