Curriculum and Assessment in SCE Schools
National Curriculum and other national teaching requirements
The English National Curriculum taught in all SCE Schools is a framework used by all "maintained" state schools to ensure that teaching and learning is balanced and consistent. It sets out the stages and subjects a child will be taught during their time at school.
The National Curriculum sets out a clear, full and statutory entitlement to learning for all pupils up to the age of 16. It determines the content of what will be taught and sets attainment targets for learning. It also determines how performance will be assessed and reported. An effective National Curriculum gives teachers, pupils, parents, employers and the wider community a clear and shared understanding of the skills and knowledge that young people will gain at school.
The National Curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure that it continues to meet the changing needs of pupils and society.
Children aged 5 to 16 in school must follow the National Curriculum which sets out:
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the subjects taught
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the knowledge, skills and understanding required in each subject
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standards or attainment targets in each subject (teachers use these to measure a child's progress and plan the next steps in their learning
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how a child's progress is assessed and reported
Within the framework of the National Curriculum, schools are free to plan and organise teaching and learning in the way that best meets the needs of their pupils.
Visit National Curriculum On-line for further information
Many schools use the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Schemes of Work to plan their curriculum and these help to translate the National Curriculum’s objectives into teaching and learning activities.
The National Curriculum is organised on the basis of combinations of year-groups called 'key stages'. There are four key stages plus a ‘Foundation Stage’ which covers education for children before they reach compulsory school age at 5.
Programmes of Study
For each National Curriculum subject, there is a programme of study. The programmes of study describe the subject knowledge, skills and understanding pupils are expected to develop during each key stage.
Find out more about Programmes of Study
National Curriculum levels
The programmes of study also map out a scale of attainment within subjects. In most Key Stage 1, 2, and 3 subjects, these “attainment targets” are split into eight levels, plus a description of “exceptional performance”. The exceptions are Citizenship, which has separate attainment targets for the end of Key Stages 3 and 4 and religious education which has none.
Children develop at different rates, but National Curriculum levels can give parents an idea of how a child’s progress compares to what is typical for their age. For example, by the end of Key Stage 1, most children will have reached level 2, and by the end of Key Stage 2, most will be at level 4.
All SCE schools send a report to parents with information about which National Curriculum levels their child has reached in any formal assessments.
Teachers carry out regular checks on progress in each subject as a normal part of their teaching. At the end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 they will carry out a formal “teacher assessment”, indicating which National Curriculum level best describes each child’s performance in each area of learning.
At Key Stage 1, the teacher’s assessment takes account of a child's performance in several tasks and tests in English and mathematics.
At the end of Key Stages 2 and 3, children take national tests in English, mathematics and science. At the end of Key Stage 4, most pupils sit exams for GCSEs and / or equivalent qualifications.
The tests do not give a complete picture of how a child is doing at school – they provide a “snapshot” showing how each child performed in selected parts of a subject on a particular day. But schools can use the test results as an independent measure of how they, and their pupils, are doing compared to standards across the United Kingdom as a whole.
The Government believes that children should have access to at least two hours of high-quality physical education each week at each Key Stage, including the National Curriculum requirement for physical education. SCE Schools aim to meet this recommended level.
Updated: 13/06/07
