National Curriculum 2014 = changes to assessment!

Aims of the meeting… Share information about the National Curriculum Explain national changes in assessment at primary school Explain how Stamfordham First School will report your child’s progress to you Share where you can find further information Opportunity for questions

Learners in the Future Learners TodayLearners in the Past Used books Learnt by rote Passive learners Physically active Conventional family unit Little technology Authority figures respected Years for learning shorter Long working life Shorter retirement Use books Learn actively 24/7 world Greater proportion physically inactive Less conventional family units Technological advances Role models Learning more accessible Shorter working life Longer retirement Choose what and how to learn? Family units? More advanced Technologies Learning? Work life? Retirement?

The New National Curriculum (from 2014 for children in years 1,3 and 5 and 2015 for everyone) 1988 – Education Reform Act brings in the first National Curriculum (along with GCSEs) 2014 Curriculum focus on Excellence and Core Skills, more knowledge based More ambitious end of year expectations Do we have to do it? Yes, it is statutory for all maintained primary and secondary schools, but schools deliver it their own way!

What are the main changes?

Increased challenge, including developing “stamina” for writing Longer compositions (writing) and proof-reading of own writing Increased focus on composition, structure and convention Greatly increased expectations in grammar, punctuation and spelling Emphasis on reading for pleasure, re-reading books and reading aloud Increased focus on engaging with and interpreting texts Learning of poetry (including reciting poetry) introduced. New Primary Curriculum for English

New Primary Curriculum for Maths Bigger emphasis on problem solving and challenge Fluency Mathematical reasoning

Five-year-olds will be expected to learn to count up to 100 (compared to 20 under the ‘old’ curriculum) and learn number bonds to 20 (was up to 10) Simple fractions (1/4, 1/3 1/2) will be taught from KS1, and by the end of primary school, children should be able to add and multiply fractions By the age of nine, children will be expected to know times tables up to 12×12 (was 10×10 by the end of primary school) Calculators will not be introduced until near the end of KS2, to encourage mental arithmetic.

New Primary Curriculum for Science Strong focus on scientific knowledge and language, and working scientifically Evolution will be taught in primary schools for the first time

New Primary Curriculum for Computing Computing replaces 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 – was only taught from – is now taught in primary schools

New Primary Curriculum for Languages Now statutory in KS2, a modern foreign language or ancient language (Latin or Greek). Children will be expected to master basic grammar and accurate pronunciation and to converse, present, read and write in the language

Key Message Please do not confuse the New National Curriculum with our School Curriculum. The New National Curriculum tells us what to teach, but it doesn’t tell us how to teach it. We still believe that a broad, balanced curriculum that promotes spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development will prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Assessment Without Levels As the Government removed the old National Curriculum, it also removed the old levels e.g. 2a, 3b etc It did not replace them… The Government has left it to individual schools to come up with their own models for assessment

What are we doing at SFS? Every year group in school has clearly identified Year Group Expectations in the new National Curriculum Assessment against these makes sense (not how many marks on a test) Teachers will use ongoing teacher assessment, questioning, children’s work and discussion to make judgements Staff meetings and professional conversations regarding judgements Some tests to support our judgements

SFS and Assessment without Levels Clear for staff, pupils & parents (What did 3b look like anyway?) Judgements of ‘Entering’, ‘Developing, ‘Securing’ or ‘Mastery’ of year group expectations will be reported to parents/carers – this will be different Some children may not yet be working within or beginning to work within their year group expectations (bespoke interventions) To get ‘Securing’, children need to have met 85% or more of the year group expectations

How We Will Report Your Child’s Progress to You? Still hold parent’s evenings in the Autumn and Summer Terms (although the language we use will be different) Still send home year reports in the spring term (although they may look a little different) We will continue to have our ‘Open Door Policy’ via Dawn and the school office

What information will you receive? How can you find out more? 1. This presentation will be published on our school website 2. Parent’s Guide to the New National Curriculum 2014 will be available to download on our school website 3. Please, please ask! We are happy to share any information regarding your child’s progress and how you can support them too.

“More important than the curriculum and assessment is the question of the methods of teaching and the spirit in which the teaching is given.” Bertrand Russell

Aims of Meeting re-visited! Share information about the National Curriculum 2014 Explain national changes in assessment at primary school Explain how we will report your child’s progress to you Share where you can find further information Opportunity for questions.