The National Curriculum

Alex Thomas, Alethia McDonald, Annie-Rose Goodenough and Nicole Doherty

OverviewMain Purposes of the National

Curriculum1870 Elementary Education Act1904 Board of Education

Curriculum1988 Education Reform Act1997- PresentWhat’s to come Activity

Main Purposes To establish an entitlement To establish standards To promote continuity and

coherence To promote public understanding

(QCDA National Curriculum website)

(Cunningham, 2012:24)

1870- Was there a National Curriculum?

“No real National Curriculum” (Dufour, 2011: 5)

“Major emphasis for both boys and girls was on the three R’s” (Dufour, 2011: 5)

Aims

“To produce a skilled workforce who could at least read” (Dufour, 2011:6)

Make women into good housewives and know how to take care of the men.

1904- Board of Education Curriculum Boys Subjects:

English Mathematics Science History Geography Foreign Language Drawing Physical Exercise Music Manual Work

Girls Subjects:

English Mathematics Science History Geography Foreign Language Drawing Physical Exercise Music Housewifery

(Alexander, 2010: 210)

The 1988 Education Reform Act

National Curriculum - England and Wales

Comprehensive Restructuring

Moon (1994) Raising standards Offering a broad and balanced

curriculum

Prior to 1988No statutory state control of the

primary curriculum

A national system of statutory testing

Schools along with teachers were able to implement a curriculum

Maclure,1988:ix‘Most important and far-reaching

piece of educational law making for England and Wales since the Education Act of 1944’

‘Altered the basic power structure of the education system’

What did it introduce? All children to be taught between 5 & 16

years Subjects State imposed Curriculum Programmes of study Teacher autonomy gone – less freedom SAT’s – Structured Provision

‘the price to pay has been a substantial reduction in teacher autonomy and their

professionalism’(Dufour, 2010:27)

Content English Mathematics Science Foreign

Language Geography History Art

Physical Education

Technology Music Basic

curriculum of religious education

Core Subjects It was ‘apparent that testing in

every national curriculum subject was impractical’ (Wyse & Torrence, 2009:215)

‘Core’ subjects – English Maths Science

‘The Core Curriculum includes the subjects that pupils are required to undertake along with other subjects’ (Kirk, 1986:22)

‘Since the implementation in 1988 – the national Curriculum has been subject of numerous consultations and revisions’ (Curtis & Pettigrew,

2010).

New Labour

'Ask me my three main priorities for government and I tell you education,

education, and education' – Tony Blair (1996)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1536466/Fairy-story-of-the-three-Es.html

Labour's Changes

● Excellence in Schools (1997)

● National Literacy Strategy (1998)

● Numeracy Strategies (1999)

● Changes to the National Curriculum (2000)

● Excellence and Enjoyment: A Strategy For Primary Schools

(2003)

● Primary National Strategy (2003)

National StrategiesAim: To raise falling standards.

National Literacy Strategy 1998

● Too much - '...The structure has been applied too rigidly and has hampered development and innovation.' (ATL as stated by Alexander, Cambridge Primary Review)

National Numeracy Strategy 1999

● Considered helpful - 'There are a lot more children enjoying maths than ever used to. They love the oral and mental starter and the class teaching. You can see them humming really, they’re all there – so it’s great – even the less able are far move involve now. (Headteacher, July 2005 as stated by Vulliamy and Webb)'

Primary National Strategy 2003

● Incorporated both the NLS and NNS into the primary national framework for literacy and mathematics. The main aim of the strategy is to help raise standards by giving the teachers new tools to aid them.

Labour's CurriculumCore Subjects

English

Maths

Science

Foundation Subjects

Art and Design

Design and Technology

Geography

History

I.C.T

Physical Education

Music

Also Statutory: Religious Education

Also Required: Sex Education

Recommended: PSHE and Citizenship

The Rose ReviewSir Jim Rose – January 2008

Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum

Recommendations for Change:

● Strengthen the teaching and learning of information and communication technology (ICT) to enable children to be independent and confident users of technology by the end of primary education.

● The review recommends that the primary curriculum is organised into the following six areas of learning:

1) Understanding English, communication and languages

2) Mathematical understanding

3) Scientific and technological understanding

4) Historical, geographical and social understanding

5) Understanding physical development, health and well-being

6) Understanding the arts.

Rose Review (2009)

The future.

Review of the national curriculum• Released on 19th December 2011

• “We have sunk in international league tables and the National Curriculum is substandard. Meanwhile the pace of economic and technological change is accelerating and our children are being left behind. The previous curriculum failed to prepare us for the future. We must change course. Our review will examine the best school systems in the world and give us a world-class curriculum that will help teachers, parents and children know what children should learn at what age.” – Michael Gove, 2011

Recommendations: Aims• Economic: Satisfy future economic needs for individuals and

for the workforce as a whole, including the development of secure knowledge and skills in communication, literacy and mathematics and confidence in acquiring new knowledge and skills.

