The New Curriculum Bearnes Voluntary Primary School October 2014

The New Curriculum In September 2014 the primary school curriculum received a radical shake up. The main aim is to raise standards. All maintained schools have to follow the new curriculum but Academies and Free Schools are exempt.

Key Facts The new curriculum is intended to be more challenging. The content is slimmer than the current curriculum. The focus is on essential core subject knowledge and skills. The content of the National Curriculum must be taught. It is very knowledge based. ‘How’ is down to individual schools.

Key Facts The study of languages is compulsory in key stage 2. ICT is replaced with computing. No PSHE or RE is contained within the New Curriculum (still to be taught) Evolution will be taught in primary schools for the first time.

English Replaces literacy in old curriculum Increased expectations Phonics still predominant in KS1. Children reciting poetry, developing language use KS2 Vocabulary and SPAG expectations have been raised (.C!? Now in year 1). Emphasis on planning/drafting/evaluating/revising texts.

Mathematics Increased expectations Five year olds will be expected to count to 100 (20 in old curriculum) and learn number bonds to 20 (was 10) Simple fractions (1/4 ½) will be taught in KS1 and by the end of KS2 children will be expected to convert decimal fractions to simple fractions.

Mathematics By age nine, children will be expected to know all times tables up to 12x12 (old curriculum expectations were 10x10 by end of primary) Calculators will not be introduced until near the end of KS2 to encourage mental arithmetic.

External Assessment This year SATS will remain the same. Details have not been published yet as to what will happen in the future. Addition of new SPAG test in KS1 EYFS will be tested either on entry or at the end of the year but we are awaiting further instruction on this.

Internal Assessment State schools were using a standard system of assessing and reporting in all year groups. This has been scrapped. There has been no nationally agreed new system. Schools are still expected to track progress and report to parents but how they do this is down to individual schools.

Changes at Bearnes Tracking points IPC - curriculum mapping (where parts don’t fit we will teach independently) Experience days. Natural learning. Discovery Time Learning detectives – revamp of marking and feedback policy.

And finally… Time of change for children, teachers and parents. As we go through the year we will keep you fully updated so you have a clear idea of what, when and how your child will learn. As with all changes there are positive and less positive things about it. It is important to us here at Hennock that our children remain at the heart of what we do.

Soon we will be asking….. What was the fuss all about!! Any questions? (we won’t promise to answer them all!)