Changes include enforcing changes such as computer coding in primary schools, more emphasis on essay writing, more problem-solving tasks and mathematical modelling.
Teachers’ unions have warned that the timetable for implementing the changes in autumn 2014 is “completely unrealistic” and academies – which are now a majority of secondary schools – will not be required to follow the curriculum. Mr Cameron may describe the changes as “rigorous, engaging and tough,” but teaching staff are really struggling to keep up with the impending changes as well as completing their day-to-day duties and responsibilities. With that in mind, here’s a quick summary of the NC variations:
There will also be more of an emphasis on spoken English has a greater emphasis, with children to be taught debating and presenting skills.
Foreign Languages will be mandatory at KS2 and will include both a modern language and an ancient one such as Latin or Greek. Children will be expected to master basic grammar and accurate pronunciation and to converse, present, read and write in the language. This is really a factor found in other European educational curriculum that the British government have wanted to include in our learning for some time now.
History takes primary pupils through British history from the Stone Age to the Normans. “Significantindividuals” studied shall include Elizabeth 1st, Neil Arm
strong, Rosa Parks and suffragette Emily Davison. Secondary schools will teach British history from 1066 to 1901, followed by Britain, Europe and world events from 1901, including the Holocaust and the Winston Churchill era. This is a less detailed curriculum than an earlier draft and raises the dilemma of learning about more recent history at an older age whilst studying early history such as the Stone Age at a simplistic level at Primary-age.
The proposed overall structure of the new curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 is set out in the table below:
Chris Keates, leader of the NASUWT teachers’ union, accused the education secretary of “trotting out tired old and false assertions about England’s alleged slide down the international leagues tables as a justification for tearing up the qualifications and curriculum framework and pursuing his personal ideological crusade”.
Despite the vast changes that some education professionals have regarded negatively, schools will actually be free to decide how they structure the school day for themselves. School leaderships teams will, of course be obliged to ensure they include and utilise all the government’s changes. In fact, there will be no prescribed system for ongoing assessment and reporting meaning schools will create or choose their own.
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 and schools are required to set out their school curriculum for English, Mathematics and Science on a year-by-year basis and make this information available online for the public.
The main aim is to raise standards, particularly as the UK is slipping down international student achievement league tables based on exam results. Inspired by what is taught in the world’s most successful schools and school systems it’s designed to produce productive, creative and well-educated students.
