CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT
MEETING
FRISBY CHURCH OF ENGLAND
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Thursday 21st April 2016
6pm
AIMS OF THE SESSION
To summarise the main changes in the 2014
National Curriculum.
 To give an outline of the expectations for the
end of each year group.
 To summarise the statutory assessment
arrangements for Year 2 and Year 6.
 To outline our school’s approach to
assessment throughout the school.

THE NEW PRIMARY CURRICULUM
In July 2014, the DfE launched the new Primary
National Curriculum. The curriculum was revised
for two main reasons:
 to bring the curriculum up-to-date (especially
with advances in ICT since the previous
curriculum was published).
 to raise standards across the nation by
teaching “fewer things but in greater detail”.
KEY CHANGES BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW
CURRICULUM
The old curriculum detailed key stage expectations for
each subject whereas the new curriculum is divided into
age-related expectations for each year group.
Expectations have been raised and yet the content has
actually been slimmed down, to ensure that key
knowledge, skills and understanding are properly
embedded during early education. This should then form
a firm foundation for future learning.
WHY THE CHANGE?
Raising standards
 Be more challenging and rigorous
 Compete internationally

SATS were not revised for the Summer of 2015
as Year 2 and 6 continued on the old
curriculum, but a new style of tests will be
taken by this year’s pupils. See leaflets.
ENGLISH
Stronger emphasis on vocabulary development,
grammar, punctuation and spelling (for example,
the use of commas and apostrophes is now taught
in KS1).
 Handwriting is expected to be fluent, legible and
speedy.
 Spoken English has a greater emphasis, with
children to be taught debating and presenting
skills.
 Greater emphasis on reading for pleasure.

MATHS
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Five-year-olds are now expected to learn to count up to
100 (compared to 20 under the previous curriculum)
and learn number bonds to 20 (previously up to 10).
Simple fractions (1/4 and 1/2) will be taught from KS1,
and by the end of primary school, children should be
able to convert decimal fractions to simple fractions
(e.g. 0.375 = 3/8).
By the age of nine, children will be expected to know
times tables up to 12×12 (previously 10×10 by the end
of primary school).
Calculators will not be introduced until near the end of
KS2, to encourage mental arithmetic.
SCIENCE
The new curriculum has a strong focus on
scientific knowledge and language, rather than
understanding the nature and methods of
science in abstract terms.
 Topics such as caring for animals have been
replaced by topics like the human circulatory
system.

ICT OR COMPUTING
Computing has replaced Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), with a greater
focus on programming rather than on operating
programs.
 From age five, children will learn to write and test
simple programs, and to organise, store and
retrieve data.
 From seven, they will be taught to understand
computer networks, including the internet.
 Internet safety has an even greater emphasis
throughout the school.

LANGUAGES
Previously not statutory, a modern foreign
language or ancient language (Latin or Greek)
will be mandatory in KS2. Children will be
expected to master basic grammar and
accurate pronunciation and to converse,
present, read and write in the language.
At Frisby our chosen language is French.
NO MORE LEVELS!
In previous years, children were assessed according to NC levels e.g.
1a, 1b, 1c. However, in the current curriculum, these levels have been
removed because the government felt that:

children were too focussed on levels, rather than on the specific next
steps given to them by their teachers.

parents did not really understand what the different levels entailed.
even when two children were assessed as being the same level, one
child may have just missed out on the next level up while another
child could have just scraped that level which has implications on their
future targets and progress.
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NATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
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A new baseline assessment for all Reception pupils as
they start school was trialled in 2015 with a view to
starting in 2016. This has recently been abandoned.
Key Stage 1 assessments to guide teacher assessment
as previously was the case. New grammar, punctuation
and spelling test introduced.
Key Stage 2 – no mental maths test and now three
written maths tests plus a greater emphasis on
grammar, punctuation and spelling – especially in
writing teacher assessment.
HOW HAVE WE NOW STARTED TO ASSESS
WITHOUT LEVELS AT FRISBY?
Children will be assessed against the objectives for their year group
as set out by the New National Curriculum.
We will be using the DfE terms of ‘Working Towards the Expected
Standard’, ‘Working at the Expected Standard’ and ‘Working at Greater
Depth Within the Expected Standard’ to track their progress against
these end of year expectations.
At the end of the year the vast majority of children should be meeting
the end of year expectations.
Some children may not reach this stage and will be reported
accordingly.
A small number of children may be working at greater depth. However,
this doesn’t mean they will have moved on to the expectations of the
next year group, it will just mean they have studied their current year’s
expectations in greater depth and therefore have a deeper
understanding of them.
HOW HAVE WE NOW STARTED TO ASSESS
WITHOUT LEVELS AT FRISBY?
Termly tests in Reading, Maths and Grammar,
Punctuation and Spelling.
 Termly teacher assessments in reading, maths
and writing.
 Using the language of “next steps” when
marking pupils work, so that children are clear
what they need to do to improve their work
further.
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