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This term, it is ‘all change’ in primary schools in England as teachers work to address the demands of the new programmes of study and embed them into their everyday practice.
The whole primary curriculum has been revised to make it more demanding. Learning a Foreign Language has been made compulsory at Key Stage 2 and Computing has been introduced to replace Information and Communication Technology (ICT). In addition, there is the added complexity that Year 2 and Year 6 students will continue to be taught the old curriculum until September 2015.
EducationCity’s Hybrid Curriculum Map for 2014/15
EducationCity’s hybrid Curriculum Map has been introduced for the academic year 2014/15 to help bridge the gap between the new National Curriculum (NC2014) and the older National Curriculum. This will enable Year 2 and Year 6 students, who are still being tested on the old National Curriculum, to be taught to the correct objectives.
In 2015/16, all primary years will be required to teach to the new National Curriculum and EducationCity will map fully to the NC2014.
If your school has decided to teach the new NC2014 from September 2014 across all years, you do have the option to switch to the NC2014 early. Simply contact the team to activate.
Structural Changes to the Curriculum
More demanding, the new curriculum has also bought with it significant changes to core subjects, such as Mathematics and English, where skills previously learnt in KS3 are being moved down into KS2 and some skills learnt in KS2 are being moved down into KS1. For example, in Mathematics, calculations using fractions, a former KS3 topic, now forms part of the learning objectives in KS2. You will notice as part of your subscription that KS3 content for Maths, Science, English, Spanish and French has now been moved down and re-mapped to KS2 to meet these NC2014 objectives.
Computing
The new Computing curriculum comprises three elements – Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy. For many teachers, coding, which can be found in Computer Science, may present one of the biggest challenges. EducationCity’s Computing module offers a solution to support teachers in the delivery of the new Computing curriculum. Mapped to National Curriculum learning objectives, its content is an engaging and rewarding way to learn Key Stage 1 and 2 concepts and topics. Learn more by clicking here.
Foreign Languages
A Foreign Language, already taught in some schools, is now mandatory at KS2. EducationCity has two fantastic language modules, French and Spanish, which are perfect to support teachers through this change. Along with new content, EducationCity has released a new interactive quiz, PlayLive French, for Key Stage 2 in which students test their knowledge of French language and culture against others within a timed, competitive environment.
SATs
SATs will remain in place and for one year will be based on the older National Curriculum. From May 2015, they will be based on the NC2014 and a scaled score will be introduced in which pupils achieving a mark of 100 (equivalent to a level 4B in the old system) will be deemed to be ‘secondary ready’. Schools will be expected to get 85% of their students to this standard. Schools will also be required to put in place their own on-going assessment procedures for monitoring progress and reporting.
EducationCity Tests are great for SATs practice and can be used for summative and formative assessments. Each test is scored, levelled and saved to the student’s profile. Furthermore, on completion, a Revision Journal is created for each student, identifying specific areas of weakness and addressing them with suggested content for improvement.
As always, EducationCity strives to support its teachers through this challenging time, with not just content but supportive materials and guidance from our expert team.