Each area of the country is divided into local education authorities. They are responsible for the staffing and maintenance of all schools in the area, except independent schools and voluntary aided schools (see below).
Those schools which are owned by trustees and jointly maintained by the trustees and the council. They are often supported by a religious denomination (e.g. Roman Catholic).
These are more commonly known as state schools. The government provides this education free and 93 % of children attend state schools.
are funded by the government but are not run by the local council. They have more control over how they do things. They are ‘all-ability’ schools, so can’t use academic selection processes like a grammar school. They do not have to follow the national curriculum.
are publicly funded independent schools. don’t have to follow the national curriculum and can set their own term times. They still have to follow the same rules on admissions, special educational needs and exclusions as other state schools. get money direct from the government, not the local council. They are run by an academy trust which employs the staff.
- Office for Standards in Education
Inspectors assess a school’s performance regularly to ensure that standards of education are being maintained. A team of inspectors visit every school at least once every 3 years, though some schools may be monitored more regularly.
Standard Attainment Tasks ()
These are national tests that are taken by all school children at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. All children will take the same tests. Children are tested in Maths, English and Science (Science from 2) to assess their level of knowledge, skills and understanding.
Subjects
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Further information and examples can be found in the national curriculum programmes of study for mathematics (Department for Education 2013)
set out in detail how a topic is dealt with in a lesson. Some useful links can be found at http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/
Special Educational Needs ()
A child is said to have special educational needs when special arrangements have to be made for that child to learn successfully. About 20 % of the school population has special educational needs of varying kinds. A special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) is the teacher in the school with responsibility for the special needs arrangements. For those children whose special educational needs cannot be met within the resources available to a school the will make a statement specifying the educational provision the child should have and ensure that resources are available to meet this need.
In-Service Education and Training Days ()
days are set aside to allow teachers to update their skills and knowledge in order to raise pupil achievement.
Newly Qualified Teacher ()
Teachers who have just completed initial teacher training and who are in their first year of teaching.
Head of Year ()
Teacher with responsibility for monitoring and managing the welfare, guidance and progress of all pupils in a year group.
5.2 The National Curriculum in England (September, 2001)
The national curriculum in England is statutory. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), an independent statutory body oversees all national curriculum and assessment matters. The National Curriculum is structured in 4 Key Stages or phases of learning:
1 - pupils aged 5 to 7
2 - pupils aged 7 to 10
3 - pupils aged 11 to 14
4 - pupils aged 14 to 16. (This stage is examined by means of GCSE or GNVQ)
The national curriculum consists of 10 subjects which state- are required by law to teach. Three of the subjects are core subjects: English, Mathematics and Science. The others are shown in the table below which indicates at what age the subjects are studied from:
Table 5.1: National Curriculum subjects by (✓ = taught at that stage).
Subject
KS1 (5–7)
KS2 (7–11)
KS3 (11–14)
KS4 (14–16)
English
✓
✓
✓
✓
Mathematics
✓
✓
✓
✓
Science
✓
✓
✓
✓
Physical Education
✓
✓
✓
✓
Design and Technology
✓
✓
✓
✓
Information and Communication Technology
✓
✓
✓
✓
Modern Foreign Language
✓
✓
Citizenship
✓
✓
History
✓
✓
✓
Optional
Geography
✓
✓
✓
Optional
Music
✓
✓
✓
Optional
Art
✓
✓
✓
Optional
Citizenship was introduced as a new national curriculum subject for 11 to 16 years olds in August 2002. Religious education, collective worship, sex education and careers are not part of the national curriculum, but all schools are required by law to include them within the curriculum.
Table 5.2: National Curriculum year, age, , and assessment structure.
