To think the primary school curriculum in the UK is too advance

[Kerry987]

I think the primary school curriculum in the UK is too advance for the majority of children. I think it it is OK for kids who are very academic and self learners, bright, but I think at least half of the kids struggle to keep up with it and need lots of support at school and home.

What do other parents and teachers think?

I had a meeting with the special needs person at my daughter's school a couple of years ago and she told me that I would be surprised to find out how many kids need help and support. This got me to think there is something wrong with the curriculum if so many kids need extra support.

Why are we overloading with so much information? We have been home schooling and there are things that my husband and I didn't see until secondary school

@Fressia123 that's interesting as children should know all their times tables by the end of Y4 in this country and need additional help if they've not achieved by Y5

The maths is harder and Y6 expectations are definitely higher than 10 years ago.

If you are judging this on online learning don't as we're being taught to go over basics as so many children in our school have no parental help or equipment to use

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer that's typed by someone who understands maths!

Things are not over complicated but are there to give an understanding. Formal methods need no understanding so that's when children can't spot mistakes or transfer skills to real life problems.

Well that's what they're doing at her school! All of the other maths are quite simple too. Now that I'm homeschooling I do algebra with her as I think it's more appropriate.

MyDcAreMarvel some children actually enjoy learning, DS got all A and A* at GCSE. He then achieved three A levels at grade A. I can assure you he had plenty of playtime.

In my ethnic group which is Chinese education is everything, it’s just a way of life.

I could read before I went to school, it was just the way it was. DH is white but his family value education very highly so he had an upbringing similar to mine and has similar values.

I'm seeing it daily now with the home learning with DD2 (4). Expectations are very low and there's no support for able kids. Teachers are already in an impossible position, trying to cater to 30 children with different ages in the year group, different abilities and experience.

We're just getting on with it. There are loads of books available.

You probably won't get a very objective view about this on MN as a disproportionate number of MNers have DC in Reception who can read Dickens and understand Pi....

No the curriculum isn't advanced enough

I have actually been wondering if they have been sending home easier work than they would do at school, everything ds is doing is too easy and too straight forward for him. He's just bored of it! Constant repetition of the same stuff he already knows. Maybe it's just his school!

It does seem advanced to me, but then I was at the primary school in the 80s and didn’t even have any homework. Were we happier? Possibly less stressed, but we could have done more. I remember watching a lot of tv.

The maths my DC YR6 is getting seems to be harder than I remember in the 1980s at that age. In fact, I'm pretty sure we didn't cover some of that until high school. And I was in middle to high sets. I left school feeling devoid of confidence with maths. So I want my DC to get on top of this now.

In contrast the English both DC get is dry as hell. The books they bring home to read, the grammar...its all just so arid, unchallenging and devoid of context and meaningless.

I am incredibly disappointed that foreign languages get such meagre room in the curriculum still. Its such a old fashioned idea that English people don't need to speak other languages. Its so damn lazy.

I really feel for teachers, especially right now. There just seems so much busy work to get through to tick the right boxes all the time.

Unfortunately there is a culture of low expectation in this country. People are obsessed with play and not reading before 7. Most kids can play and read. There’s enough time in the day.

We have this ridiculous thing where many parents are embarrassed to show they have academic ambitions for their children so pretend they aren’t doing extra whilst having secret tutors in case the ‘let kids be kids!’ parents shame them for getting their child to do an hour of maths and English in the one hour out of four they have available before bed.

It's about averages.

See also

Lake Wobegon where all the children are above average

Sorry to be that parent but like others, my perception of the curriculum through homeschooling makes me think it's not challenging enough. For my children anyway. That's not a brag or an over exaggeration of my precious children's abilities, but they are so bored and spend half their lesson waiting for others. I worry that both of my girls are not being challenged enough, and am having to find other things to occupy their minds.

But that's the thing, that's my children, and there are other children in their class who clearly need the extra time. For them I worry the support isn't there and that it may be too tough. It's the ability to set work for the different levels in a class, and resources to be able to support it, that seems to be the issue.

There's not much space for original thought, following child-led interests, or creativity in the curriculum from what I see.

Also not nearly enough music, art, sport, practical skills or language at most state schools.

I sailed through school academically but was naive and was not supported to form a good sense of self, resilience, work hard, or value my own opinions.

