1. Lowton Junior & Infant School
Encouraging Growth
Thursday 10th September 2015
National Curriculum 2014
and
Changes in Assessment

2. Aims of Meeting
Share information about the New National Curriculum 2014
Explain national changes in assessment at primary school
Explain how Lowton J&I will report your child’s progress to you
Share where you can find further information.
Opportunity for questions

3. The New National Curriculum 2014
1988 – Education Reform Act brings in the first National Curriculum (along with GCSEs)
2014 Curriculum focus on Excellence and Core Skills and 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

4. Why change things? Raising standards Be more challenging and rigorous
Compete internationally

5. What are the main changes?

6. New Primary Curriculum for English
Increased challenge, including developing “stamina” for writing
Longer compositions 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.

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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Watch this space for information on SATs meetings for parents
KS1 & KS2 SATs
Watch this space for information on SATs meetings for parents

13. Key Message from Lowton J & I
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.

14. Assessment Without Levels
• As the Government removed the old National Curriculum it also removed the old levels, eg 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

15. What are we doing at Lowton J&I?
• 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 (Target Tracker)
Staff meetings and professional conversations regarding judgements
Some tests to support our judgements

16. Year Group Expectations
•Tim Oates –explaining the rationale behind assessment without levels –click here

17. Lowton J&I’s Model of Assessment without Levels
• Clear for staff, pupils & parents (What did 3b look like anyway?)
• Judgements of ‘Beginning to’, ‘Working Within’, ‘Secure’ or ‘Exceeded’ Year Group
Expectations will be reported to parents/carers – different language
Some children may not yet be working within or beginning to work within their year group expectations (bespoke interventions)
• To get ‘Secure’ children need to have met 85% or more of the Year Group
Expectations

18. How We Will Report Your Child’s Progress to You?
• Still hold parent’s evenings in the Autumn and Spring Terms (although the
language we use will be different
Still send home end of year reports (although they may look a little different)
We will hold more open mornings to share children’s work and chat informally with your child’s teacher
We will continue to have our ‘Open Door Policy’ from 8.35am – 8.45am

19. What information will you receive? How can you find out more?
This presentation will be published on our school website
Year group meetings with teachers for Reading, Writing and Maths where Year Group Expectations will be explained further
Parent’s Guide to the New National Curriculum 2014 will be available to download on our school website
Please please ask. We are happy to share any information regarding your child’s progress and how you can support them too

20. Aims of Meeting
Share information about the New National Curriculum 2014
Explain national changes in assessment at primary school
Explain how Lowton J&I will report your child’s progress to you
Share where you can find further information.
Opportunity for questions
Please complete our questionnaire – communication with and feedback from our parents is always invaluable.