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PRIMARY
The National Curriculum - what it sets out
The National Curriculum is a framework used by schools in England to ensure that teaching and learning is balanced and consistent.
It sets out:
- the subjects taught
- the knowledge, skills and understanding required in each subject
- standards or attainment targets in each subject - teachers can use these to measure your child's progress and plan the next steps in their learning
- how your child's progress is assessed and reported
Within the framework of the National Curriculum, schools are free to plan and organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils.
We use the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) Schemes of Work to plan their curriculum. These help to translate the National Curriculum’s objectives into teaching and learning activities.
We also use the National Primary Frameworks for Literacy and Mathematics to help plan and deliver the curriculum for English and Mathematics. Again, these frameworks help to translate the National Curriculum’s objectives into teaching and learning activities.
The National Curriculum key stages
The National Curriculum is organised into blocks of years called 'key stages'.
There are two key stages in the Primary School as well as an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The EYFS covers education for children before they reach five (compulsory school age).
| Age |
Year |
Key Stage (KS) |
Assessment |
| 3-4 |
|
EYFS |
|
| 4-5 |
Reception |
EYFS |
|
| 5-6 |
Year 1 |
KS1 |
|
| 6-7 |
Year 2 |
KS1 |
Teacher assessments in English, maths and science |
| 7-8 |
Year 3 |
KS2 |
|
| 8-9 |
Year 4 |
KS2 |
|
| 9-10 |
Year 5 |
KS2 |
|
| 10-11 |
Year 6 |
KS2 |
National tests and teacher assessments in English, maths and science |
Measuring progress
Programmes of study
For each National Curriculum subject, there is a programme of study. The programmes of study describe the subject knowledge, skills and understanding pupils are expected to develop during each key stage.
National Curriculum levels
The programmes of study also map out a scale of attainment within the subject. In most Key Stage 1, 2, and 3 subjects, these “attainment targets” are split into eight levels, plus a description of “exceptional performance”.
Children develop at different rates, but National Curriculum levels can give you an idea of how your child’s progress compares to what is typical for their age. For example, by the end of Key Stage 1, most children will have reached level 2, and by the end of Key Stage 2, most will be at level 4.
The school will send you a report telling you what National Curriculum levels your child has reached in any formal assessments.
Teacher assessments
Your child’s teacher will carry out regular checks on their progress in each subject as a normal part of their teaching. At the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 they will carry out a formal “teacher assessment”, indicating which National Curriculum level best describes your child’s performance in each area of learning.
'End of key stage' tests
At the end of Key Stage 1, the teacher’s assessment of your child’s progress will take account of their performance in English and maths, measured by tasks and tests that are administered informally.
At the end of Key Stages 2, your child will take national tests in English, and Maths
The tests won’t give you a complete picture of how your child is doing at school – they provide a “snapshot”, showing how they performed in selected parts of a subject on a particular day. But schools can use the test results as an independent measure of how they, and their pupils, are doing compared to standards across all the schools that use the National Curriculum.
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