Part 5: The Curriculum
The National Curriculum The National Curriculum is established by the government, and is followed by schools throughout the country. Then National Curriculum sets out • the subjects that are taught in school • the knowledge, skills, and understanding required in each subject • the standards or attainment targets in each subject, which teachers use to measure progress and plan pupils’ next steps • how progress is assessed and reported. Within the National Curriculum framework, schools are free to plan the teaching and learning of pupils in whatever way best meets the needs of the pupils. At Galley Hill, Literacy; Maths; Information and Communication Technology (ICT—computers); Religious Education (RE); Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE), and French are taught as separate subjects. Other subjects, such as History, Geography, Science, Art, Design and Technology, and Music, are taught using the International Primary Curriculum (IPC).
Key Stages The National Curriculum is organized into Key Stages. There are four Key Stage, plus the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The EYFS covers education before age 5, Key Stage 1 covers children aged 5 to 7 in Years 1 and 2, and Key Stage 2 covers children aged 7 to 11 in Years 3 through 6. Key Stages 3 and 4 are dealt with at secondary school. Children’s progress is assessed in national tests (SATs) at the end of Key Stage 1 and again at the end of Key Stage 2.
The International Primary Curriculum The International Primary Curriculum brings together many curriculum subjects through the study of particular topics. The topics are designed to stir the children’s interest, and include work on Space, the Rainforest, Chocolate, Rivers, Holidays, and many other themes. In addition to covering the Page 23