Interested to know about the National Curriculum of England? This brief overview from Years 1 to 6 will cover your necessary information about state schools in England.
A school’s curriculum comprises all of the lessons and other experiences it plans to provide its students. The current English National Curriculum has been in power since September 2014. It is a set of subjects and standards all maintained schools in England must adhere to guarantee that pupils across the country study the same fundamental topics.
Among the school, the curriculum is the national curriculum. State-funded schools are required to offer a curriculum that is balanced and broadly based. These state-funded schools should also promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development of their students and society and prepare them for future opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences. Personal, social, health, and economic education (PSHE) are provided in all schools, based on proven methods. Schools can also incorporate additional disciplines or themes of their choosing into the planning and design of their curriculum.
The three basic subjects are the primary emphasis of the National Curriculum:
● English
● Maths
● Science
To create the future of their nation starting today, English teachers focus on many different areas that will help young children grow mentally in their studies while learning in a fun environment.
For instance, mathematics instructors, in particular, use every relevant subject to help students increase their mathematical fluency. Across the national curriculum requires confidence in numeracy and other quantitative abilities for success. Mathematical intelligence in a student is much appreciated in England. Students are taught to apply arithmetic smoothly to problems, as well as to comprehend and use it. Teachers in English schools help students improve their numeracy and mathematical thinking in all subjects.
The English state curriculum urges students to use their geometric and algebraic knowledge and their grasp of probability to test the concepts of risk and uncertainty. They are also made aware of the cycle of data collection, presentation, and analysis and how to use their applying mathematics to routine and non-routine situations, including breaking things down.
For introducing children to literature and arts, teaching any topic includes developing students’ spoken language, reading, writing, and vocabulary. Students should be encouraged to read for enjoyment and trained to comprehend long prose (fiction and non-fiction). Most English schools offer a library where facilities are provided, and reading goals are set for students to participate. This opens room for healthy competition between classmates.
This helps the pupils to grow the endurance and writing abilities necessary for lengthy essays with proper grammar and spelling, as well as enhancing their vocabulary. These children, as they grow, expand on what they currently have. Understanding the language is essential for students since English is both a topic in and of itself and the medium used to teach it. The teachers also pay special attention to pronunciation and grammatical construction since it’s their national language. Speaking English well is the fundamental building block for success in all topics.
The Key Stages:
There is a standardized curriculum in elementary schools. For example, there is Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4). (Years 3-6). A Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) and higher Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6) are standard common divisions of Key Stage 2. (Years 5 and 6).
Below is a brief overview of these main Key Stages and what you can expect your child to learn in each of these years.
Key Stage 1 Year 1
In year 1, teachers continue the work from the Early Years Foundation Stage. They ensure students can quickly and accurately sound and blend novel written words using their phonic knowledge and abilities. Students master the art of mixing sounds by putting their thoughts into words for reading and making it a habit to use this ability whenever they discover new vocabulary. Practicing reading books that adhere to these principles tend to help children, which is why libraries are set up in each state school.
To foster a love of reading and increase their vocabulary, kids will also need to hear about, discuss, and read a wide variety of excellent literature.
Key Stage 1 Year 2
Students should be able to read all standard alphabets at the start of the second year. They should be able to sound out unfamiliar words containing these graphemes in books closely matched to each student’s level of word reading expertise and read them accurately and without undue hesitation.
Lower Key Stage 2 – Years 3 And 4
Students should be able to read novels with interest levels appropriate for their age by the start of the third grade. They should be able to read them quickly and adequately enough to concentrate on comprehending what they read rather than on word-by-word word decoding. The teachers’ instruction focuses on developing the range and depth of children’s reading, vocabulary, and other skills, ensuring that they develop autonomous, proficient readers who like reading widely and regularly.
Additionally, they should be expanding their experience and proficiency in reading nonfiction on various topics. At the beginning of the third year, kids should get assistance with this, and by the conclusion of the fourth year, they should be able to do it progressively independently.
Upper Key Stage 2 – Years 5 And 6
By the start of the fifth grade, students can read aloud a larger variety of poetry and books with accuracy and a normal speaking tempo that are written for their age group. Most words are likely easy for them to read, and they should be able to figure out How to pronounce words written in a foreign language automatically.
Teachers continue to emphasize kids’ pleasure and knowledge of the language, particularly vocabulary, to help their reading and writing in years 5 and 6. The linguistic skills students acquire from stories, plays, poetry, nonfiction, and textbooks will help them become more proficient readers, writers, and comprehension skills.
Students need to master subject-specific vocabulary by the end of year 6, and their reading and writing should be fluid and effortless enough to handle the broad demands of the curriculum in year 7 across all disciplines and not only in English. They must demonstrate their comprehension of the target audience using the right syntax and terminology for their writing style. Teachers take great care to ensure that students focus on preparing themselves for secondary schooling and continue to regulate their use of sentence structure, and comprehend how and why sentences are put together.
If you are going to admit your child into one of these state schools; you can rest assured that your child, studying under the English National Curriculum, is in safe hands for the next six years and will be well prepared for the next part of their life in Year 7.