Network

British Curriculum Forum

The British Curriculum Forum aims to bring together all those with an interest in collaborative curriculum, research and development.

Through events, awards and grants, the BCF supports communication and collaboration in the study and practical implementation of the curriculum in schools, colleges and wider educational settings. Connecting schools, colleges, universities and others, our work promotes the study of theoretical, innovative and practical aspects of the curriculum, drawing on a rich history, spanning more than 40 years, and continuing the tradition of research and development founded by Lawrence Stenhouse.

The British Curriculum Forum is the successor to the British Curriculum Foundation which was incorporated into BERA in 2014. The BCF has been in existence for over 40 years (and was previously known as The Association for the Study of Curriculum).

The BCF aims to:

Promote the study of theoretical, innovative and practical aspects of the curriculum;
Provide an authoritative medium through which the opinions of teachers and others may be expressed on matters of the curriculum;
Provide means of communication amongst all those concerned with the study of the curriculum and/or its practical implementation;
Enable BERA to connect with schools;
Enable practitioners to engage with research.

BCF Steering Group

The BCF is overseen by a small steering-group appointed by BERA Council. The role of the Steering Group is to:

Oversee the activities of BCF within BERA, in particular by promoting the study of theoretical, innovative and practical aspects of the curriculum;
Provide an authoritative medium through which the opinions of teachers and others may be expressed on matters of the curriculum;
Provide means of communication amongst all those concerned with the study of the curriculum and/or its practical implementation;
Enable BERA to connect with schools;
Enable practitioners to engage with research;
Promote innovative collaboration between research and practice;
Work with BERA’s Academic Publications Committee to oversee the strategic direction of The Curriculum Journal.

Teachers

BERA is dedicated to supporting and promoting teacher research. We believe practitioners, academics and policy makers must collaborate to help shape a future curriculum in schools.

Twitter: @BERABCF

BERA British Curriculum Forum

Chair of British Curriculum Forum

Sharon Jones, Dr

Senior Lecturer Education Studies (with Modern Languages) at Stranmillis University College

Sharon Jones is senior lecturer in education studies at Stranmillis University College, Queen’s University Belfast.

BCF Steering Group

Gerry Czerniawski, Professor

Professor of Education/Research Degrees Leader at University of East London

Gerry Czerniawski runs the Professional Doctorate in Education at UEL and teaches on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses. In addition to his role as a researcher, author and teacher educator he is the Lead Editor of the BERA Blog and a...

Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Professor

Professor of Classics Education and Public Policy at Durham University

Arlene Holmes-Henderson is Professor of Classics Education and Public Policy at Durham University where she holds a British Academy Innovation Fellowship (2022-2024). After studying Classics at Oxford, Harvard and Cambridge, Arlene qualified as a...

Sarah Seleznyov, Mrs

Co-headteacher at School 360

Sarah Seleznyov is one of the founding Headteachers of School 360 and leads the Rethinking Schools project for Big Education. She has worked in London schools for over 25 years including as a School Improvement Consultant, Teaching School...

Victoria Pugh, Mrs

Primary Lecturer in PSHE and RSE,Head of SENDI and Diversity at University of Worcester

Victoria is a senior lecturer at the University of Worcester specialising in PSHE and RSE. She is also the SENDI and diversity lead for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) teaching on both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Victoria has 15 years...

Richard Pountney, Dr

Emeritus Fellow at Sheffield Hallam University

Richard leads the knowledge in education research group in the Sheffield Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam University. He is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). Richard holds a Teacher Fellowship from the university...

Weipeng Yang, Dr

Assistant Professor at The Education University of Hong Kong

Weipeng Yang, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education at The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. He specialises in early childhood curriculum and pedagogy with interests in STEAM education, positive education, and...

Matt Burns

Content associated with this SIG

BERA Educational Research Book of the Year

Closes 22 Jul 2025

This award celebrates the publication of educational research and is awarded to a scholarly book on education deemed to be high quality, engaging and innovative.