The Greenwich Curriculum Framework (GCF) is our university-wide approach to designing programmes that are inclusive, impactful, and collaborative.
The Greenwich Curriculum Framework (GCF) supports our 2030 Strategy, This is Our Time, and underpins our commitment to delivering Education Without Boundaries.
Our Vision
We are committed to designing curriculum and learning and teaching activities which support our students to thrive, and reflect the best of who we are as educators. This means we proactively support our students to achieve because of, rather than despite, their diverse backgrounds.
To achieve this, the GCF is designed to:
- Promote a student centred approach, introducing consistent programme structures and scaffolded learning.
- Support social mobility and equality through inclusive education.
- Enable world-class systems and services that deliver excellent student outcomes.
It applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes, including apprenticeships, and is built around three core pillars:
| Impactful Curricula | Collaborative Curricula | Inclusive Curricula |
|---|---|---|
| Embedding real-world problems and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into all programmes. | Co-designing meaningful employment opportunities with employers, alumni, and professional bodies. | Integrating academic and digital skills, wellbeing, and inclusive practices into every programme. |
Curriculum Aims
To ensure that we prepare students for life and work, we have updated our Graduate Attributes. When they graduate, our students will be:
- Impactful and ethical agents of change
- Active knowledge producers and practitioners
- Competent and capable professionals
- Real-world problem solvers
We will also introduce consistent structures, with a first year formed of core modules to ensure that all students have a solid basis for the rest of their degree, regardless of their educational background or prior attainment. We will reduce the number of modules taught concurrently, to allow students to focus on learning priorities and to create a more coherent student learning experience. All learning and assessments will be scaffolded using a programmatic design approach, with clear mapping across modules, assessments, and academic and digital skills.
Working Collaboratively to Implement the GCF, Assessment and Feedback Policy and the Curriculum Management Tool
We are committed to ensuring that programme teams are well placed and supported to implement new approaches and systems. To enable this, we are introducing a structured and collaborative approach for programme and module design and approval, providing support, guidance and resources for each step along the way. To ensure this can be provided to all programmes, and to enable groups of programme teams to work together where this is beneficial, there will be an agreed schedule running though academic years 2025/6 and 2026/7.
The Curriculum Shape project is a bold and ambitious initiative it also offers a powerful opportunity to shape the future of education at Greenwich. This portal provides structured guidance and resources to support your implementation journey.
Overview Timeline
The Curriculum Shape programme is being delivered in structured phases to support the redesign and approval of all taught programmes:
- Pilot: April 2025 – September 2026
- Tranche 1: October 2025 – September 2026/27
- Tranche 2: February 2026 – September 2027
- Tranche 3: October 2026 – September 2027/28
- Tranche 4: February 2027 – September 2028
View the full list of programmes by tranche
Core Team and contact information
Vanessa Lemm, Project Sponsor
Jenny Marie, PVC Education
Louise Woodcock, Strategic Projects Lead
Kate Farrow, Project Manager
Silvia Colaiacomo, Lead Curriculum Designer
Alice Grayston & Peter Board, Quality Assurance Leads
Curriculum Designers (tbc)
Dave Hockham, Academic Lead for Employability
Nevin Mehmet, Academic Lead for Wellbeing in the Curriculum
Tracey Reynolds, Academic Lead for Real World Problems
Sharon Perera, Embedding academic & digital skills into the curriculum
Ele Moreno, Embedding employability into the curriculum
Rachel George, and Shapna Compton, Embedding wellbeing into the curriculum
Simon Goldsmith, Embedding real-world problems into the curriculum
Project email address: curriculumshape@greenwich.ac.uk
Support & Resources
The Curriculum Shape Moodle Resource Hub provides presentations, videos and infographics to provide examples for and guide your (re)design work. It includes:
- Training materials for learning outcomes and programme alignment, and assessment design for your programme
- Thematic resources on embedding employability, wellbeing & inclusivity, real-world problems, and academic &digital skills
Implementation Expectations on faculties & directorates
The Implementation Expectations document outlines the roles and responsibilities of faculty, school, and directorate staff in delivering the Curriculum Shape programme. It provides clear guidance on:
- Leadership responsibilities across faculties and schools
- Collaborative design roles for programme and module teams
- Thematic support roles (e.g. employability, wellbeing, digital skills)
- Directorate responsibilities and operational coordination
- Expectations for training and use of the Curriculum Management Tool (CMT)
This resource ensures that all stakeholders understand their part in supporting successful curriculum redesign and validation.
Download the Implementation Expectations Document
Monitoring & Evaluation
The Monitoring and Evaluation document outlines how the Curriculum Shape programme will be tracked and assessed throughout its implementation. It includes:
- Key deliverables and timelines
- Roles and responsibilities
- Anticipated impacts on institutional KPIs
- Evaluation of programme design, student outcomes, and operational efficiency
This document supports continuous improvement and ensures that the benefits of the Curriculum Shape initiative are realised and sustained.
Download the Monitoring and Evaluation document
FAQs
Below are answers to common questions about the Greenwich Curriculum Framework and its implementation
Does the Greenwich Curriculum Framework encompass Level 7 programmes?
Yes, the framework covers all levels of taught programmes, including masters/level 7.
I’m designing an Apprenticeship programme. How does the framework apply?
The framework applies to apprenticeship programmes, except where the document explicitly states otherwise. If you are designing an apprenticeship programme you should talk to the Apprenticeship Hub in the first instance.
Does the Greenwich Curriculum Framework apply to partner programmes?
The Framework will apply to franchised programmes, but a different implementation timeline will apply to them. We are currently working through the implications for our partners to determine timelines and any areas of the framework that may not be relevant in their context.
The framework will not apply to validated programmes.
It will also not apply to modules taught by the University of Greenwich International College (UGIC). However, we are working with them to ensure they understand the changes that we are making, so that they can prepare students for study at the university.
Is block delivery of modules allowed?
Yes, the Greenwich Curriculum Framework allows for modules to be delivered in periods shorter than a term in a ‘block delivery’ where this is appropriate.
How will we continue to meet Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) or apprenticeship standard requirements?
Where exemptions are required to meet PSRB or apprenticeship standard requirements these will be granted, where the requirements can be evidenced in writing.