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Here at EducationCity.com we are all ready for the publication of the new National Curriculum. We have been attending events organised by the DfE and BESA so are fully aware of what is happening and how the consultation process is progressing. We have also scrutinised the latest draft documents, the main areas of change being:
- Proposed English programmes of study embody higher standards of literacy. Pupils will be expected to develop a stronger command of the written and spoken word through the teaching of phonics.
- Greater rigour is needed in Mathematics, meaning increased emphasis on arithmetic and promotion of efficient written methods of long multiplication and division. More demanding content will be included on fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Within Science there will be a stronger focus on the importance of scientific knowledge and language, with greater emphasis on core scientific concepts. Primary pupils will be taught about evolution and inheritance.
With all this in mind, we are preparing to create the new Curriculum Maps on our internal systems and to re-correlate all our content to the new objectives. We recently completed a similar task for our Scottish product when the Curriculum for Excellence was introduced, so this is not a task that fazes us and is something we can start as soon as the final documents are published. Our aim is to allow our subscribers ample time to adjust to the new curriculum before it becomes statutory in September 2014, whilst keeping the existing Curriculum Maps live so each school can decide when the time is right for them to switch over and start teaching to the new curriculum.
We are also aware that the government has no plans or funding to provide any support or training for the new National Curriculum, so will be making every effort to provide our subscribers with strong educational support and guidance wherever we can. We know, for example, we may have to develop new resources to meet the new objectives and that the increased emphasis on phonics will create a greater need for content in this area. Our development planning has therefore focussed on these areas and we have already taken on a new consultant with specialist phonics knowledge and experience.
The months ahead will undoubtedly place further pressure on schools, but rest assured EducationCity.com will be doing everything we can to help schools make the transition to the new National Curriculum a smooth one.