The New National
Curriculum Expert Subject
Advisory Groups
The background to the project
 Teaching Agency (now NCTL) brought together
expert groups to identify any requirements or
resources that should be taken into account in
relation to initial teacher training (ITT) from
September 2013.
 The Improving ITT Content Unit established
expert groups, which focused on 11 primary
national curriculum subjects, and included
members from HEIs, SCITTs, Teaching Schools
and Subject Associations.
The purpose of the early groups
With a focus on ITT, initially the remit was to:
 Signpost differences between the current
and new curriculum;
 Identify resources to support
differences/expectations;
 Flag up any deficits in subject knowledge
and materials.
The shift to becoming sector-led
 The work of the groups is now understood to be
“for the sector by the sector”;
 We now work in collaboration with the DfE;
 The groups are non-politicized and seek to
retain their professional autonomy;
 Consequently the membership of the groups
has shifted as the remit has been extended;
 A strategic group was created in order to coordinate the work of the groups overall.
The current work of the groups
Now working in collaboration with the DfE, the extended
remit of the groups is to provide expert advice for both
schools and providers. The groups will:
 Consider EYFS, SEND and KS3;
 Consider the implications for CPD;
 Consider how materials might best be disseminated,
ensuring that they are accessible for schools as well as
providers;
 Provide reports for the Minister on the activities of the
groups and possible future work in each subject area.
Some key challenges recognised by
the groups
All groups have identified key challenges for schools and
providers. For most groups these include;
 Lack of guidance in terms of pedagogic approaches;
 The need for CPD to extend subject knowledge;
 Lack of clear progression in the curriculum leading to
challenges around transition points;
 Lack of appropriate resources currently available;
 Lack of expertise available to schools and providers in
specialist subject areas.
Outputs from the groups
The work of the groups across the subject areas will
include the following;
 Audit tools to support schools and providers to
consider their current provision and identify their
CPD requirements;
 Expert advice about resources currently available to
support the new curriculum as well as indications
about where there may be a lack of available
resources;
 Guidance about approaches to pedagogy which are
likely to support the delivery of the curriculum;
 Indications of curriculum content that is not explicit
in the current draft but may be necessary to ensure
progression.
Outputs from the groups
The current plans are for the materials produced by
the groups to be hosted on a range of subject
association websites as well as on those of other
strategic partners.
The DfE and NCTL website, UCET and NASBTT will
signpost schools and providers to the various advice.
We hope that other organizations such as local
authorities, teaching school alliances, and a range of
trusts will do likewise. If funding were available then
clearly a “one stop shop” would be the best option.
It is likely that these sites will remain dynamic in
their nature as the work on the new curriculum and
related CPD grows.
Next Steps…
The strategic chairs group is currently working
with a range of partners to explore the
following areas:
 The provision and signposting for CPD;
 Funding for any future work;
 Creating a strategic network that engages a
range of stakeholders.
Questions and discussion