Geographical Association

Government Curriculum Review

The Curriculum Review Consultation was launched on 20 January 2011 when the government published their proposals for a systematic and comprehensive review of the National Curriculum in England for five- to 16-year olds.

This consultation will also:

.. take into account the emerging conclusions of the review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), to ensure a smooth transition from the EYFS to Key Stage 1.

You can read more about the reasons and principles behind the consultation and view comments from members of the advisory and expert panel on the DfE website.

Schools White Paper

The Education Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on Wednesday 26 January 2011 following the publication of the schools White Paper The Importance of Teaching, and marks an important step in implementing the Government's education reform programme.

The GA has prepared an initial response to the White Paper with particular emphasis on the National Curriculum Review. Chief Executive David Lambert has also written Understanding the new policy environment: A GA Think Piece and Guide in which he responds to particular aspects of the White Paper.

You can register to receive email updates about the progress of the Education Bill on the Government UK website.

Q. What subjects are under review?

Q. What is the timescale of the Review?

Q. Will the new National Curriculum be taught in academies and Free Schools?

Q. What are the implications for geography?

Q. What is the statutory requirement for us now when planning a curriculum? What do we have to do?

Q. How can I respond to the consultation?

Q. What about assessment?

Q. What about Key Stage 2 testing?

Q. What other initiatives are influencing curriculum development?

Q. Where can I find support for developing our curriculum?

The review will consider all subjects which are currently part of the National Curriculum:

• Art and Design
• Citizenship
• Design and Technology
• English
• Geography
• History
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Mathematics
• Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
• Music
• Physical Education (PE)
• Science

The DfE states that it is not appropriate to have Programmes of Study for RE, which should be locally determined, hence:

The Government does not intend to make any changes to the statutory basis for religious education.

Read more about the remit of the Review on the DfE website.

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The review will take place in two phases:

Phase 1

The core subjects of English, mathematics and science will automatically remain subjects within the National Curriculum, with statutory Programmes of Study (POS) from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4. PE is also confirmed as a statutory subject across all four key stages. The first phase of the review will therefore consider the essential knowledge (e.g. facts, concepts, principles and fundamental operations) children need to be taught in order to progress and develop their understanding in these subjects, and draft new POS with a view to them being statutory and taught in maintained schools from September 2013.

The first phase of the review will also consider whether each of the remaining subjects listed in 'What subjects are under review?' should be part of the National Curriculum with statutory POS, and if so, at which key stages. For any subjects that are not recommended to be National Curriculum subjects in the future, the review will advise on whether there should be non-statutory POS available at particular key stages, and/or whether those subjects – or any aspects of them – should nevertheless be compulsory but with what is taught being decided at local level. The additional subjects for inclusion in the new curriculum will be announced in Spring 2012, shortly after the call for evidence for Phase 2.

Phase 2

The second Phase of the consultation will commence early 2012 and will consult on what the POS should be for those additional subjects to be included in the new curriculum. Announcements about the new POS will be made in Spring 2013, published by September 2013 and become statutory for teaching from September 2014.

Summary

Statutory and new POS for English, mathematics, science and PE will be published by September 2012, with teaching in maintained schools to commence from September 2013. New POS for other subjects to be included in the new curriculum will be available to schools by September 2013, with teaching in maintained schools to commence from September 2014.

The key milestones and dates of this process can be viewed in this table.

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Academies and Free Schools will retain their existing freedom to depart from the National Curriculum where they consider it appropriate, but they are required by law, like all schools, to teach a broad and balanced curriculum.

All state schools will be held accountable for their performance in tests and exams which reflect the National Curriculum.

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In the first phase of the Review, it will be decided whether geography should be a statutory part of the new curriculum and if so at which key stages.

Although we are confident that geography will have a place within a new curriculum, we believe that geography needs to be a statutory subject in both Key Stage 1 and 2. One key justification for this is the 2011 Ofsted Report Geography: learning to make a world of difference which states how important this subject is - today, more than ever.

We also know that engagement with geographical thinking and activities supports language development in the early years and is essential in challenging and informing children's growing misconceptions and ideas about peoples, cultures, places and processes.

