What is (and is not) ‘the best that has been thought and said’?

1. It originates from Matthew Arnold’s vision of culture as human perfection

Arnold saw culture not as a luxury or ornament, but as the pursuit of “our total perfection”. This was a lifelong process of encountering humanity’s greatest ideas, wrestling with them, and allowing them to shape our thinking. For Arnold, culture was a force that lifted people above “mechanical habits” and narrow assumptions.

Modern educators such as Phil Beadle remind us that Arnold’s phrase was never meant to enforce conformity; as Beadle puts it, “acquiring culture is an ongoing process”. Adam Boxer echoes this in science education, arguing that curriculum design must help pupils “see the paradigms and philosophies that shape truth”. In other words, the best knowledge is not static; it is contested, evolving, and deeply human.

How this applies in subjects:

• English: Studying Shakespeare, Toni Morrison, or Chinua Achebe as works that illuminate the human condition.
• Science: Teaching Darwin’s On the Origin of Species or Rosalind Franklin’s work as milestones in humanity’s attempt to understand itself and the natural world.
• Art: Exploring the Renaissance, Islamic geometric art, or contemporary artists such as Lubaina Himid as expressions of human striving for meaning and beauty.

2. It is fundamentally about knowledge as liberation, not elitism

Arnold’s idea is often caricatured as elitist, but historically it was the opposite. In the 19th century, working‑class children were offered a narrow, utilitarian education designed to keep them in their place. Arnold argued that they deserved access to the same intellectual riches as the elite; a radical stance for his time.

This spirit lives on in the modern knowledge‑rich movement. Nick Gibb has repeatedly described a strong curriculum as “the great leveller”, giving every child access to the cultural inheritance that opens doors in later life. Knowledge, in this view, is not a gatekeeping device but a tool of empowerment.

How this applies in subjects:

• Geography: Teaching all pupils to read maps, interpret climate data, and understand global systems; tools that empower civic agency.
• Music: Giving every child access to notation, composition, and diverse musical traditions, not just performance.
• Computing: Ensuring all pupils learn programming fundamentals, not just digital literacy, so they can shape technology rather than merely consume it.

3. It underpins the modern argument for a knowledge‑rich curriculum

The phrase “knowledge‑rich curriculum” has become central to English education policy. Its advocates argue that powerful knowledge, the concepts, stories, and structures that help us make sense of the world, should be systematically taught rather than left to chance.

Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation, stresses that ambition for every child must be “rooted in knowledge and clarity of purpose”. A well‑designed curriculum is not a list of topics; it is a carefully sequenced journey through the best ideas of a discipline.

How this applies in subjects:

• History: Selecting case studies that illuminate big ideas such as revolution, empire, and democracy rather than disconnected events.
• Maths: Sequencing concepts so pupils build a coherent schema, for example ratio, similarity, trigonometry, and functions.
• Languages: Teaching high‑frequency vocabulary and grammar structures that unlock the whole language, not isolated topic lists.

4. It is not about rote learning but about enabling fresh, critical thought

Arnold warned against “stock notions and habits”, the unexamined assumptions that limit our thinking. Knowledge, for him, was the antidote; a springboard for critique, creativity, and intellectual freedom.

Phil Beadle cautions that Arnold’s phrase is sometimes misused as a tool of control, and argues that “the best” should provoke dialogue and dissent rather than obedience. Knowledge enables pupils to question, challenge, and imagine alternatives.

How this applies in subjects:

• Science: Using secure knowledge of forces or energy to critique pseudoscience or media claims.
• English: Analysing how writers manipulate perspective, then crafting original writing that subverts conventions.
• Design & Technology: Applying knowledge of materials and mechanisms to innovate solutions to real‑world problems.

5. It requires clarity of curriculum aims before content selection

A curriculum can only be coherent if its aims are clear. Without shared purpose, content becomes bloated, incoherent, or misaligned with disciplinary thinking.

Adam Boxer argues that each subject has its own “quest for truth”, and curriculum must serve that quest. This means identifying the core concepts, methods, and ways of knowing that define a discipline, then selecting content that builds towards them.

