This is a big year for primary teachers with a new National Curriculum becoming statutory in September. It is the first all new NC after the 1989 original (revised in 1995 and 2000) so it should be introduced with a fanfare of trumpets and fireworks filling the sky.
Except it isn’t really a ‘national’ curriculum – Academies and Free Schools can ignore it, and it isn’t really going live in September.
Some schools have already started teaching the new curriculum, mainly in Y3 and Y4, while teachers of Y6 have been told to wait until September 2015. Take a look at this article for details of the dates for implementation Current curriculum or the new 2014 NC - which should you teach?
It all seemed a little hasty and the hang-over of tests for 7-year olds and 11-year olds was obviously not considered until dates had been decided. However, I recommended that all Years apart from Y5 and Y6 use the new Programmes of Study for maths from September 2013 and I know that many schools have chosen to start early and follow the new curriculum.
So, how will your teaching changed with the new maths curriculum? What’s new? Is it prescriptive or can you still teach creatively? Is coverage manageable?
Have a look at this article Maths Programme of Study – what has changed? it details the main changes from the old curriculum.
Have a look at this article Maths Programme of Study – what has changed? it details the main changes from the old curriculum.
With many concepts and skills being introduced earlier, a concern I have is the perceived need to rush through mental strategies and the application of skills and to move children on too quickly, for example on to written methods of calculation.
However, I think that much of the progression and content of the maths PoS will give enough flexibility to still teach creatively and manage the children’s learning and progress at a reasonable pace.
Make the most of the ‘two-year’ key-stage spans (for example Y3/Y4 expectations are assessed at the end of Y4) to allow for differentiation and to give children time to learn and consolidate.
The expectations are certainly higher, but, as with my own scope and sequence charts, coverage of the PoS is possible within a spiral curriculum to give progression, using the statements as the basis of the expected outcomes by the end of the year.
However, I think that much of the progression and content of the maths PoS will give enough flexibility to still teach creatively and manage the children’s learning and progress at a reasonable pace.
Make the most of the ‘two-year’ key-stage spans (for example Y3/Y4 expectations are assessed at the end of Y4) to allow for differentiation and to give children time to learn and consolidate.
The expectations are certainly higher, but, as with my own scope and sequence charts, coverage of the PoS is possible within a spiral curriculum to give progression, using the statements as the basis of the expected outcomes by the end of the year.
Department of Education 2014 National Curriculum
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239129/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Mathematics.pdf
NC Maths Programmes of Study KS1 and 2
