NAHT
Call us: 0300 30 30 333
Home Menu

Curriculum, assessment and qualifications

 
Curriculum_assessment_2 icon.jpg

NAHT is working to ensure that the curriculum supports the learning, progress and success of all pupils. NAHT supports the principle that a broad and balanced curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

NAHT is campaigning to: 

Support schools to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for their pupils

  • Challenge the government policy, including EBacc, which may narrow the curriculum
  • Enable and support schools to successfully deliver statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education
  • Lobby for improvements to government policy which supports schools to deliver inclusive education and fulfil their responsibilities under the public sector equality duty
  • Support schools to deliver effective careers education for all pupils
  • Support schools to deliver high-quality Religious Education to all pupils
  • Provide guidance, materials and information to support schools in educating pupils about environmental issues.

Ensure a valid and proportionate approach to statutory assessment in primary schools

  • Lobby the government to reconsider the introduction of the multiplication tables check
  • Lobby the government to ensure changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage and Early Learning Goals are appropriate and relevant for the early years sector
  • Influence the development and implementation of the reception baseline assessment
  • Support members to implement the new statutory assessment for pupils with SEND
  • Identify and challenge the STA over any impact on members of the contract change to deliver statutory assessment in the primary phase
  • Engage with the STA to influence changes and improvements to statutory assessment including moderation and maladministration
  • Campaign for KS2 SPAG to be made non-statutory and oppose any additional statutory testing in the primary phase
 

Ensure the KS4 and KS5 qualification framework and examination system is fit for purpose

  • Press the government, Ofqual and exam boards to ensure that reformed qualifications, both academic and vocational, meet the needs of all pupils and schools
  • Explore the issue of grade reliability, identifying solutions and improvements which are supported by members and pressing the government and Ofqual for appropriate action
  • Inform members of the latest developments in secondary assessment through engagement with Ofqual, JCQ and awarding organisations. 

Interim key stage two national attainment data published

Interim key stage two national attainment data published

The Department for Education has published interim 2017 KS2 national attainment figures (available here).

Key findings: 
  • 61 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in 2017 compared with 53 per cent in 2016
  • Attainment at the expected standard in the reading test increased from 2016 by five percentage points to 71 per cent. Attainment at the expected standard is lowest in reading, as it was last year
  • In mathematics, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard is 75 per cent (up by 5 percentage points)
  • Attainment at the expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) is 77 per cent compared with 73 per cent in 2016. Attainment in GPS is the highest of all test subjects (in 2016, attainment in writing was the highest.)
  • The proportion reaching the expected standard in the writing teacher assessment (TA) is 76 per cent compared with 74 per cent in 2016
  • Scaled scores: the average scaled scores also show that on average performance has increased across all subjects from 2016. The average scaled score in grammar, punctuation and spelling is higher than in the other subjects.

First published 26 January 2018

First published 04 August 2020
;