Curriculum and Assessment Developments at Key Stages 3 and 4

The New National Curriculum

The new National Curriculum for England and Wales was introduced for first teaching from September 2008. Schools could opt for a 'phased implementation' of the Key Stage 3 programmes of study (Year 7 in 2008, Year 8 in 2009, Year 9 in 2010) and the statutory requirement is for the implementation of the Key Stage 4 programmes by 2010 (to coincide with first teaching of new GCSE specifications). In practice, it is likely many schools will simply introduce the new curriculum in one fell swoop in 2008 thus avoiding running old and new versions in parallel. The new National Curriculum as a whole - coming in the wake of the Every Child Matters agenda - was ushered in along with some key messages: a return of greater control to teachers to encourage them to become 'curriculum makers'; an increased focus on making cross-curricular links in planning; and a focus on flexibility and creativity. Within the English Programmes of Study, such key messages come through in a somewhat reduced content and some greater priority given within the 'Curriculum Opportunities' section to creative and cultural practices, such as working with poets and writers, or seeing theatre productions.

The major difference between the new National Curriculum and previous incarnations is the introduction of the four 'C's as an organising concept: Competence, Creativity, Cultural Understanding and Critical Understanding. Beyond this change, however, many have come to the conclusion that the new Curriculum - given that it sticks with the familiar processes of Speaking and Listening, Reading and Writing, and retains such elements as the prescribed authors - is more of a repackaging than a radical new approach. There may be, however, some innovative curriculum design beginning to take off in schools, particularly in the light of the demise of the Year 9 SATs.