Latest Government Announcement on a Review of the National Curriculum in England
On the 20th January 2011 the Secretary of State announced a review of the National Curriculum in England . The review will consider the content and structure of the National Curriculum at both primary and secondary levels.
As set out in the Schools' White Paper 'The Importance of Teaching', Ministers believe that the current National Curriculum has, to too great an extent, been over-prescriptive, has included material that is not essential and has attempted to specify teaching method rather than the things that all children should learn.
Consequently, they have decided to review the National Curriculum so that it can fulfil its original purpose, namely to set out those things that all children should learn, focussed on subject knowledge, and that it should embody rigour and high standards.In doing so, they intend that these reforms should give schools greater control over their wider curriculum and teachers the freedom to use their professionalism and expertise to support all children to progress.
It is also the intention of Ministers that the review will be based in evidence and that the new National Curriculum will be benchmarked against the curricula used in the most successful education jurisdictions to ensure that it is ambitious and sets high expectations.
The good news is that physical education will be a statutory part of the core curriculum for all four Key Stages and the new Programmes of Study will be made available to schools in autumn 2012 for first teaching in September 2013.
The review will be open, transparent and outward facing and afPE will consult widely on its proposals. afPE will also, as we take the review forward, working closely with teachers, subject experts, academics and other interested parties to help in the development of this new curriculum. Full details of the review, including the Statement made by the Secretary of State to Parliament, as well as its remit, can be found at: www.education.gov.uk/nationalcurriculum
