New Curriculum

[shebird]

Hi just wondering if any teachers out there can advise me on how to assist my DCs with the new curriculum. They are both pretty average so I am a bit concerned that they are going to fall behind. From what I am hearing it is going to be a lot more challenging and more support will be needed at home. Do I just focus on reading, spellings and times tables? Are there any good workbooks that support the new curriculum?

There are lots of good workbooks - the new curriculum seems like a real boon for workbook producers!

You could try Rising Stars or Carole Vorderman (she does all the subjects not just maths) - but there are a lot more out there as a visit to WHSmith will show.

The new ones are often organised by year group now & Amazon is helpful if you want to check reviews. Time and fractions are two areas where content from further up the old curriculum has been brought down into lower year groups. Some of the 'new' English grammar terminology is helpful to know too.

Governor not teacher, but I know our school hasn't yet found many good resources for the new curriculum. The feeling is the publishers are holding off till they know more about the levels, and what next year's Y6 tests will look like.

However, you can't go wrong if you focus on reading, grammar, times tables, telling the time, spelling etc. Always useful building blocks.

You could look at the Collins maths books. And, if you don't already, pick books that are slightly more advanced thean they would read, to read to them, exposing them to a wider vocabulary.

Hope that helps.

Sounds like publishers have been quicker on work books for home use then!

BlueChampagne

Rising Stars resources have already produced teacher resources too.

They also have some useful free resources, e.g. samples of their resources for teachers, but also their Progression Frameworks.

I think the Progression Frameworks are superb because for each progression statement they give examples for children working towards, meeting and exceeding expectations.

Here's an example from Year 3 maths:

3.3.c.2 Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole [for example 5/7 + 1/7 = 6/7]

Working towards:
The pupil can calculate 1/4 + 1/4 = 2/4.

Meeting:
The pupil can calculate 2/9 + 8/9 = 10/9 and 10/9 ? 8/9 = 2/9.

Exceeding:
The pupil can calculate 2/9 + 8/9 = 10/9 and 10/9 ? 8/9 = 2/9. They realise that 10/9 is greater than one and can suggest ways to record this.

Of course I like the Progression Frameworks because they are rather like levels, which I liked (although I realise not everyone did) but with even more detail.

To gain access you do need to register (if I remember correctly) and the subjects with Progression Frameworks are English, Maths, Science, History and Geography.

I realise I must sound like a salesperson, but I'm just a parent who really likes clarity, detail ... and frameworks

I've been inundated with catalogues for resources for the new curriculum and there's barely a lunchtime when I haven't got a call from a rep trying to sell resources so there is definitely stuff out there for schools

I've not used rising stars before, but I'm a bit at that progression framework. Although I don't think that the metting expectations criteria you've just quoted originally came from them.

Have you seen anything you like the look of within that avalanche of catalogues mrz? Everything I've come aross online looks a bit unwieldy in terms of managing assessment. Although manufacturers of highlighters might do well out of it.

Nothing that I'd buy

We bought Rising Stars Maths but aren't impressed

We just tried out the Rising Stars (school) assessment materials on Yrs 3-5. Got the shock of our lives (not counting the fact there were errors on the papers) and in the main our kids did pretty badly.

Yr 3: 3/8 of what number is 6?

Rising stars is one of those schemes that always seems popular in terms of the number of people using it, but I've never met anyone who actually likes it. Have a feeling it spends a lot of time tucked away in the back of cupboards.

I think we need a new way of looking at assessment. Somebody somewhere must be able to come up with something manageable that is easy to communicate in a way that parents can understand easily.

It sounds like the new curriculum is going to be a lot more demanding with little support for teachers or parents. They almost expecting some children to run before they can walk. Suddenly those average ability children are now expected to make a big leap and understand more complex concepts or be classed as under achieving.

Is it true that these new measures mean that pay of teachers is now related to the performance of pupils?

Rising Stars always make me suspicious because everything is rushed through so quickly - no time for quality there.

And having sat on a focus group for a new reading scheme, they have no clue at all about phonics in the new curriculum.

That's what worried me Feenie. Did no one look at that year 3 document and the objective 'add and subtract fractions within one whole' and the meeting expectations criteria of ' 2/9 + 8/9 = 10/9' and think 10/9 is not within one whole. Worse still there's no mention at all of improper fractions in any of their expected or exceeding expectations criteria so there's every likelyhood that this might be the first time that this concept is introduced and it isn't really explained at all.

I've not looked at the other frameworks to see if there are other mistakes, but if clam says the papers they used had mistakes in, it doesn't look good.

Very helpful comments - perhaps not such a great resource if they are not accurate!

Looked at the CGP books yesterday ... Won't be wasting my budget

Are there any materials that you thought were good mrz? It would be nice to have a resource in mind in case DD has difficulties with the NC next year.

shebird teachers pay has been linked to performance for a couple of years now - each teacher is set objectives at the beginning of the year and their pay award is dependent on them achieving those.

The objectives for each staff member should link to the school improvement/development plan - so yes, they can be based on pupil achievement.

I haven't found anything better than (or as good as )the resources already available in school. True they might not all be in one book but it just takes a little effort to find what meets the needs of your class.

Another one not impressed with the rising stars maths. The reading was even worse!

I too loathe Rising Stars. Incredibly expensive for very mediocre materials, but they seem to have a large part of the market. I've bought our KS2 the Target Your Maths books as they seem to be the best that's out there. Clear, unfussy, differentiation on the page and only 1 book to buy per year group for £8 - considerably cheaper than any of the alternatives. Everyone I know who's used the previous versions (Target Maths or Maths on Target) really liked using them.

The best Maths assessments I've come across are the ones published by Headstart Primary - only £40 per year group to print off an use as many times as you like. Sooo much cheaper than Rising Stars and appears to be much more realistic and child friendly too.

Does anyone else think that the Rising Stars assessments are pitched very high in terms of difficulty?

I've heard a lot of people complain that they are too difficult. We found the old Rising Stars maths gave inflated levels

Yes clam we found them quite difficult!