Curriculum and Assessment Developments at Key Stages 3 and 4

Activities with student teachers

Currently on our course, we ask experienced teachers to come in and lead sessions on teaching at GCSE level. Student teachers seem to value the input of those actually dealing with the specifications on a daily basis, and classroom colleagues can talk with authority about the practical implications of planning, teaching and assessing English and Literature at Key Stage 4. Additionally, we have used previous oral moderation videotapes and linked commentaries to develop our student teachers' expertise in the area of planning for, and assessing, effective oral work. These sessions always see lively debate as the student teachers argue about the difficulties of judging pupils' speaking and listening.

As the picture unfolds in terms of how the new criteria will be taken forward, it is likely that we will use a session to encourage our student teachers to consider the possible implications of the proposals not only on day-to-day planning and teaching, but also on the subject more widely and school pupils' experience of it. Currently the draft criteria are available to view at: http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_18259.aspx. At the time of writing, these criteria are still the original versions, but revised criteria have been produced and should appear on the QCA site. First specifications produced by the examination boards are due to appear in schools by the autumn of 2009. There is debate to be had with student teachers about continuity from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 and beyond to post-16 English, and to what extent the new proposals may or may not work to enhance this.