National Curriculum Draft Consultation
Comments on the NC Draft are to be received by the Department of Education by 16th April 2013.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------English
The overarching aim…is to promote high standards of literacy by equipping pupils with a string command of the
written and spoken word, and to develop a love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.
Aims
Pupils should be able to….
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Read easily, fluently and with good understanding
Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for
reading, writing and spoken language
Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts,
purposes and audiences
Use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and
ideas
Are competent in the aim of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others
and participating in debate.
At KS1-2
Reading: [Year 1 Pupils should be] becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling
them and considering their particular characteristics. {Year 2 pupils should be] listening to, discussing and expressing
views about a wide range of poetry (including contemporary and classic), stories and non-fiction at a level beyond
that at which they can read independently.{Year 3-4 pupils should be] increasing their familiarity with a wide range
of books, including fairy stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these stories orally. [Year 5-6 pupils should
be] increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myth, legends and traditional stories, modern
fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions.
At KS3
Reading: Pupils should be taught to develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging
material independently through…reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction…including seminal world literature,
written in English.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------History
Aims
The NC for History aims to ensure that all pupils:
Know and understand British history as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the story of the first settlers in
these islands to the development of the institutions which govern our lives today.
Know and understand the broad outlines of European and world history: the growth and decline of ancient
civilizations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; the achievements and follies of mankind.
Gain and develop a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ’parliament’
and ‘peasantry’.
At KS2
Pupils should be taught about the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome.
Pupils should be taught the following chronology of British history sequentially:
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Early Britons and settlers, including:
The Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages
Celtic culture and patterns of settlement
Roman conquest and rule, including:
Caesar, Augustus, and Claudius
Britain as part of the Roman Empire
The decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Languages
At KS2
Teaching should focus on enabling pupils to make substantial progress in one of the following languages: French,
German, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Latin or Ancient Greek. The teaching should provide an appropriate balance f
spoken and written language and should lay the foundations for further language teaching at Key Stage 3. It should
enable pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing, focused on familiar
and routine matters, using their knowledge of phonology, grammatical structures and vocabulary.
The focus of study in modern languages will be on practical communication, while the focus in Latin and Ancient
Greek will be to provide a linguistic foundation for learning modern languages and for reading comprehension.
Pupils studying ancient languages may take part in simple oral exchanges, while discussion of what they read will be
conducted in English.