The National Curriculum Review
The Government set out in the Coalition Agreement its commitment to give schools greater freedom over the curriculum. As part of that commitment, the Government has announced proposals for a systematic and comprehensive review of the National Curriculum in England for 5- to 16-year olds.
The principal objectives for the review are to:
- Give teachers greater professional freedom over how they organise and teach the curriculum;
- Develop a National Curriculum that acts as a benchmark for all schools and provides young people with the knowledge they need to move confidently and successfully through their education, taking into account the needs of different groups including the most able and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND);
- Ensure that the content of our National Curriculum compares favourablywith the most successful international curricula in the highest performing jurisdictions, reflecting the best collective wisdom we have about how children learn and what they should know;
- Set rigorous requirements for pupil attainment, which measure up to those in the highest performing jurisdictions in the world;
- Enable parents to understand what their children should be learning throughout their school career and therefore to support their education.
The review will consider all subjects which are currently part of the National Curriculum.
The core subjects of English, mathematics and science will remain subjects within the National Curriculum, with statutory Programmes of Study from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4.
It also states in the review that children need access to high-quality physical education. Therefore physical education will also remain a compulsory part of the National Curriculum at all four key stages and the first phase of the review will advise ministers on a much simplified and less prescriptive Programme of Study.
It is proposed that the revised curriculum for physical education will set out a clearer expectation that all pupils should play competitive sport, and will retain the expectation that all children learn to swim.
A “Call of Evidence” was issued on 20 January 2011, inviting all interested parties to contribute to the review and the development of the new National Curriculum, and a further Call for Evidence will be issued in early 2012 for phase 2 of the review. Teaching the new programme of study for English, mathematics, science and Physical Education becomes statutory in September 2013.
For further information about the review please click here.
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