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Structure of the National Curriculum
The National Curriculum programmes of study for each Key Stage and subject:
- set out what pupils should be taught
- set attainment targets for the expected standards of pupils' performance
- provide the basis for planning schemes of work.
Schools choose how they organise their school curriculum to include the programmes of study.
Attainment Targets:
- set out the "knowledge, skills and understanding" which pupils of different abilities and maturities are expected to have by the end of each Key Stage
- consist of eight level descriptions of increasing difficulty, plus a description for exceptional performance above level 8.
Level Descriptions:
- describe the types and range of performance that pupils working at that level should characteristically demonstrate
- provide the basis for making judgements about pupils' performance at the end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.
At Key Stage 4, national qualifications are the main means of assessing attainment in National Curriculum subjects.
The national frameworks for teaching literacy and mathematics, and the exemplar schemes of work, jointly published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), show how the programmes of study and the attainment targets can be translated into practical, manageable teaching plans.
Useful Websites
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National Curriculum website to find out more about the programmes of study.
Department for Children, Schools and Families Standards site to find out more about the Schemes of Work.