Life beyond levelsTeaching and assessing the new curriculum

The National Curriculum sets out what your child is to learn and when.

The National Curriculum defines the programmes of study for key subjects in maintained/state primary and secondary schools in England.These are: English, mathematics, science, art and design. computing, design and technology, geography, history, languages, music, physical education.

What is the National Curriculum ?

The aim of the New National Curriculum: Raising standards More challenging and rigorous Enable us to compete internationally

Do we have to do it? Yes, it is statutory for all maintained primary and secondary schools

Why change?

What has changed?

The new curriculum was introduced in September 2014 for Years 1,3,4,5 and in Sept 2015 for Years 2 and 6 The expectations are considerably higher for any given year group. Whilst some of the content is totally new, existing topics will be introduced a year or two earlier than would currently be the case for most children.

EnglishStronger emphasis on vocabulary development, grammar, punctuation and spelling (for example, the use of commas and apostrophes will be taught in KS1)

Handwriting( not currently assessed under the national curriculum) is expected to be fluent, legible and speedy

Spoken English has a greater emphasis, with children to be taught debating and presenting skills

MathematicsFive-year-olds will learn to count up to 100(compared to 20 under the current curriculum) and learn number bonds to 20 (currently up to 10)

Simple fractions (1/4 and 1/2) will be taught from KS1, and by the end of primary school, children should be able to convert decimal fractions to simple fractions (e.g. 0.375 = 3/8)

By the age of nine, children will be expected to know times tables up to 12×12 (currently 10×10 by the end of primary school)Calculators will not be introduced until near the end of KS2, to encourage mental arithmetic.

Computing replaces Information and Communication Technology (ICT), with a greater focus on programming rather than on operating programs

From age five, children will learn to write and test simple programs, and to organise, store and retrieve data

From seven, they will be taught to understand computer networks, including the internetInternet safety – previously only taught from 11-16 – will be taught in primary schools

ScienceStrong focus on scientific knowledge and language, rather than understanding the nature and methods of science in abstract terms

Evolution will be taught in primary schools for the first time

Non-core subjects like caring for animals will be replaced by topics like the human circulatory system

In order to prepare pupils for the more ambitious end of year expectations in English, Mathematics and Science, as set out in the new curriculum, teachers have amended their delivery of the programmes of study detailed above as appropriate.

New programmes of study for English and Mathematics have been adopted in full from September 2014, in line with guidance from the Department of Education and our other topics have been fully updated to account for these changes.

Assessment• What about those National Curriculum

levels - all that 1b, 2c, 4a ?

At present state schools use a standard system of assessing and reporting pupil's attainment and progress but this has been scrapped too. Schools are able to choose their own arrangements, although they will still have to track progress and report it to parents

Assessment – Teachers will track progress against the new statements for learning, for each year group. End of year expectations Beginning Beginning + Working within Working within + Secure Secure +

How?

Each pupil is being tracked against the National Curriculum statements that they have achieved.

Teachers are planning lessons according to the needs of their pupils in terms of the statements they have achieved and what comes next.

Lessons are differentiated to ensure support for less able pupils and sufficient challenge for more able pupils.

Teachers give pupils opportunities to APPLY their learning to different, problem-solving or contextualised situations to ensure their learning is deep and secure.

Teachers observe pupils during collaborative and independent activities to gauge their understanding of what is being taught.

Teachers give pupils age-appropriate feedback on what they have done well

and how they can improve.

School website

Primary National Curriculum 2014 NAHT Commission on Assessment

Tim Oates on Assessment – YouTube

More information