Emma Turner combines academic research on curriculum with what she has learned from her own long experience in primary education. The result is a guide to curriculum design that stays close to the realities of daily classroom life.
'Simplicitus' is written in an engaging, personable tone and makes curriculum design accessible to teachers and leaders at any stage of their career.
"In the crossroads of academic thinking and child development, lies the heart of primary curriculum design."
This idea runs through every chapter: Emma treats the points where child development and academic thinking meet as the starting point for an effective primary curriculum.
The book is well balanced. Emma does not hide how complex curriculum design is, but, as the title promises, she simplifies it without trivialising it.
Who it is for
Primary teachers and leaders, and in particular curriculum and subject leaders. The publisher describes it as a handbook covering both the thinking behind primary curriculum design and practical models for making it work, written because, it says, much curriculum advice for primary schools comes from voices not trained or experienced in primary practice.
About the book
- Author: Emma Turner. The publisher says she led curriculum design and subject leadership for 24 years across multiple schools.
- Full title: Simplicitus: The Interconnected Primary Curriculum & Effective Subject Leadership.
- Publisher: John Catt (Hachette UK). Paperback published 15 April 2022, ISBN 9781915261182; also available as an ebook.
Source: Hachette UK, checked 13 October 2026.