National Curriculum Year
Age in years rising
Tests/Exams
Expected attainment for the majority of pupils at the end of the
1
6
1
-
2
7
1
– English, Maths
Level 2
3
8
2
-
4
9
2
-
5
10
2
-
6
11
2
School assessment – English, Maths, Science
Level 4
7
12
3
-
8
13
3
-
9
14
3
-
Level 5/6
10
15
4
-
11
16
4
The curriculum for each subject is specified in programmes of study (the matters, skills and processes to be taught) and attainment targets (the knowledge, skills and understanding to be acquired). It is for schools to choose how they organise their school curriculum to include the programmes of study. Many primary schools deliver the national curriculum through cross-curriculum projects or topics. Schools also have some discretion over when to start teaching the programme of study. The law requires that they should be taught during the , not that they be introduced at a particular time. Teachers can also modify, as necessary, the national curriculum programmes of study to provide all pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each .
In all subjects other than citizenship, each attainment target is arranged in 8 level descriptions of increasing difficulty. These levels define the academic progress pupils can make between the ages of 5 and 14. Typically a pupil is expected to advance one level every two years. Only the most gifted are expected to achieve level 8 by the age of 14. To help teachers in differentiating for exceptional performance there is an additional description above level 8. Some children with severe learning difficulties may not progress beyond the first level. An average student will achieve level 5 or level 6 by the age of 14. In 4, the grading scale (1-9) is used. The day-to-day assessment of pupils’ progress, to diagnose learning needs and to plan future programmes of teaching, is undertaken according to policies decided by individual schools.
5.3 Education and Qualifications: England
During year 9, students (age 14) make ‘option choices’ about which subjects to study in addition to those required by the National Curriculum. It is important for pupils to take a balanced mix of subjects reflecting their skills, interests and aspirations.
and Qualifications
In addition to the National Curriculum each school offers a variable range of different subjects for . courses are normally taken during years 10 and 11 and assessed at the end of year 11. Some schools offer Short Courses (equivalent to half a ). In 2002 in vocational subjects were introduced and are qualifications that:
relate to work in a particular vocational area, such as art and design or engineering
are practical and give you a chance to learn by doing
can be mixed and matched with a variety of other courses
are mainly assessed by coursework
can lead on to a wide range of courses, qualifications and jobs after year 11
in vocational subjects are double awards, worth 2 (like the Double Award science ). This means that they are usually given more time on the timetable than other .
Qualifications in communication, application of number, and information technology can be studied at different levels according to individual needs and are studied separately alongside other courses at age 14 – 16. There are also 3 wider skills: working with others; improving learning and performance; and problem solving.
GCE
An AS (advanced subsidiary) level qualification, equivalent to half a full A (Advanced) were introduced into the post-16 curriculum to encourage the take up of more subjects and to reduce the numbers dropping out with nothing to show for their efforts. Under the new curriculum marks do not count towards .
GCE
The were reformed for first teaching in 2017. The new are now linear and assessed at the end of Year 13. There is also an Advanced Extension Award (AEA) available in Mathematics, requiring them to think more widely and critically than at .
are new two-year technical programmes, equivalent to 3 . Their primary purpose is to prepare students for entry into skilled employment, or higher-level technical study. The first three will be available at selected colleges and schools (providers) across England in September 2020.
National Vocational Qualifications ()
National Vocational Qualifications () are usually offered in association with Further Education Colleges and business/industry. They are work-related, competence based qualifications which reflect the skills and knowledge needed to do the job effectively. ’s represent National standards recognised by employers throughout the country.
are available in most occupational areas from the age of 16. These offer a chance to learn skills, gain practical experience and work towards qualifications, usually . Foundation train young people to level 2 (broadly equivalent to 5 at Grade C and above). Job specific training is complemented by general skills in communication; problem solving; application of number; and, information technology. Advanced train young people in skilled and technical employment to level 3 (broadly equivalent to 2 GCE ). They are an alternative to as a route into Higher Education.
The
The () (Ofqual, n.d.) sets out the levels at which qualifications can be recognized. It allows learners to compare the levels of different qualifications and to identify clear progression routes to their chosen career. It incorporates the:
general educational pathway (, A/AS level, Degree);