Just read the Mumsnet info on proposed N C Changes

[Sittinginthesun]

Am I reading this right? The plan is that a class can't move onto the next level, unless the whole class are ready?

How is this going to work? My dcs school has very mixed ability within a class, as I'm sure most schools do. In Year 3 maths, for example, around a 3rd of the class go up to Year 4, and a good handful are working at Year 5/6 level. Others within Year 3, are working at Year 2/3 Level. If the class have to wait for everyone to catch up, it would be chaos.

Hope I've completely misunderstood this.

I said you were a great teacher mrz - who did you bury under the patio afterwards ??

They'll have to knock the CC down to find out

Going back to the more able kids bit, am still trying to parse the relevant section (quoted below).

It seems to me that they have looked at the data and said, 'High achieving systems have a much smaller spread of assessed results at the end of primary schooling.' Reading the rest of the report suggests that this is because all students are expected to achieve, and therefore all students gain results that are, say, one or two standard deviations away from the results of the most able. I'm making that part up, but it seems meaningful. Yay. And such.

However, the report authors seem to be saying - if I'm reading this right - that deliberately limiting the opportunities for MAT pupils to progress will result in a magical low spread. No high achievers = no high spread! Which will end all problems with educational attainment forever, the end. Which is insane. And vaguely Soviet in flavour.

What issues arise for pupils?
8.21 There are issues regarding ?stretch and challenge? for those pupils who, for a particular body of content, grasp material more swiftly than others. There are different responses to this in different national settings, but frequently there is a focus on additional activities that allow greater application and practice, additional topic study within the same area of content, and engagement in demonstration and discussion with others (often vital for consolidation of learning and identification of misunderstanding and misconception). Additional tutoring is employed in some settings, but it is important even in systems in which tutoring is widespread. These systems achieve comparatively low spread at the end of primary education, a factor vital in a high proportion of pupils being well positioned to make good use of more intensive subject-based provision in secondary schooling.
(p49)

So we give the more able -stuff to keep them occupied until the others catch up - but don't actually teach beyond the given year group - I suppose this could be viewed as supporting enrichment rather than acceleration - but how do you avoid these children happening upon topics 'not covered until year 6' ?
I think the success in other countries can be put down to ensuring all children acheive the higher grades - of course as history has shown in this country what will likely happen is that the bands will be lowered in order to demonstrate this new system works [cynical emoticon]

but how do you avoid these children happening upon topics 'not covered until year 6' ?

Personally I just might leave a few KS3 text books lying around the classroom for the children to "happen upon"

snow I think you have it - this is the primary curriculum we are going to be restricted in - the more able can just start KS3 - perfect

Hi all:

I rather expect that the intention is to do something similar to what was resolved for Cameron Thompson, who's G&T with maths and autistic but currently taking Open University courses in mathematics but also attending mainstream school. (See TES 2 March 2002 page 10).

Many foreign systems remove high flyers in upper years of primary to attend special classes as a group once or twice a week, usually located at a nearby/ regional secondary school. They remain with their peers for the remainder of primary school work. So a kind of best of both worlds solution.

Again - agree with many this is all in planning and as mrz rightly points out a final national curriculum has yet to be produced. I am curious to see how this applies to free schools/ academies who seem to be allowed to teach as they like (so kind of confused how they're held to account).

Thanks everyone, it makes a bit more sense now. Will be interested to see what happens.

Free schools and academies don't have to follow the national curriculum but they are still held to account by Ofsted and are still required to achieve the same standards as other schools in terms of KS2 results, GCSE grades, etc.