How this applies in subjects:

• RE: If the aim is “theological literacy”, content must focus on core beliefs, texts, and practices rather than festivals trivia.
• Geography: If the aim is “spatial thinking”, content must prioritise place, space, scale, and interdependence.
• Art: If the aim is “visual literacy”, content must build knowledge of form, colour, composition, and technique.

6. It connects directly to cultural capital and educational equity

The National Curriculum describes cultural capital as “essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens”. This is not about social polish; it is about giving pupils the background knowledge that allows them to participate fully in society.

Becky Francis emphasises that rigour alone is not enough; engagement and imagination must accompany it, especially for disadvantaged pupils. Cultural capital is not a list of things to memorise but a set of tools for understanding the world.

How this applies in subjects:

• English: Teaching a shared canon and global literature so all pupils can join cultural conversations.
• Science: Ensuring pupils understand scientific method, enabling them to navigate health, environment, and technology debates.
• Music: Giving pupils access to instruments, ensembles, and musical analysis that middle‑class peers may access privately.

7. It recognises that cultural capital is plural, not monolithic

In a diverse society, cultural capital cannot be a single, fixed list. Instead, it must be a shared foundation enriched by multiple voices and traditions.

Christine Counsell argues that curriculum should “connect pupils to the conversation of humanity”, a conversation that spans continents and centuries. David Didau captures this succinctly: “Curriculum isn’t a museum, it’s a living argument about what matters.”

How this applies in subjects:

• History: Teaching the British story and its global entanglements, for example Mughal India, trans‑Saharan trade, and the Windrush generation.
• Art: Studying Western art history alongside Japanese ukiyo‑e, West African textiles, and contemporary global artists.
• Music: Exploring classical, jazz, hip‑hop, gamelan, and gospel as equally rich cultural forms.

8. It places responsibility on teachers to cultivate their own intellectual richness

Teachers cannot teach “the best” unless they themselves are intellectually nourished. Professional development is not just about pedagogy; it is about scholarship, curiosity, and cultural engagement.

Adam Boxer and Mary Myatt both stress that “teachers are the curriculum”, and that teacher scholarship is central to curriculum quality. Myatt’s call for “high challenge, low threat” applies as much to staff culture as to classrooms.

How this applies in subjects:

• Science: Teachers deepening their understanding of current research such as CRISPR or climate modelling.
• English: Teachers reading widely, including contemporary fiction, literary criticism, and global poetry.
• Geography: Teachers engaging with current affairs, geopolitics, and environmental science.

9. It situates pupils within a global, human story

Arnold’s idea is not parochial. “The best” includes the intellectual and cultural achievements of many civilisations. A curriculum that reflects this helps pupils see themselves as part of a global story.

Becky Francis argues that curricula should “connect big ideas to the real world young people inhabit”. This means showing how knowledge travels, evolves, and belongs to everyone.

How this applies in subjects:

• History: Teaching the Silk Roads, the Islamic Golden Age, or African kingdoms as central to world history.
• Science: Showing how mathematics, astronomy, and medicine developed across China, India, the Middle East, and Europe.
• Languages: Positioning language learning as a gateway to global citizenship.

10. It demands both breadth and depth: a canon, but not a cage

A canon is valuable because it gives pupils a shared cultural vocabulary, but it must never become a cage. New voices, new discoveries, and new perspectives must continually refresh what counts as “the best”.

Christine Counsell puts it succinctly: “Curriculum is a narrative, and narratives evolve.” Mary Myatt calls for “beautiful work” that blends tradition and innovation. Tom Sherrington adds a practical insight: “Depth comes from revisiting ideas in new contexts.” Breadth and depth are not opposites; they are partners in mastery.

How this applies in subjects:

• English: Teaching Dickens alongside Malorie Blackman or Ocean Vuong.
• Science: Teaching Newtonian physics alongside the quantum revolution.
• Art: Studying classical techniques alongside digital art, photography, and installation.

Find out more!

There are loads of good books and blogs on this subject. Here’s a few!