Schools in Cornwall are to be encouraged to give lessons more of a Cornish flavour.

A new "Curriculum Kernwek" is being drawn up by Cornwall Council to help teachers have more Cornish influences in the classroom.

The document, which is being consulted upon, will guide schools so they can continue to teach the required National Curriculum but add a Cornish flavour to the lessons.

The Cornish curriculum is not aiming to add new lessons but help shape those currently taught in Cornish schools.

Curriculum Kernwek will not only encourage schools to look at Cornwall’s past in influencing lessons but also to look to the future and what is happening in Cornwall now. The document suggests schools should not only look at the influence of Cornish people in Cornwall but also around the world.

Details about the project were shared with Cornwall councillors at a meeting of the council’s children and families overview and scrutiny committee yesterday (March 8).

The consultation document states: “Curriculum Kernewek helps pupils to understand and celebrate the distinctive quality of living and learning in Cornwall in the 21st century, to identify their own sense of being Cornish, to enable them to understand and to challenge the ‘anglicisation’ of Cornwall and the Cornish and to therefore feel a heightened sense of belonging to their local community and the Duchy.

"It also helps to foster in pupils an understanding of Cornwall’s history as an outward-looking and international Cornwall, promoting global citizenship and a concern for sustainable development.”

Graeme Plunkett, senior education effectiveness officer at Cornwall Council, has been leading on the project. He said that whilst schools in Cornwall do use elements of the local area in lessons it was usually only in certain areas.

He said whilst children in the St Austell area, for example, might learn about the China Clay industry and the impact it had on the local environment, economy and its history they might not explore further than that.

Mr Plunkett said: “It doesn’t give them a thorough overview of what it means to be Cornish in 2023, growing up in Cornwall and Cornwall’s place in the world. We want a more thorough curriculum that leaves children knowing more and remembering more over time and consolidating that understanding.”

Councillors heard Curriculum Kernewek was designed to give teachers ideas of how they could incorporate aspects of Cornwall, its heritage, culture and current issues into lessons being delivered as part of the national curriculum.

Mr Plunkett said: “We have looked at alternative Kernewek content examples that can be used in place of the English content.”

He added: “This is not a curriculum for nationalism or independence, it is a curriculum for Cornwall. It needs to not be a nostalgic curriculum about the past, a Poldark curriculum, it needs to be forward looking.

“Why should children learn about Stonehenge where there are menhirs and stone circles on their doorstep?”

The document suggests schools could teach the Cornish language and be encouraged to help children develop an awareness of Kernewek and its links with English and foreign languages.

Councillors warmly welcomed the document with Michael Bunney saying it was “absolutely brilliant”. They asked to continue to be informed about the project and for feedback from the consultation to be shared with them.

Council officers said whilst they welcomed the comments from councillors they reminded them the project was being delivered “on a shoestring” and there was very little funding available.