Can a primary school still follow old curriculum?

[hoping2016]

Just that really can a primary still follow old curriculum with levels ? Our local one seems to be doing this ?

[Zippidydoodah]

I don't think so...national curriculum is a legal document. However, they may be easing into it slowly? I'm rather out of the loop at the moment.

[DullUserName]

An academy doesn't have to follow the curriculum at all.

[hoping2016]

I don't think it's an academy

[PatriciaHolm]

Do you mean they are just using the old levels to measure/report? Or do you think they are not following the national curriculum? Those are two different things.

[LemonRedwood]

If it's state maintained, it should be following the new curriculum. Easing into it happened a few years ago (a year later for core subjects in yrs 2 and 6). However, there is no set assessment system. The school may have chosen to keep "levels" and just made adjustments to fit them to the new curriculum ie a 4b at the end of year 6 now means meeting age related expectations for the new curriculum.

[LemonRedwood]

Perhaps ask the school.

[hoping2016]

They are using levels to report

[LemonRedwood]

Then that's entirely up to the school. Ask them for clarification as to what the levels mean in light of the new curriculum.

[hoping2016]

Thank you for clarification on this I will find out a bit more from school

[hoping2016]

Out of interest does anyone know if this yr 16/17 is the last year the old curriculum can be used ?

[hoping2016]

Lemon redwood- do you know how all the old levels relate to new curriculum...would be very useful

[ReallyTired]

I don't think you can compare the old and the new curriculum. They cover different things. The newer curriculum has more depth and far less breath. There is an emphasis on expanding the knowledge sideways rather than accelerating a child.

A child who scored full marks in key stage 1 SATS would not be able to do year 3/4 work as they will not have done the topic.

[bojorojo]

The current method of assessment was introduced as "assessment without levels" so no, there are no levels in any shape or form. Most schools are using terminology such as working below, working towards, working at and working above. These are used for each topic and build up a picture of the child's progress as time goes by, as topics are covered. Therefore when a topic is introduced, say in maths, really bright children might be working above the required level fairly quickly and will be set additional tasks to broaden their knowledge of the topic. Others, such as Sen children who struggle with maths, may be working below and strategies should be devised to help them make more progress.

[ReallyTired]

Bright children are usually given problems to make them think in maths rather than moving on to harder work.

[LemonRedwood]

Sorry, hoping, I don't, as technically the old levels don't relate at all. I suspect the school are using the familiar terminology of level 2, level 3, level 4 etc to help them track attainment and progress.

Is it your child's school? If so, ask for a meeting with your child's teacher and ask them to explain what the level means in terms of what they should be achieving and the progress they should be making.

If it's a school that you are looking at/considering for your child, then perhaps arrange for a tour and ask the question "How do you assess the children's progress now that levels are gone?"

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, but schools were left to their own devices once levels disappear and so now every school has its own systems (unless in a particularly helpful / dictatorial LA!)

[Feenie]

Some of the terminology may sound very similar, but it isn't anything like the same thing. For example, a school using Target Tracker (v popular tracking system) might record a children as Working at 2B or 4B now, but that means beginning the Y2 or Y4 curriculum - it doesn't equate to anything like an old 2B/4B. Could that be what you heard?

[mrz]

"Bright children are usually given problems to make them think in maths" all children will be given maths problems

[mrz]

"Out of interest does anyone know if this yr 16/17 is the last year the old curriculum can be used " the old curriculum was used in Y2 and Y6 until 2014/15 but all other year groups should have followed the new curriculum from September 2014 (there was an option to begin earlier for years 3 and 4)

[ReallyTired]

"all children will be given maths problems"

That is true, but more able children are given tougher problems. Nrich has problems that would make an adult think even though they only need primary school maths knowledge to solve.