1.2.1 Aims, objectives, values, principles
The basic principle underlying statutory (school) education is that it should provide a balanced and broadly based curriculum which is suitable to a child's age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs (SEN) he or she might have. The Education Act 1996 requires a curriculum which:
The documentation produced as a result of the 2000 review of the National Curriculum in England confirmed the values and purposes underpinning the school curriculum and the National Curriculum as follows:
The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its students. The National Curriculum is an important element of the school curriculum.16
Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be. It is important, therefore, to recognise a broad set of common values and purposes that underpin the school curriculum and the work of schools. Foremost is a belief in education, at home and at school, as a route to the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and mental development, and thus the well-being, of the individual. Education is also a route to equality of opportunity for all, a healthy and just democracy, a productive economy, and sustainable development. Education should reflect the enduring values that contribute to these ends. These include valuing ourselves, our families and other relationships, the wider groups to which we belong, the diversity in our society and the environment in which we live. Education should also reaffirm our commitment to the virtues of truth, justice, honesty, trust and a sense of duty.17
At the same time, education must enable us to respond positively to the opportunities and challenges of the rapidly changing world in which we live and work. In particular, we need to be prepared to engage as individuals, parents, workers and citizens with economic, social and cultural change, including the continued globalisation of the economy and society, with new work and leisure patterns and with the rapid expansion of communication technologies.17
All settings and schools receiving some form of government funding for the education of children aged 3 to 5 years are required to plan activities and experiences which help children to progress in their development and learning. The curriculum for this foundation stage of education should underpin all future learning by supporting, fostering, promoting and developing children's:
As a result of the review of the National Curriculum completed in 2000 citizenship lessons became compulsory for all students in publicly-funded, compulsory secondary education (aged 11 to 16 years) in August 2002. 212
The stated purpose of citizenship education is to:
In July 2004, the Government published a new strategy for children and learners. This set goals for a five-year period and presented a longer term aim for every stage of education from pre-school to adult. The overall aim of the strategy is to help break links between social class and achievement and to ensure that the provision of education and related services meets individuals' specific needs. The reforms outlined within the strategy are underpinned by five key principles:
The full document is available online at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy/
The Education Act 2005 297 provided the legislative framework to support some of the policy developments set out in the Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (see above). It aims to raise standards for every child in every school by developing a new relationship with schools and promoting greater autonomy and diversity in the education system. The key intended reforms were:
Education and Inspections Act 2006
Following on from the White Paper 'Higher Standards, Better Schools for All', the Education and Inspections Act 2006 became law in November 2006. The Act introduces:
Every Child Matters: Change for Children
'Every Child Matters: Change for Children' is a new approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19.
The Government's aim is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to:
This means that the organisations involved with providing services to children - from hospitals and schools, to police and voluntary groups - are expected to work together in new ways, sharing information to protect children and young people from harm and to help them achieve what they want in life. 359
Under this approach, every local authority is expected to work with its partners, through children's trusts, to find out what works best for children and young people in its area and to act on it. They will be expected to involve children and young people in this process and, when inspectors assess how local areas are doing, they will listen especially to the views of children and young people themselves. In March 2005, the first Children's Commissioner for England was appointed to give children and young people a voice in government and in public life. The Commissioner is paying particular attention to gathering and putting forward the views of the most vulnerable children and young people in society, and is promoting their involvement in the work of organisations whose decisions and actions affect them. 359
In 2006 the Childcare Act was approved by Parliament. This new legislation aims to ensure that all children have access to high quality early learning and care and to give parents greater choice when balancing work and family. Key elements of the Act include:
Education and Skills Bill 2007
The Education and Skills Bill was published in November 2007. Key aspects of the Bill include:
1.2.2 Special programmes
The Government sets some national targets for education. Targets are set for the proportion of students, nationally, expected to achieve certain levels of attainment on completion of certain phases of education, for example. Current targets include:
By 2008:
At least half of 14-year-olds (completing key stage 3) to obtain the expected score in English, maths and science tests.
60 per cent of 15-/16-year-olds to gain five grade 'Cs' or better in GCSE examinations (taken on completion of compulsory education). 340
The Government is also aiming for half of all 18- to 30-year-olds to be in, or to have passed through, higher education by 2010.256
National strategies for literacy and numeracy, and for primary and key stage 3 educationOne major government target is to raise the standards of education of all children with particular regard to literacy and numeracy. To this end, in the late 1990s the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) and the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) were launched. As a result, since September 1998, all primary schools in England (catering for children from age 4/5 to 11) have been encouraged to dedicate a minimum of one hour per day to literacy and, since September 1999, up to one hour each day, in addition, for the teaching of mathematics. Literacy and numeracy summer school initiatives were also launched, whereby primary and secondary school children having difficulty in English and/or mathematics are provided with at least 50 hours of free (state-funded) tuition during the summer holiday period (July-September). Funding has also been made available for 'booster revision classes' to enable 11-year-old students to improve their mathematics and reading skills prior to taking national tests at the end of key stage 2. 88,52,59
In 2003, the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies were brought together into a single strategy - the National Primary Strategy - for improving teaching and learning in primary schools. For further information see the Primary Strategy website at http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/. In 2006, the Government announced a renewed Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics. The Framework aims to further improve numeracy and literacy standards in primary schools by:
Extension of the literacy and numeracy strategies to the initial phase of compulsory secondary education (key stage 3 for 11- to 14-year-olds) began in September 2001. Further information on this - the Key Stage 3/Secondary National Strategy, which now extends across English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and the foundation subjects of the curriculum during this phase, is accessible via the Strategy website at http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/.
