A Glance at Key Changes of the New Curriculum

After much anticipation, the final version of the new National Curriculum Framework has now been published by the DfE.

Our in-house education specialist, Pat (former head teacher and local authority adviser), has been working hard to ensure EducationCity.com is fully prepared for when schools following the current English National Curriculum are ready to switch to the new Framework. This has involved the development of some exciting new content, product features and a super-simple way of accessing the new curriculum.

We’ve had lots of experience with curriculum changes in other UK regions and we are very confident that your transition to the new curriculum will be timely, accurate and stress free.  A full launch of all enhancements will take place at Bett in January 2014 and we will be sharing regular updates with you all the way until full adoption of the new curriculum.

Pat has been educating all of the staff here about how the changes will affect our schools and we thought we’d share his helpful guide. Thanks Pat!

 

The new National Curriculum for England at a glance:

• The elements that require statutory force will come into effect for the majority of year groups from September 2014.
• For pupils in year 2 and year 6 the new English, mathematics and science programmes of study will be introduced from September 2015.
• Schools should remember that the school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The national curriculum forms just one part of the school curriculum.
• Schools are free to choose how they organise their school day, as long as the content of national curriculum programmes of study is taught to their pupils.
• The proposed structure of the new national curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2, in terms of which subjects are statutory at each key stage, is set out in the table below:

 

• Teachers should develop pupils’ numeracy and mathematical reasoning in all subjects so that they understand and appreciate the importance of mathematics.
• Teachers should develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject.
• There is a heavy emphasis on the use of phonics in the early teaching of reading when children start school.
• By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
• All schools are also required to set out their school curriculum for English, mathematics and science on a year-by-year basis and make this information available online.

With regards to assessment

• National curriculum levels will be removed and not replaced.
• Instead the new NC PoS set out what pupils should be taught by the end of each key stage.
• There will be no prescribed system for ongoing assessment and reporting. Schools will create or choose their own.
• There will be baseline testing, probably for five year olds but possibly at the end of KS1. A decision on this is still to be made.
• SATs at KS1 and KS2 will continue, but will be more demanding. The new versions will be used from summer 2016.

Watch this space for continued updates on progress!