Not least, geography education provides a motivating and real-world context for other areas of learning, helping children to make connections across the curriculum as they make sense of their place in the world.

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What should schools be doing now?

Until the new National Curriculum is introduced, state schools are legally required to continue to follow the current National Curriculum for primary and secondary schools. Information on that curriculum is available on the QCDA website.

Curriculum materials on the QCDA and DfE websites are currently being slimmed down in line with ministers' pledge to reduce the amount of guidance and material aimed at schools so that teachers are free to use their professional judgement more.

This information is taken directly from the DfE website.

Until the time that a new law is passed, the National Curriculum (2000) is the statutory document that sets out what should be taught but it is up to teachers and schools to decide how. There are lots of other 'freedoms' to decide what content is used. See this extract from Excellence and Enjoyment (2003).

Any new statutory POS for geography are not planned to come into force until September 2014, so if you are struggling to get adequate geography into your school, please do point out to your headteacher what the current statutory requirements of the subject are and that fieldwork is a part of this.

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You can add your comments to our curriculum review page.

The Early Years and Primary Phase Committee in collaboration with the Primary Geography Editorial Board are preparing a response which will be available here soon.

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The review will provide advice on the following:

• The extent to which the content of the National Curriculum should be set out on a year-by-year basis in order to ensure that knowledge is built systematically and consistently
• What, if anything, should replace existing attainment targets and level descriptors to define better the standards of attainment children should reach, and be assessed against, at various points through their education
• What is needed to provide expectations for progression to support the least able and stretch the most able
• How the National Curriculum can support the provision of more helpful advice and information to parents on their child’s progress
• How the content of the National Curriculum can support the embedding of equality and inclusion

In the meantime, the current Level Descriptions in the National Curriculum remain and should be used by teachers to achieve a 'best fit' for students at the end of a key stage.

GA members can download the Spring 2008 issue of Primary Geography devoted to curriculum assessment which explains and gives examples of practice in summative and formative assessment and sets out what is expected regarding the National Curriculum.

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The Final Report of the Review into Key Stage 2 testing, assessment and accountability led by Lord Bew was published on 23 June 2011.

The report discusses the evidence, outlines the conclusions reached by Lord Bew and the panel and sets out their final recommendations. It follows on from the Progress Report, which was published in April and summarised evidence submitted to the panel.

The Review looked at a number of issues, including:

• How best to ensure schools are properly accountable to pupils, parents and the taxpayer for the achievement and progress of every child, on the basis of objective and accurate assessments
• How to ensure parents have good-quality information on the progress of their children and the success of schools
• How to avoid, as far as possible, the risk of perverse incentives, over-rehearsal and reduced focus on productive learning
• How to ensure performance information is used and interpreted appropriately within the accountability system by other agencies, increasing transparency and preserving accountability to parents, pupils and the taxpayer while avoiding the risk of crude and narrow judgments being made

Watch this short video clip of Lord Bew speaking about the Review.

For further information and analysis read this BBC report (23.06.11) summarising the proposals and the TES article 'Writing tests to be dropped' (24.06.11).

You may also be interested in this response to the Review by Professor Colin Richards, former HMI and member of the Cambridge Primary Review team, entitled 'Watching white paint dry - first reactions on reading the executive summary of the Bew Report'.

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The Cambridge Primary Review (CPR) is building on the findings of their independent and wide-ranging review. One year on from their final report, they have launched a national network to support those who are keen to explore or put into practice the Review's ideas and recommendations.

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The GA has been actively supporting teachers in curriculum-making for many years and there are a wealth of resources to help you with this on the GA website.

Why not try some of our free online CPD courses? Many of the activities and ideas show how geography can be used in interdisciplinary contexts. If you don't have the time to complete an entire course you can dip in and get some inspiration.

We also run a range of face-to-face courses for teachers - check out our Leading Primary courses taking place in March and our Primary National Conferences taking place in June.

You may also like to join in the discussions on our Primary Geography Champions website or attend one of the free twilight sessions being offered around the country by our Champs.

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