The UK School Curriculum

In England there is a National Curriculum for all state educated pupils. It sets out a clear, full and statutory entitlement to learning for all pupils. 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.

From September 2002, the National Curriculum has included citizenship as part of the statutory curriculum for secondary schools.
In the late 1990s, the Government launched National Numeracy and Literacy strategies. The aim of these strategies is to raise standards of primary school pupils in these key skill areas. If you intend to teach primary school pupils you will need to ensure that you are familiar with the requirements of the strategies.

The curriculum defines four ‘key stages’, and ten statutory subjects:

  • key stage 1: up to age seven (school year group 1,2)
  • key stage 2: seven to eleven (school year groups 3,4,5,6)
  • key stage 3: eleven to fourteen (school year groups 7,8,9)
  • key stage 4: fourteen to sixteen (school year groups 10,11)

 

Key stages one and two are the primary phase, and key stages three and four constitute the secondary phase. There are three ‘core’ subjects, which are:
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science

There are nine other ‘foundation’ subjects which are:
  • Design Technology
  • History
  • Geography
  • Music
  • Art and Design
  • Physical Education
  • A Modern Foreign Language - French, Spanish, German, Italian
  • ICT
  • Citizenship
All children in key stages one to three must study the first nine of these subjects. In key stage three, they must also study a modern foreign language. Pupils aged fourteen to sixteen must study the core subjects, technology, a modern foreign language and physical education, plus either history or geography or short courses in both.

For more information please visit the National Curriculum online at www.nc.uk.net or the National Curriculum in Wales online at www.accac.org.uk