1. Thursday 21 st April 2016 6pm

2.  To summarise the main changes in the 2014 National Curriculum.  To give an outline of the expectations for the end of each year group.  To summarise the statutory assessment arrangements for Year 2 and Year 6.  To outline our school’s approach to assessment throughout the school.

3. In July 2014, the DfE launched the new Primary National Curriculum. The curriculum was revised for two main reasons:  to bring the curriculum up-to-date (especially with advances in ICT since the previous curriculum was published).  to raise standards across the nation by teaching “fewer things but in greater detail”.

4. The old curriculum detailed key stage expectations for each subject whereas the new curriculum is divided into age-related expectations for each year group. Expectations have been raised and yet the content has actually been slimmed down, to ensure that key knowledge, skills and understanding are properly embedded during early education. This should then form a firm foundation for future learning.

5.  Raising standards  Be more challenging and rigorous  Compete internationally SATS were not revised for the Summer of 2015 as Year 2 and 6 continued on the old curriculum, but a new style of tests will be taken by this year’s pupils. See leaflets.

6.  Stronger emphasis on vocabulary development, grammar, punctuation and spelling (for example, the use of commas and apostrophes is now taught in KS1).  Handwriting is expected to be fluent, legible and speedy.  Spoken English has a greater emphasis, with children to be taught debating and presenting skills.  Greater emphasis on reading for pleasure.

7.  Five-year-olds are now expected to learn to count up to 100 (compared to 20 under the previous curriculum) and learn number bonds to 20 (previously 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 (previously 10×10 by the end of primary school).  Calculators will not be introduced until near the end of KS2, to encourage mental arithmetic.

8.  The new curriculum has a strong focus on scientific knowledge and language, rather than understanding the nature and methods of science in abstract terms.  Topics such as caring for animals have been replaced by topics like the human circulatory system.

9.  Computing has replaced 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 internet.  Internet safety has an even greater emphasis throughout the school.

10. Previously not statutory, a modern foreign language or ancient language (Latin or Greek) will be mandatory in KS2. Children will be expected to master basic grammar and accurate pronunciation and to converse, present, read and write in the language. At Frisby our chosen language is French.

11. In previous years, children were assessed according to NC levels e.g. 1a, 1b, 1c. However, in the current curriculum, these levels have been removed because the government felt that:  children were too focussed on levels, rather than on the specific next steps given to them by their teachers.  parents did not really understand what the different levels entailed.  even when two children were assessed as being the same level, one child may have just missed out on the next level up while another child could have just scraped that level which has implications on their future targets and progress.

14.  A new baseline assessment for all Reception pupils as they start school was trialled in 2015 with a view to starting in 2016. This has recently been abandoned.  Key Stage 1 assessments to guide teacher assessment as previously was the case. New grammar, punctuation and spelling test introduced.  Key Stage 2 – no mental maths test and now three written maths tests plus a greater emphasis on grammar, punctuation and spelling – especially in writing teacher assessment.

15. Children will be assessed against the objectives for their year group as set out by the New National Curriculum. We will be using the DfE terms of ‘Working Towards the Expected Standard’, ‘Working at the Expected Standard’ and ‘Working at Greater Depth Within the Expected Standard’ to track their progress against these end of year expectations. At the end of the year the vast majority of children should be meeting the end of year expectations. Some children may not reach this stage and will be reported accordingly. A small number of children may be working at greater depth. However, this doesn’t mean they will have moved on to the expectations of the next year group, it will just mean they have studied their current year’s expectations in greater depth and therefore have a deeper understanding of them.

16.  Termly tests in Reading, Maths and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.  Termly teacher assessments in reading, maths and writing.  Using the language of “next steps” when marking pupils work, so that children are clear what they need to do to improve their work further.