The National Curriculum is a document that specifies what children should learn while they’re at school, and the standards they should achieve. Its aim is to ensure that the same things are taught in all schools, so that children throughout England receive the same programme of education.

Needless to say this programme of education wasn’t just dreamt up over a random cup of tea in a staffroom one day. On the contrary, the schedule is extremely detailed (ask any teacher!) and the noble aim is a broad, balanced and coherent schooling system that will work for everyone.

For each subject taught at school, the National Curriculum breaks down how a child’s understanding of key concepts should develop during their years of schooling.

For example:

Learning about Living Things

A child beginning school will learn to identify a range of common animals and plants and describe some of their features.

They will go on to learn what animals and plants need to survive (eg. water, air, sunlight) and identify ways in which they’re adapted to their environment (eg. a fish having gills to help it breathe).

Then they’ll learn about the major organs in the body and what they do; about food chains and how some animals and plants prey on others; and about life cycles and the importance of classifying creatures and plants into ‘species’.

Eventually, they’ll learn about more complex processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and pollination and how these occur. They’ll understand how biological systems work and ultimately be able to describe and explain patterns of change in an ecosystem.

As you can see, each level of learning develops out of the previous one, and the National Curriculum calls these ‘Attainment Targets’.

It also specifies the programme of study which breaks each subject in the curriculum into themed strands. You can read more about this on the Science at School page.

EXPLORING THE CURRICULUM FURTHER

Check out the National Curriculum for yourself – it’s all here at The National Curriculum Online. Click through for specific information about science education.

For a more detailed description of the National Curriculum and its aims check out the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) Parents Centre website.

Feeling Creative?

The DfES have just launched a big campaign to promote creativity in the classroom. Read all about it – and about how to encourage this most valuable of skills in your own loved ones... Creative thinking is a key skill possessed by all successful scientists after all!

National Curriculum in Action

PAGE LINKS

The National Curriculum
Science at School
Ages and Keystages
Homework Help
Get with the Lingo
Sats and League Tables
Other Useful Links
The NCPTA

<< Go Back to Parents Survival Pack