• Cultural: Appreciate the national cultures, traditions and values of England and the other nations within the UK, whilst recognising diversity and encouraging responsible citizenship.

• Social: Provide opportunities for participation in a broad range of educational experiences and the acquisition of knowledge and appreciation in the arts, sciences and humanities, and of high quality academic and vocational qualifications at the end of compulsory schooling.

• Personal: Support personal development and empowerment so that each pupil is able to develop as a healthy, balanced and self-confident individual and fulfil their educational potential.

• Environmental: Promote understanding of sustainability in the stewardship of resources locally, nationally and globally.

RECOMMNEDATIONS: Assessment & progression

• At the moment:

◦KS1 – LEVEL 2 (5-7)◦KS2 - LEVEL 4 (7-11)◦KS3 – LEVEL 5/6 (11-14)

School Year (age) Key Stage

1 (5-6) KS1

2 (6-7)

3 (7-8) KS2(lower)

4 (8-9)

5 (9-10) KS2 (upper)

6 (10-11)

7 (11-12) KS3

8 (12-13)

9 (13-14) KS4

10 (14-15)

11 (15-16)

Proposing To:

Criticisms Autonomy lost Massive emphasis on core

subjects – teaching to test Haviland (2008) identified that

‘tests would constrain the curriculum as a result of teaching to test’ (Wyse & Torrence, 2009:215).

Critical analysis.• Teachers are to convey the given knowledge of

the curriculum but are free to choose the method in which they wish convey it

- Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, accused ministers of wanting to return to an irrelevant "public school curriculum" based on what they were taught 25 years ago. "Teachers should be allowed to decide the specifics of what is taught, in partnership with employers and the local community, within a broad and balanced centrally agreed framework curriculum.”

Activity

● What was your favourite subject at primary school?

● Has that subject helped you in anyway? For example getting to university.

● Why do you think that subject is important to have in the National curriculum?

References● ALEXANDER, R. (eds.) (2010) Children, their World, their Education: Final report and recommendations of the Cambridge

Primary Review. USA and Canada: Routledge.

● BBC (2007) Blair: In His Own Words [WWW] BBC. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3750847.stm [Accessed 17/02/2012].

● DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT (1999) The National Curriculum handbook for primary teachers in England key stages 1 and 2. London: The Stationery Office.

● DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS (2004) Excellence and enjoyment: A strategy for primary schools [WWW] Department for Education. Available from: http://tna.europarchive.org/20040722013944/dfes.gov.uk/primarydocument/ [Accessed: 17/02/2012].

● DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS (2006) Primary National Strategy: Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics.

● ROSE, J. (2009) Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum: Final Report [WWW] Department for Education. Available from:https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DCSF-00499-2009 [Accessed 17/02/2012].

● UK CHILD CARE (n.d) The Excellence In Schools White Paper [WWW] UK Child Care. Available from: http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/pdfs/1997-excellence-in-schools.pdf [Accessed: 17/02/2012].

● VULLIAMY, G. and WEBB, R. (2007) The impact of New Labour's education policies on classroom practice at KS2. Education Journal, Issue 106, p22-25.

References Alexander, R. (2010) Children, their World, their Education: Final report and

recommendations of The Cambridge Primary Review, Routeledge: London. Cunningham, P. (2012) Politics and the Primary Teacher, Routledge: Oxon. Curtis, W & Pettigrew, A. (2010) Education Studies: Reflective Reader, Learning

Matters: Exeter. Dufour, B & Curtis, W. (2011) Studying Education: an Introduction to the Key

Disciplines in Education Studies, Open University Press: Berkshire Kirk, G. (1986) The Core Curriculum: Changing Perspectives in Education, Hodder

and Stoughton: Kent. Kwon, Y I. (2002) Changing Curriculum for Early Childhood Education in England.

[WWW] University of Cambridge. Available from: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n2/kwon.html [accessed 21/02/12].

Maclure, S. (1988) Education Re-formed: A Guide to the Education Reform Act 1988, Hodder and Stoughton: Kent.

Shepherd,J. Vasagar,J. (2011) National curriculum review puts emphasis on facts. Guardian. 20th Jan, p.1.

The National Curriculum Review – Expert panel report - see GREAT BRITAIN. DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION (2011)

Wyse, D and Torrence, H. (2009) The development and consequences of national curriculum assessment for primary education in England. Educational Research, 52 (2), pp. 213-228.