There are a number of things which leaders need to take account of when thinking about the curriculum. The first is that the curriculum is more than subjects on a timetable; the second is that the national curriculum is not a scheme of work and the third is that colleagues need time to plan, to collaborate and to reflect.

This is what John Tomsett has to say about staff development: ‘In the last six years it has become plain to me that the quality of teacher learning is central to putting staff first. Any teacher, at any stage of his or her career, has to accept, continuously, the professional obligation to improve his or her teaching…

‘Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.’ E. F. Schumacher

‘We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.’ Walt Disney

‘Done is better than perfect. I have tried to embrace this motto and let go of unattainable standards. Aiming for perfection causes frustration at best and paralysis at worst.’ Sheryl Sandberg

We find it hard to throw things away: to trim, to prune back to the essential. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes we just don’t notice how things have piled up. We just get accustomed to there being more and more; sometimes we hang on to stuff in case it comes in useful and sometimes it can all feel too much to try and sort out what’s still needed from what can be thrown away.