The Social & Cultural Curriculum was conceived as a whole-institution response to social mobility within a large Further Education college. Its ambition extended beyond enhancing teaching practice to addressing how students develop the capabilities required to navigate unequal systems, specifically social capital, cultural capital, resilience, and confidence.
These constructs were positioned not as abstract ideals, but as integral to curriculum design across all subject areas. The intention was to make them visible, intentional, and actionable within everyday teaching and learning. This required a shift in how curriculum, pedagogy, and student development were understood across the organisation.
At its core, the initiative operated within a complex institutional environment, where expectations for measurable impact, inclusive practice, and student progression intersected with differing interpretations of what social mobility should mean in practice.
Download case study: Inclusive Curriculum