“How will the new Primary Curriculum affect my school “How will the new Primary Curriculum affect my school?” and other deliciously difficult questions… Peter Flew 17th May 2014

The New Primary Curriculum What is a curriculum? What is the new Primary Curriculum? The role of the governing body

Let’s take a step back How do you know when your school is succeeding? Always think of the success of the curriculum in terms of how you judge the success of your school. Does the curriculum help you meet your aims?

What is a curriculum? What should it include or exclude? Subjects Knowledge Skills Understanding Experiences Attitudes The future or the present?

The curriculum Official Curriculum Hidden Curriculum Planned course of study Hidden Curriculum Learning that is not part of the official curriculum Observed Curriculum Effectiveness of teaching strategies to promote learning Curriculum as experienced Meaningful connection with children Pollard, A (2008) Reflective Teaching p.210-211 London: Continuum

The curriculum “The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The national curriculum forms one part of the school curriculum.”

The curriculum “Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based and which: promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.”

The development of the new National Curriculum 1988: Education Reform Act. Major act establishing the National Curriculum, testing regime, Local Management of Schools (LMS) 2000: Revised National Curriculum introduced 2000: Introduction of The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (3-5) 2003 Excellence and Enjoyment: A strategy for Primary Schools 2008: Introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage (0- 5) 2010: The Independent Review of the National Curriculum published but not implemented 2012 Revised Early Years Foundation Stage (0-5) 2013: DfE Consultation of NC Framework 2014: The New National Curriculum

The aims of the new National Curriculum “3.1 The National Curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the core knowledge that they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement. 3.2 The National Curriculum provides an outline of core knowledge around which teachers can develop exciting and stimulating lessons to promote the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills as part of the wider school curriculum.”

Subjects within the new National Curriculum All schools are also required to teach religious education at all key stages. Secondary schools must provide sex and relationship education

The “academic core”

Key changes - English

Key changes - Mathematics

Key changes - Mathematics

Key changes - Science

Key changes – Foundation Subjects

Key changes – Foundation Subjects

Key changes – Foundation Subjects

Key changes – Foundation Subjects

Timescale

Changes to assessment “Assessment levels have now been removed and will not be replaced. Schools have the freedom to develop their own means of assessing pupils’ progress towards end of key stage expectations. Many schools already have good assessment systems in place and may choose to continue using these systems, provided they suit the new national curriculum.”

New SATs in 2016 “New assessments will reflect the more challenging national curriculum. Specifically we will: introduce more challenging tests that will report a scaled score at the end of the key stages rather than a level; make detailed performance descriptors available to inform teacher assessment at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. These will be directly linked to the content of the new curriculum; and improve the moderation regime to ensure that teacher assessments are more consistent.”

New SATs in 2016 Expectations: The expected level will be the equivalent of a 4b not a 4c The floor target is for 85% of pupils to reach 4b at Year 6 unless they are lower and have made significant progress since Y2 or YR From 2023 progress, for primaries, will be based on the YR results not Y2 Expected progress for a student means progressing in all three subjects (Reading, Writing and Mathematics), not just one of them

The role of the Governing Body How would you define the main role of a school’s governing body?

The Governing Body and the NC

Key * questions to pose How are preparations progressing? How are we coping with the change in emphasis in mathematics and English? Will this raise standards? If the new curriculum is the base, how are we going to complement it to be broad and balanced? How can the new curriculum breathe new life into the teaching? How can the new curriculum be geared around the school’s aims? How are we planning to track progress without levels? How much will it cost? * deliciously difficult!

Questions

Contact details: Peter Flew 020 8392 3494 peter.flew@roehampton.ac.uk