News From the DCSF
Primary Curriculum
Major Reform to Curriculum at the Heart of a Renewed PUsh to Drive Up Standards
Teachers Welcome More Flexibility in the Primary Curriculum
Evolution Made Compulsory and Importance of British History Confirmed in New Areas of Learning
Schools Minister Vernon Coaker has today confirmed plans to bring in a new curriculum to shake-up primary education – with overwhelming support from pupils, parents, teachers and experts. He said that it is time for Government to step back and let schools take more responsibility for their own curriculum.
In new legislation introduced today on primary curriculum reform in England to drive up education standards across the board, Vernon Coaker also confirmed that evolution will become a compulsory part of science education and that British history will be a key, and permanent, feature of the historical, geographical and social understanding area of learning.
The new legislation is based on recommendations from an independent review of the primary curriculum by Sir Jim Rose, which sought the views of teachers, parents, pupils and subject experts and took over a year to complete. The Government accepted Jim Rose’s recommendations in full in April this year.
The reforms included creating six ‘Areas of learning’ that will shape what children learn from September 2011, the right to learn a foreign language for 7 year olds, a new focus on speaking and listening, increased expectations of ICT skills, and giving all parents the option to send their child to school in the September after they are 4.
Along with the final six areas of learning, the Government today also published the findings of the public consultation, showing overwhelming support – with over 70% of teachers, parents, pupils and education experts saying the new curriculum will provide a sound basis for primary education. The results also showed that 7 out of ten people think Jim Rose’s proposals will reduce prescription in teaching, and increase flexibility in learning.
Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:
“What and how our children learn lies at the heart of our policies to raise standards. We’ve seen that an inspiring and rigorous curriculum can transform failing schools, which is why these plans are based on the very best practice from this country’s top-class teachers.
“Ten years ago, we had to take a direct approach to drive up standards in primary schools – and fast. We introduced new national strategies to get children up to speed with the three Rs and we now have pioneering programmes like Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts. Coupled with record increases in per pupil funding, we know our interventions have worked. Since the mid-nineties, we’ve leapt from 17th to 7th in the international league tables for maths, around 100,000 more 11 year olds now leave primary school secure in English and science results at Key Stage two have risen by 19 percentage points since 1997.
“Laying firm foundations in our primary schools was vital, but it resulted in a top-down approach with too much prescription from the centre and a curriculum cluttered with too many must-dos. If we truly expect schools to reach the next level and become not just good, but great, the power has to rest with Heads to drive their own improvement.
“This is why we’re moving to a new curriculum, with 6 areas of learning rather than stand alone subjects. Teachers will have more freedom to use their professional judgement and creativity to make links between subjects that make sense to their pupils: from linking history to the arts, or science to PE.
“But what we are absolutely clear on is that a more flexible, more locally determined curriculum will still focus on the basics. We’re making literacy, numeracy and ICT the backbone of every lesson and are underpinning everything schools do with developing pupils’ personal, emotional and social skills. And along with the guarantee of 1 to 1 tuition for those falling behind in English and maths, all pupils should leave primary school with the skills they need.
“I believe that giving schools the freedom and flexibility to build on the solid foundations of Jim Rose’s new curriculum will set a new standard in primary education in this country.”
Sir Jim Rose said:
"I am delighted that the recommendations of the Primary Curriculum Review have been accepted. This is a curriculum for the 21st Century that seeks to secure the best possible progress and outcomes for every child, throughout their primary years."
The findings of the consultation showed high levels of support for Sir Jim’s main proposals. In addition:
- 71 per cent agreed that they will help children make useful links between related subjects;
- 83 per cent agreed that the proposals to integrate ICT through the curriculum will help children use technology to enhance their learning;
- 70 per cent agreed that the proposed curriculum will give schools more flexibility to adapt to the needs of their children; and
- 69 per cent agreed that the proposed curriculum is less prescriptive than the existing curriculum and provides schools with greater flexibility to adapt the curriculum to the needs of their pupils.
Due to the positive response to Jim Rose’s proposals, few changes were made to the proposed Areas of Learning. However, after consulting with parents, teachers, the science community and other interested parties, pupils will be expected to explicitly cover evolution as part of their learning. Learning about evolution is an important part of science education, and pupils already learn about it at secondary school. The revised Area of Learning for historical, geographical and social understanding also confirms that learning about British history as a key feature as to why this area is important.
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