New Curriculum and Assessment Information Evening

1. New Curriculum and Assessment Information Evening Wednesday 27th January 2016

2. Outcomes of the evening: • The aims of the new primary National Curriculum • How the aims are incorporated in the new curriculum • What the children are being taught • How is progress being assessed? • Sproatley School’s assessment methods

3. The aims of the new primary National Curriculum • To ensure that the new curriculum embodies rigour and high standards and creates coherence in what is taught in schools. • To ensure that all children are taught the essential knowledge in the key subject disciplines and master all aspects of each module. • To allow teachers greater freedom to use their professionalism and expertise to help all children reach their potential.

4. How are the aims incorporated into the new curriculum? • Content is slimmed down in all subjects except for English, Maths and Science. • Teachers are not told what to teach; rather the focus is on the essential knowledge and skills every child should have, giving teachers freedom in shaping the curriculum to suit their pupils' needs. • Children are required to cover subjects two years earlier than peers in top performing nations. • The curriculum is designed to combine the best international practice from school systems in Hong Kong, Singapore, Alberta and Massachusetts, with best practice from schools in England.

5. What are our children actually being taught? • All Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children will be taught English, Maths, Science, Art and Design, Computing, Geography, History, Music and PE. • Key Stage 2 children must also study a foreign language. • Each topic is broken down over the next few slides.

6. English • Phonics and reading for pleasure is a priority • Less of a focus on genre and more on quality writing • Big emphasis on spoken English; debating, reciting poetry and presenting skills • Handwriting will not be assessed but is required to be fluent, legible and speedy

7. Maths • Five year olds are expected to be able to count to 100 (it was previously 20) and learn number bonds to 20 rather than 10 • They will also be required to understand fractions such as ¼ and ½ • By age nine, all children should know their times tables up to 12×12 rather than 10×10 • Focus on mental maths; so no calculators until the end of Key Stage 2 • Children should understand Roman Numerals and will study Binary Code in Year Six

8. Science • Medicines, light and sound, electricity and magnetism all moved up to Key Stage 2 leaving less content in Key Stage 1 • An emphasis on working scientifically • Evolution introduced in Year Six

9. Computing • A big focus on computer programming; from age five, children will learn to write and rest simple programs and organise, store and retrieve data, understand what algorithms are and how programmes work • By age seven, children should understand what computer networks are, including the internet • Internet safety will now be taught from age five (used to only be taught from age 11-16)

10. Design & Technology • Greater importance under new curriculum to encourage children to pursue engineering and design • More sophisticated use of design equipment such as electronics and robotics • Key Stage 2 focus on key events and individuals in design technology Art • Children will use a range of materials and techniques and learn about great artists

11. Geography • Key Stage 1 focus on the UK and factual knowledge of continents and oceans • Europe and America covered at Key Stage 2 History • Key Stage 1 will focus on changes within living memory, on events beyond living memory, significant individuals and significant local industry • Key Stage 2 will focus on chronological progressions through the history of Britain (early Britons to Edward the confessor) • Children will carry out a local historical study and a study of an aspect or theme that extends knowledge beyond 1066

12. Languages • Focus on making significant progress in ONE language in Key Stage 2 Physical Education • By the end of Key Stage 2, children should be able to perform a safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

13. How is their progress being assessed? • Here comes the complicated part; government guidance on assessment has been slow to materialise and as such many teaching unions, school inspectors and governing bodies have rallied against an assessment without levels system which they fear makes measuring progress impossible on a local and national level. • All schools have been urged to develop an assessment system that works for their curriculum. Therefore different schools will have different ways of tracking in year progress now.

14. How is their progress being assessed? • The new curriculum places the emphasis on formative assessment rather than a focus on end of term testing or summative assessment, which the Department for Education says "will allow teachers greater flexibility in the way that they plan and assess pupil's learning". For those children who struggle with the pressure of exams, this new system should present them with a more relaxed approach to testing. • Formative assessment is the ongoing day to day assessment carried out by teachers and pupils, this is very valuable and comes from work in books, observation and talking to the children.

15. How is their progress being assessed? • With the removal of levels, schools are now expected to use National Curriculum expectations and develop a curriculum that teaches this content. This should include an assessment system that enables schools to check if pupils are meeting expectations. The first new National Curriculum Key Stage 1 and 2 tests will be taken in the summer of 2016 for English, Mathematics and Science.

16. How is their progress being assessed? • Children will therefore no longer be judged as to whether they are making two levels of progress between Key Stage 1 and 2, but instead will be judged against the average progress made by similar pupils to them.

17. Key Stage One Statutory Assessment

18. Key Stage Two Statutory Assessment

19. Interim Assessment Frameworks • To assist teacher assessment in Year 2 and Year 6, an interim framework has been produced. This outlines what is required for a child to be defined as “working at the expected standard”. The document also outlines what is “working towards the expected standard” and “working at greater depth within the expected standard”.

20. Sproatley Assessment Explained • With the new curriculum having a greater emphasis on the depth of learning and understanding, rather than just what the children can or can’t do, we have adopted a tiered method of assessment. • When an area of the curriculum is taught, teachers have to decide whether a child has demonstrated a basic, advancing or deep level of understanding.

21. Sproatley Assessment Explained • A basic level of understanding is if a child has proven through their work that they understand something e.g. completing some additions • An advanced level of understanding is if a child can recall that knowledge at a later date, or use it in a more advanced way e.g. solving missing number additions • A deep level of understanding is if a child can correctly use some knowledge in a different context without any prompt e.g. applying addition skills in a science investigation

22. Sproatley Assessment Explained • As the teaching staff deliver the curriculum, they will continue to assess the children using this system. • Half termly a percentage is calculated based on their achievement so far. These percentages are used to track progress. • In order for a child to have met the expected standard they will need to show an advanced level of understanding in all of the objectives within a subject at the end of the year.

23. New Curriculum and Assessment Information Evening Wednesday 27thJanuary 2016