Other major initiatives include:
Class sizeA new statutory maximum class size of 30 for all classes of 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds (key stage 1) in primary schools in England came into effect in September 2001. 28
Pre-school provisionWith a view to achieving the Government's stated aim that good quality, free (usually part-time) nursery places should be available for all 4-year-olds whose parents want them, local authorities have been legally obliged (in accordance with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998)1 to ensure such provision since April 1999. Since 2004, local authorities have extended this entitlement to include all 3-year-olds in addition. 276
The Government has also established the Sure Start programme to support children, parents and communities through the integration of early education, childcare and health and family support services. Further information is available via the Sure Start website at http://www.surestart.gov.uk/
Curriculum Online and National Curriculum in Action
Curriculum Online is an online catalogue of digital learning resources for teachers, which includes lesson plans, interactive videos, CD-ROMs and assessment materials. Curriculum Online is accessible at http://www.curriculumonline.gov.uk/
In addition, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) runs the National Curriculum in Action website for teachers; this illustrates standards of students' work at different ages and key stages. The site is available at http://www.ncaction.org.uk/
General Teaching Council for EnglandThe General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) is a professional body for teachers, which was established in September 2000. It has the role of advising the Secretary of State, local authorities, schools and others on:
The Council's members include:
The General Teaching Council's website is available at http://www.gtce.org.uk/homepage.asp
14-19 education and new diplomas
Following the 2002 Green Paper on 14-19 education, the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper was launched in February 2005. This outlines the Government's strategy to improve educational provision for 14- to 19-year-olds and aims to help young people obtain the skills they need to be employable and achieve success. The reforms proposed in the White Paper are being introduced gradually during the period 2005 and 2015. The four main pillars of the White Paper are:
An Implementation Plan was published shortly after the White Paper. This Plan aims to ensure that post-16 participation rates rise from 75 to 90 per cent by 2015. The key points of the Plan include:
The Government has now set out detailed plans for the delivery of the new diploma qualifications for 14- to 19-year-olds, which comprise a blend of general education and applied work-related learning. From September 2008, diplomas will be available in five subjects: construction and the built environment; information technology; creative and media; health and social care; and engineering. Diploma Development Partnerships, comprising employers, educators and universities, have set out ‘Learning Outcomes’, which describe in detail the knowledge, skills and understanding young people following these qualifications will be expected to demonstrate. The Government plans to introduce a further 12 diplomas. 362
A Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) paper on 14-19 education is also accessible via this website - see 271.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has completed a review of the key stage 3 curriculum, which aimed to:
All the current core subjects and foundation subjects remain in the curriculum, but content has been reviewed. The aim is to ensure that young people secure the key content and concepts in each of the subjects. 363 The revised secondary curriculum will begin to be introduced, alongside the new diplomas, from September 2008.
In October 2004 the Government launched a 'National Conversation about Personalised Learning', together with a pamphlet and website. This called on all schools to set out a foundation for the development of personalised learning, tailoring education to meet the individual needs, aptitude and aspirations of every child. The concepts of personalisation and personalised learning are described. Principles are identified that can help guide actions at each level of the education system from the early years to post-compulsory upper secondary education, and the five key components of personalised learning are set out: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/personalisedlearning 335
Reform of foreign language education in EnglandIn October 2005, the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages was published. This provides learning objectives and teaching activities throughout the four years of key stage 2 in primary schools and focuses on key skills such as speaking, reading and writing. The Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages is available online: Web page. 339
Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Strategy (PESSCL)The national PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy (PESSCL) was launched in October 2002 with the overall objective of enhancing the take-up of sporting opportunities by 5- to 16-year-olds. Its target is to increase the percentage of schoolchildren who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent by 2006, and 85 per cent by 2008. The long-term ambition is to offer all children at least four hours of sport every week made up of:
In 2006 the Government launched a manifesto for learning outside the classroom. The aim is to provide children with high quality educational experiences, ranging from lessons in school grounds to visits to museums and nature reserves. Measures announced include:
Following the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (see section 1.2.1), a Schools Commissioner has been appointed to encourage the development of a wide variety of schools, offering parents more local options. This includes the establishment of new ‘trust schools’ – government-funded schools supported by a charitable trust. The Schools Commissioner’s responsibilities include:
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) launched the 'Children's Plan' in December 2007. This sets out its vision for improving schools and the support available to families by 2020. Key elements of the plan include: