Secondary National
Curriculum and
changes to the KS4
landscape
Saturday Session J 11:45-12:45
John Westwell
Objectives of session
• Share some information about what’s been
happening on curriculum change and about
what’s still to come
• Consider some of the important themes and
ideas in the proposed curriculum changes
• Discuss how we can respond to curriculum
change and the implications for support and
collaboration
Whose curriculum is it anyway?
• Intended curriculum (written, official)
• Implemented curriculum (taught, enacted)
• Achieved curriculum (learned)
• Hidden curriculum
What are people saying? – Michael Gove
“In line with our changes to the national curriculum,
the new specifications are more challenging, more
ambitious and more rigorous. That means …more
testing of advanced problem-solving skills in
mathematics and science; more testing of
mathematics in science GCSEs, to improve
progression to A Levels; more challenging
mechanics problems in physics…”
(Statement to parliament – 11th June 2013)
What are people saying? – Charlie Stripp
“The new GCSE Mathematics subject content and
assessment objectives, alongside the new National
Curriculum Programmes of Study, emphasise the value of
maths as a tool that helps us to make sense of the world
and solve real problems. They can empower teachers to
focus on supporting students to develop mathematical
fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills. I believe this
can help improve attitudes towards maths and raise
achievement, so that young people are better prepared for
employment and higher education, and are more likely to
choose to study maths post-16.”
(News item on NCETM website – 11th June 2013)
What has been published so far?
• Key Stage 1 to 3 National Curriculum
consultation (February 2013 – handout 1)
• Key Stage 4 National Curriculum information
(February 2013 – handout 2)
• DfE GCSE subject content and assessment
objectives consultation (June 2013 – handout 3)
• Ofqual GCSE reform consultation (June 2013 –
handout 4)
• DfE statement about assessment without levels
(14th June 2013)
What are the main emphases?
Read and compare:
• Purpose and aims (Page 53 - handout 1)
• Subject aims and learning outcomes (Page 3 – handout 3)
Discuss:
• What comes across as important?
• Are there any significant differences?
• Are there things missing?
So what about the detail?
Read and compare:
• Reason mathematically (Page 94 – handout 1)
• Ratio, proportion and rate of change (Page 97 – handout 1)
• Ratio, proportion and rates of change (Page 7 – handout 3)
Discuss:
• What comes across as important?
• Are there any surprises?
• Are there things missing?
And what about assessment?
Read and compare:
• Attainment targets (Page 54 - handout 1)
• Assessment objectives (Page 11 – handout 3)
• If the assessment is tiered…(Page 13 – handout 4)
Discuss:
• What is most striking about the assessment plans?
• Are there any significant changes?
• Curriculum v Assessment?
What is happening next?
• KS1 to 3 National Curriculum published for final formal
short-term consultation (July 2013)
• DfE/Ofqual GCSE consultations end (20/8/13 & 3/9/13)
• Final GCSE subject criteria and regulations published
(autumn 2013)
• KS4 National Curriculum consultation (autumn 2013)
• Awarding organisation prepare GCSE specifications
(2013/14)
• New National Curriculum implemented (September 2014)
• New GCSEs (first taught September 2015, first awarded
August 2017)
How might we respond?
Ignore it and hope it
goes away
Get cross and moan
Give helpful feedback
Get on and work together
Be a curriculum shaper
“I can only conclude that people, not just students,
are really hungry for this. Math makes sense of the
world. Math is the vocabulary for our own intuition.
So, I just really encourage you, whatever your
stake is in education, whether you are a student,
parent, teacher, policy maker, whatever, insist on
better math curriculum – we need more patient
problem solvers”
(Dan Meyer – Math Class needs a makeover, TED talk, May 2010)