Because I did well academically without really trying, that was seen as the be all and end all.

I actually think the curriculum, especially for Y5 and Y6 is not advanced enough. I felt DD was dumped down by the depths of some. topics taught.

MFL is a joke but unfortunately that seems. also. the case in secondary.

Not enough "foreign" knowledge, hardly any geography outside. the UK but even UK was just glanced over. Y6 should have some knowledge about government and what an election means.

I would prefer if the children are taught by subject like in secondary instead of having a "half term topic" which runs through all lessons. DD made so much more progress in secondary when she knew that history stayed in history and WWI/Tudors/whatever didn't move into English/Maths/Geography etc as well.

Class size is too big for primary, especially Reception and KS1. The idea of no homework means parents have no idea of what. is taught and where problems. are. There is not enough practise for fine motor skills and proper handwriting.

I think the level of detail that they learn grammar in at primary is ridiculous and unnecessary. And the fact that they are forced to do cursive handwriting even when it's crystal clear that their writing would improve hugely if they were allowed to print.
The huge focus on grammar means that the literacy lessons are so dry, that my DCs lose interest.
I am also appalled at how little music art and PE is in the curriculum.

And the fact that they are forced to do cursive handwriting even when it's crystal clear that their writing would improve hugely if they were allowed to print

As I said earlier dd2 really struggles with spelling. As a result result writing never really flows. Personally I think it would be far easier if she could just print because of she has to stop to think about or to ask what letter comes next she then won't have the untidiness of joining strokes that are too long or wobberly and/or end up making the Us look like Os etc.

I've tried to suggest it but she won't go against what she's learnt at school she worried about getting in trouble. I think they could be saving themselves time and money with the hand writing interventions she's been on since god knows when...but we will never know.

Tbh I don't fully write in joined up. I'd join an a to a b but then I don't join the b to the next letter if that makes sense. Now they seem.to join all letters to all letters and it looks a.mess .

I dont think it took long to learn to join up once we were allowed to do it in school when our spelling and hand writing were up to scratch

@mrdobalinamrbobdobalina

I think the level of detail that they learn grammar in at primary is ridiculous and unnecessary. And the fact that they are forced to do cursive handwriting even when it's crystal clear that their writing would improve hugely if they were allowed to print. The huge focus on grammar means that the literacy lessons are so dry, that my DCs lose interest. I am also appalled at how little music art and PE is in the curriculum.

How and when exactly should we fit more in?

@AccidentallyOnPurpose less time teaching them about what a fronted adverbial is? If you're a teacher, please don't take this as a criticism of teachers. I put the blame squarely at the door of the government.

[quote mrdobalinamrbobdobalina]@AccidentallyOnPurpose less time teaching them about what a fronted adverbial is? If you're a teacher, please don't take this as a criticism of teachers. I put the blame squarely at the door of the government. [/quote]
Touché!

The thing is grammar is either done during English or SPAG (which is a half hour lesson) . English will happen either way.

Once you take lunch and play out, there are actually only 5 hours of teaching a day. Maths and English daily(plus handwriting,guided reading, SPAG/phonics). Then in the afternoon we need to fit in Art, Music, topic(geography/history), science,RE, PHSE, PE(x2), French , Computing/ICT .

We don't have the spare hours for any extras.

The insistence on cursive writing though is bonkers and pointless.

@LarryUnderwood

You misunderstood . It’s not what is being taught it’s how that I find difficult .

So you can teach adjectives adverbs and conjunctions without being confused about what they are called ?

So yes describe them and use them , but my grandson is only 6 and today was asked to elaborate on his vocabulary. And add adverbs and conjunctions to a piece of writing .

All I am saying is at his age request what you want , but in a simpler way ?

I think maths is oversimplified to the point that you end up going through 3 steps for a simple addition sum! Well it seems to be that way for my 7 year old!

@Unsure33 I don't think i misunderstood. I think perhaps I just don't agree.

@LarryUnderwood

Fair enough.

I am old school and felt I still learnt in a more interesting way at age 6 .

But I failed my 11 plus so who knows?

Still got 11 O levels and 3 A levels though .

I agree that grammar is important .
I agree we should stretch our children .
But homeschooling is difficult and personally I think some parents may struggle with the method at age 6 .

I am just saying the end result could still be the same .